37 replies to this topic

[Mel Johnson]

I believe that the "Bournonville pas de bourrée" is properly named pas de bourrée fleuret.  And I agree that coupé is a movement, not a position.  A certain generation of dancers has shorthanded "cou de pied" to coupé by elision, and refer to an unwrapped front cou de pied position, or petit retiré as "coupé position" just as they refer to retiré as "passé position".

[Alexandra]

I have a suggestion -- another digression, but it is nearly 3 a.m. here!!

How about for this new season, we have a Step of the Week in this forum -- SIMPLE!!!!!  don't start with the hard ones!!! -- but aimed so at the end of a year, our discovering balletomanes would have a usable vocabulary of 52 steps that they'll see on stage and read about in newspapers?  Volunteers

[Mel Johnson]

Okay!

[BW]

     Looking forward to it!  :yes:

[Hans]

Pas de bourré fleuret is a beautiful term that I am very proud to add to my vocabulary

I cannot wait for the step of the week forum! B)

[Alexandra]

Mel already put up Step One -- but it won't be another forum, just a series of threads on this one.

Those interested in Bournonville steps and style on this level might want to read his "Etudes Choreographiques"  Much of which is in the book by Erik Bruhn and Lillian Moore called "Bournonville and Ballet Technique" which is hard to find now, but you might be in your library.

[Paul Parish]

pas de bourree fleuret -- use it in a dance!

[aspirant]

I like this "name that tune" sort of game. I have two questions for you all:

1.  Is there a specific word for a pirouette taken directly out of a grand plie?  (short of... jee thats hard)

2.  (please excuse the desperate attempt at description, this is what i love about dance--that you can't ever pin it down on paper or elsewhere!)  So... you start with the same take-off as for tour jete/ grand jete en tournon whichever you are calling it and after the first battement front instead of completing the step the normal way, you finish facing the direction you are traveling (with the second leg to the front).  as in... chasse, battement R front, fouette completely, land on R foot with L leg front facing same direction as the battement.    ACK!   They've been doing this one a good deal in class and its in Manon.   Any help will be much appreciated.

[Mel Johnson]

1)  Yes, whether in English or French it has the same prosaic name, "Pirouette from preparation in grand plié"   They also have tours en l'air and entrechats-sixes from the same place - OUF!

2)  What you're describing is a grand jeté fouetté.  It's similar to the "baseball turn" in jazz.

[Paul Parish]

if that's a grand jete fouette, what's a revoltade?

[Mel Johnson]

A rivoltade is a step in which a (usually) male dancer does a grand battement to the front, then jumps off the supporting leg and brings it up and over the raised leg either straight or passing through retiré, and then lands on the former supporting leg, making it the supporting leg again.  The Blue Skater does some in "Les Patineurs".  The dancer seems to be jumping over his own leg (and he is!) and turning over in the air in the process.

[Mel Johnson]

Now ask about pirouettes sur le cou de pied up on the "Step of the week" thread!
Huh?  Huh?  :angelnot:

[Mel Johnson]

I think several of us have said that.

[Mel Johnson]

I think several of us have said that.

[carbro]

Alexandra, on Sep 28 2003, 01:21 AM, said:

I saw her post about pirouettes sur le coup de pied a couple of years ago -- they are still (nominally) a demicaractere step; she was talking about teaching them.  They're being phased out in Denmark now, too, though.  They were taken out of some variations (sadly, I must admit, by Brenaa, I was told by one of his assistants).

:mondieu: Aw, man!   Why would anyone want to reduce the expressive possibilities of the art? :shrug:   Please explain!  While I much prefer the look of the toe-to-knee position for pirouettes in most Petipa and later works, the softer, gentler position has an important use.

SAVE THE COU-DE-PIED PIROUETTE!