I noticed that certain dancers, even the big jumpers like Cornejo and Acosta, 99% of the time have silent landings. Does this have to do with technique, or is it a natural talent? Can you learn to have silent landings??? Is it a sign of a correct landing. How important is it in the illusionary aspects of dance? I am not a dancer, so if anyone can enlighten me on it, please do!!! I know it enhances my enjoyment when I think of a performance afterwards. I do cringe when I here a very noisy landing.
0
Silent Landings
Started by
fandeballet
, Jun 30 2005 08:57 AM
4 replies to this topic
#2
- Member
-
- 10 posts
Member
Posted 30 June 2005 - 09:54 AM
This is a pet peeve of one of my teachers. She has explained that a quiet landing is possible by relaxing the foot at the proper time during the descent of the jump. Of course, when jumping in pointe shoes it is much much more difficult!
#3
- Board Moderator
-
- 6,289 posts
Board Registrar
Posted 30 June 2005 - 09:58 AM
This is one of the many features of a good demi plie. If a dancer (in soft slippers 
) lands first through the joints of the foot then the knee, the foot and knee both resisting the landing and absorbing the weight of the body, the impact on both the floor and the body is lessened. Often, if there is a thud, it is due to a particular dancer's relatively short achilles tendon, which doesn't allow the leg to bend to the necessary degree to silence the landing.
Also, I find a dancer with a deep and supple demi plie just gives a better overall impression. Between releves (for example, the retires in Kitri's variation, when she may be slyly fanning herself), a deeper preparatory plie gives tends to accentuate the "up" of the full pointe.
) lands first through the joints of the foot then the knee, the foot and knee both resisting the landing and absorbing the weight of the body, the impact on both the floor and the body is lessened. Often, if there is a thud, it is due to a particular dancer's relatively short achilles tendon, which doesn't allow the leg to bend to the necessary degree to silence the landing.Also, I find a dancer with a deep and supple demi plie just gives a better overall impression. Between releves (for example, the retires in Kitri's variation, when she may be slyly fanning herself), a deeper preparatory plie gives tends to accentuate the "up" of the full pointe.
#4
- Member
-
- 19 posts
Member
Posted 30 June 2005 - 11:33 AM
Silent landings are learned, not natural. You have to absorb the energy of the jump gradually (using the articulation of the feet and the plie) - the thud comes when that energy hits the stage all at once. All jumps are taught to land silently, but it is not easy! so sometimes a thud will get through. I would consider someone who consistently lands noisily to have poor jumping technique - it is also very bad for the joints.
jayo
jayo
#5
- Member
-
- 19 posts
Member
Posted 01 July 2005 - 09:13 AM
jayo, on Jun 30 2005, 03:33 PM, said:
Silent landings are learned, not natural.
0 user(s) are reading this topic
members, guests, anonymous users
Help support Ballet Alert! and Ballet Talk for Dancers year round by using this search box for your amazon.com purchases:
