There are several posts here at Dance Advantage that offer understanding and tips on certain technical elements of dance. So far, I’ve offered a smattering of the basics. More recent posts have received quite a few hits but some older posts have gotten buried along the way. Because I think all of these posts could be useful to readers, I’d like to present a little collection for you to check out.
Plié
…Even young dancers can tell you that plié means ‘to bend’ and that one must begin and end a jump with this action. However, it seems the longer one studies dance, the more he/she comes to realize that plié is one of the most sophisticated and nuanced movements in dance. It’s applications are endless…
Battement
…dancers and teachers often drop the word battement from the name of other common terms. As a result of this practice, some dance students may not realize that battement is actually a family of movements that includes battement tendus, dégagés (sometimes called, battement tendu jeté), frappés, and fondus développé…
Vertically Challenged: Improving Your Jumps
…the secret to jumping is not so secret, it is the same hard work that goes into most everything in dance: proper alignment, solid technique, and practice, practice, practice! Not what you wanted to hear? Sorry, but never fear, I can give you some pointers that will help you as you practice those jumps. I’m going to focus mainly on vertical jumping (sauté) in this post, although many of these principles can also be applied to traveling jumps or leaps…
The Core or “Center”
…So, now that we better understand the core, or center and how we’re expected to use it when we dance, there’s one remaining question that someone may still be asking…. WHY? What’s the big deal about this magical part of the body? Why is it so important to my dancing?…
Sickling and Rolling-In
…The terms sickling and rolling in are often used in dance classes to define issues with ankle alignment. However, I have found that many students do not have a clear understanding of the actions of the ankle and foot and, therefore, do not know how to correct these issues when asked…
For more posts on technique, including those on turnout and improving pirouettes, click here.
Is there a technical issue or a particular movement you’d like to see covered on Dance Advantage? Place your ideas or questions in the comments!
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
