Stretching and Tendu down

Marcus asked for more stretch. I was having a hard time finding it. But I think I know what I want to try next.

Mary had been talking about the tendu down, which is to say the supporting leg in a jump points in a "tendu", meaning stretched, but "down" in the sense that it's beneath you. But this image extends further, so that even relevés to demi-pointe can be seen in my mind as a tendu down.

This helped me figure out that my pelvic alignment was off (in an attempt to attain more turn out). once the pelvic alignment is off, all the wrong muscles start working. No wonder it's been hard!

Mary also mentioned that piqués are like walking down the stairs. Again, In my mind I'm thinking of this as a tendu down.

Pirouettes were better when Ilona said think of the "up", not the around. But I couldn't re-create it after class. She also said to get bigger in the turn. She also said that the power from the en dehor turn comes from the back leg.

Ilona was also asking for stronger support in the arms. The elbows should be pulling away from each other.

Mary and Ilona

Ilona:
The fillé into the chassé from arabesque. She's still getting after me for it. It's because I don't fillé through the first position the way I do balançoire.

En dedans turns: it's the connection to the second arm/side/back that's missing.

Also, don't drop the chin! Keep the focus out and lifted.

Work on the head, especially in allegro. This came up during the sissone développé, coupé, assemblé, both a la seconde. We use the "écarté derriere" heads and arms, even though the torso is en face.

Don't forget to actually jump in petit allegro! It's about the UP.

Especially in allegro, roll through the foot on the way down. Even just in the steps. or tombé.

Mary
I was trying to do fast tendus and my tendus à la seconde weren't in a straight line.

Turns from second. Yikes. Really get on the leg by pressing down into the floor, and stretching the front of the hip joint.

There's always so much in this class, yet I struggle to remember it all! Remember more corrections!

Just Ilona today

Forgot to add from yesterday that the bending of the front knee in tendu as described by Mary in the Ballet U blog seemed to make it easier to close fifth. But if you don't have a tight fifth, are you supposed to bend the knee?

Ilona mentioned something about it the other day.

We talked about the rhythm of glissade, grand jete. I don't think I got it. will need to ask again. and how it differs when you grand jete with the same leg. and how big is the glissade?

Should also follow up on the part of the foot that makes sure it doesn't flop. Not the toes, Ilona, said. At least, that didn't always work.

Ashley told me that I wasn't spotting my turns a la seconde with my arms up in fifth. It's true, once I added the spot, I was more on balance.

I think I also turn in my turns a la seconde. Need to check. and also, Ashley said my knees aren't straight.

Tendus en tournant pivot in 5th and then tendu, but they happen pretty quickly.

working on keeping the fillé turned out, especially from arabesque.

also, placing the foot on the floor is more important than how we leave the floor, at least in terms of what I need to work on now.

Mary, Ilona

Tendus: Mary said that the tendus initiate with the foot. Amazingly, I thought of lifting the instep, and it made a huge difference in my tendus. Mary even noticed.

Petit allegro, Mary said that the gesture leg should only go as high as you can jump, and the position should assemble in the air above it.

Retiré: I have been unable to balance my pelvis laterally. Ilona told me I needed to release a muscle (maybe it was the glut. med.s or something), but when she fixed it, I felt a definite release on the outside of my hips. (Lateral as opposed to medial.)

Closing fifth: Now that I have a decent enough fifth to be corrected, but Mary and Ilona corrected my fifth, as in I need to close it and rotate it more.

Chassé: remaining turned out. we worked on that with Ilona.

tendu, cou-de-pied en tournant: turn in fifth, then move the gesture leg.

En dedans turns: Ilona was pushing me to go for two, but I couldn't do it. I need to generate the force correctly, so that I don't distort my alignment. Needs more work.

Gino thoughts

work through the feet, even the toes, to have that smooth, even feeling. in tendus, in jumps, everywhere.

hmm...guess that's the main one.

Marcus Sunday, Ilona Monday

Marcus:

When I stand in fifth, Right foot front, I'm not grounded. Please work on that!

It's really hard to hold an extension in second. The gesture leg needs to be fully active!

Balancés should have it's own character and fluidity, not just ignored until you get to the next step.

Chassés should be much more grounded all the way through.

When I plié, I tend to lower my chin. But instead, open up. Show yourself to the audience as you prepare for the next step.

Ilona:

Standing in a very loose fifth makes it easier to find a tighter fifth later in class.

as I éleve, there's a point where I lose my ankles, but if I think of pulling up the insteps of my foot, I regain stability.

keep hips even in retiré. (Tendency was to lift the side of the gesture leg.)

Arabesque, even with tendu, needs to be on the balls of the feet of the supporting leg. Otherwise it goes into the rectus femoris.

When doing big jumps, don't lose the form of the turnout nor of the feet.

Pirouettes: keep my arms with me (instead of leaving them behind me when I turn).

Breathing

Taylor worked on taking a breath.

I leaned against the wall with my hands pushing forward so that gravity could help me release my abdominals.

There's a release before the inhale, and when I inhale, there's an even bigger release. I currently feel it as a stretch, probably in my lower abdominals.

It's incredible. It completely changed my Gyrotonic work. I felt much more connected from the sitz bones to the skull. It released my low back, kept my hips open and in line, and gave meaning to the breathing rhythms.

Definitely something to try to incorporate everywhere. Maybe even ballet.