Fresh from her Grade III Cecchetti teacher’s exam, Lauren Warnecke reflects on why, despite that she’s not actively teaching ballet, she continued to study the Method. Purely editorial, her musings are a peek inside the exam process and tip of the hat to the man behind the Method.
Cecchetti Method
Should I Spring or Press to Relevé in a Ballet Pirouette?
If you press, the upper body and center of gravity (CoG) needs to move over the leg, and if you spring, the supporting leg meets your CoG in the middle. Which do you prefer? In this post Lauren Warnecke explores the benefits and mechanics of both to provoke thought and conversation.
Lightbulb Moments: Pas De Chat
Every jump in ballet is preceded by a counter-movement, namely, a plie, and this is exceedingly effective in getting more height out of a jump (try jumping from straight legs and see what happens), not to mention protecting the achilles tendon from injury. In fact, people have studied jump height and found that maximum vertical height in a jump is higher using a counter movement than not (3). So it makes sense that we bend our knees before jumping.
