Moving one's body through space is a basic factor of dancing. How you do that often defines the kind of dancing you might be doing. Whatever the case, ballet addresses many of the transitions from one foot to the next by naming some of the most common ways to accomplish this.
Shifting our weight from one foot to the next with a little dip in our knees (Temps lié). Sliding our weight in a straight line forward/side/back/diagonally (Chassé). Falling from one foot to the next (Tombé). And a simple step (Pas) as you might take while walking.
As a teacher and coach, it is never boring to explore the many ways we can shift our weight, and to explore how that shift of weight turns into dynamic movement that underlies ballet and related dance forms.
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| Me with Amy Young in Paul Taylor's "Promethean Fire". Photo: Paul B. Goode |
From my own online surfing adventures, I've set up a few clips of how the most basic shifts of weight becomes dancing, choosing various dances which were all choreographed to J.S. Bach's Cello suites!
This first clip is of the former New York City Ballet principal dancer, Damian Woetzel, in the opening phrase of "A Suite of Dances" by Jerome Robbins from a gala performance in 2008.
The second clip is of two former Taylor dancers, Eran Bugge and Jamie Rae Walker in "Junction" by Paul Taylor.
The third clip is of dancers from Teatro alla Scala in "In dem Winden im Nichts" by Heinz Spoerli from a 2016 performance.
If you live or are visiting New York City, you would always be welcome to join my open adult beginner ballet class at Taylor Dance West on W 38th Street in midtown!
Have a great weekend!
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