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Task 6: Exploring inside and outside space

In this task you will develop a vocabulary for describing the feeling and experience between inside space and outside space that will help you to talk about what it feels to perform some ballet movements such as épaulement, battementtendu, éffacé, croisé, and écarté. In particular, you will be focusing on the definitions of these concepts through some reading and viewing activities as well as constructing together a map of images for all these movements.

This is a black and white photo of a couple rehearsing. She is extending her body onto an arabesque. She is standing on her left leg with her right leg extended to the back. She is looking up towards her right, her shoulders openning to the right, her rigth arm extending to the side with the palm facing down. Her left arm is lifted up to the side. She is wearing a black leotard. Her male partner is behind her, holding her by the waist with his right hand. He is also raising his left arm up to the left and looking to the right. He is wearing a white t-shirt and black tights.

In class this week you will experiment with precise facing in different directions. Complete the following activities to prepare you for the classwork.

Activity 6.1

In this activity you are going to work on definitions of ballet terms.

This is a colour photo of a male ballet dancer. He is standing with his left leg in front. His left arm is raised upwards in a curve and his right arm is extended to the side. He is looking towards his left side. He is wearing a blue t-shirt, white trousers and ballet shoes.

1

Match these actions with their corresponding ballet terms.

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Épaulement: A movement of the http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.giftorso from the waist upward, http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.gifbringing one shoulder forward and the other back with the http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.gifhead turned or inclined over http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.gifthe forward shoulder.

Battement tendu: Thehttp://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.gif working foot slides from the first or fifth position to the second or http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.giffourth position without http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.giflifting the toe from the ground.

Éffacé devant: The dancer stands at an oblique angle to the audience so that a part of the body is taken back http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.gifand almost hidden from view.

Croisé: The http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.gifcrossing of the legs with the body placed at an oblique angle to the audience.

Écarté:http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.gifSeparated, thrown wide apart. The dancer faces http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.gifeither one of the two front http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/terms/resources/dot_clear.gifcorners of the room.

You can find all these descriptions of ballet actions in the American Ballet Theatre Online Dictionary (opens in a new window).

Check your answer

Activity 6.2

Now read these pages (pp. 57-62) in Paskevska's text and take notes according to the instructions.

Paskevska, A. (2005) Ballet Beyond Tradition: The Role of Movement Concepts in Ballet Technique. New York and London: Routledge.

2

Compare Paskevska's descriptions of ballet actions with the ones in the previous activity.

A ballet teacher demonstrates a tendu action forward from fifth position with the right leg. His right arm is curved upwards and his head is facing up. They are four male students following his movement. They are in a large studio with windows, a ballet bar surrounding the room and a balcony on the first floor.

Paskevska describes ballet actions in terms of feelings of opposition forces in the body of the performer. For example, she explains that in a tendu to the side the working leg reaches outward, the supporting leg opens the pelvis in the opposite direction and the foot reaches into the floor, the upper torso reaches upward and the sacrum downward; in an éffacé devant the upper body spirals moving the torso in opposition to the pelvis.

In the previous activity the dictionary entries were characteristic of traditional ballet descriptions where the emphasis is fundamentally on the space around the performer and the effect on the audience.

In your practice you should pay attention to the feeling of opposition inside your body but also to the space around you.

Check your answer

Activity 6.3

In this activity you are going to watch a video and apply some of the concepts you have learnt so far.

This is a colour picture of a ballet couple standing next to each other. She is closer and he is further away. Her torso is facing the camera but she is twisting her neck to face right. Her arms are posed on the left side of her hips. His giving us his right profile. He is looking to the floor with his arms in front of his hips. She is wearing a burgundy leotard and he is wearing a light blue t-shirt and white trousers. They are both mature dancers. His hair is grey and she has a short brunette bob.This is a colour picture of a ballet couple standing next to each other. She is closer and he is further away. Her torso is facing the camera but she is twisting her neck to her right to look at him. Her arms are bended. He is tilting his head to his left looking to the floor with his arms relaxed to the sides. She is wearing a burgundy leotard and he is wearing a light blue t-shirt and white trousers. They are both mature dancers. His hair is grey and she has a short brunette bob.

3

Watch the first 2 minutes of this video on the performance of Theme and Variations (opens in a new window) by the American Ballet Theatre and pay attention to how Balanchine uses in the opening sequence:

  • moments of stillness and release.
  • the interplay between croisé and éffacé.

Take notes of what you perceive in the movement.

This is an elegant sequence in which dancer Gelsey Kirkland seems to stretch the time spent in the extension of the tendu so that the plié is released with elasticity; this gives the sequence breath and a bouncy quality as if the action is a rebound from the previous one. She and Baryshnikov use their heads differently. Kirkland maintains her focus to the audience which draws attention to the way that the shoulders freely rotate around the vertical to make easy transitions between croisé and éffacé lines. She steals a glance towards her partner just before he begins dancing. Baryshnikov's performance is equally precise but his movements are broader and smoother. His gaze tends to follow the direction of the movement but his torso exhibits the same attention to the en face -the audience- in the croisé and éffacé. The woman's balance has become more refined and elongated because of working on pointe. Check your answer

Activity 6.4

Search on the internet for an image that illustrates one of these ballet concepts: épaulement, battementtendu, éffacé, croisé, or écarté. Add your image to the mind map "Attending to space in ballet". Remember to add a detailed reference to your image.

Note: How to contribute to the mind map

First you need to create a new bubble (node) where to place your image:

1. Click on the term you want to illustrate, e.g. Battement tendu. The frame should turn blue.

2. Click on the "Plus" sign Plus sign image on the blue bar at the top. A new node or branch should appear.

3. Enter the name of the photographer, the date and the URL of your image.

Now you can add your image to your node:

4. Click on the "Properties" grey button on the top right hand side of the map.

5. In the section "Icons & Images" click on the down arrow on top of the word "Images".

6. Select "Use web image".

7. Select "Enter URL" and copy the location of your chosen image. Your image should now appear on the map.

If you need help, click on "help" icon Help icon image on the blue bar at the top of the map and then choose "Online help". Here you can find tutorials on how to edit the map. All you need to do for this activity is in the section "Basics".