| Your positions a la seconde and a la arriere | | | | the hips, no wiggling, no hip change, unless |
| in battement tendu are the basis for building | | | | that is impossible. |
| strength and good dance technique. The | | | | |
| accuracy of these positions will carry over | | | | A la arriere, behind, press down into the |
| to your pre-pointe strengths, your adagio, | | | | foot, changing the weight to the supporting |
| to......everything you do in a ballet class! | | | | leg. Lead out with the toes first, |
| Learning correct body placement and fine foot | | | | lengthening down the back of the leg, |
| work in these exercises will also help | | | | pressure in the sole of the foot as the arch |
| prevent injury. | | | | stretches and then the toes lengthen. |
| | | | |
| For a la seconde, the foot leaves fifth or | | | | At some point, your working hip will open |
| first, the sole pressing into the floor, the | | | | from a square position, but the turnout of |
| metatarsals pressing as you extend the arch, | | | | the supporting leg should not change, and |
| and lastly, you lengthen the toes. Hopefully | | | | your body from the waist up should be square |
| nothing else has happened in the body or to | | | | to the front. Also, you have to keep feeling |
| the standing leg. You aim the tendu to the | | | | length down through the leg. The leg must be |
| spot furthest to the side, where you can | | | | extended all the way out, before the foot |
| still hold your turnout in both legs. For | | | | fully points, or you will force your torso to |
| most dancers, this is not straight to the | | | | scrunch at the waist instead of staying long. |
| side. It doesn't matter. Holding the turnout | | | | It's like a tug of war to lengthen the leg, |
| of the supporting leg and the placement of | | | | and keep the body pulled up tall. Also that |
| the body facing square to the front matters. | | | | feeling prevents you from shifting the weight |
| You need this stable position for developpe, | | | | back off the supporting foot. You should be |
| turns in a la seconde, and jumps in or going | | | | able to lift your hand from the barre any |
| through a la seconde postion (fouette saute, | | | | time, and be tall on your standing leg. |
| grand jete en tournant). | | | | |
| | | | Closing from the back is a gradual change |
| Closing the tendu, press the toes down, then | | | | from the heel leading back in, pressure on |
| relax the metatarsal joints. Press the ball | | | | the sole of the foot, and bringing the toes |
| of foot and sole of foot into the floor, | | | | forward again to where you can stand on your |
| creating resistance. Make sure the whole foot | | | | whole foot. Also the working hip comes square |
| is on the floor, so you can smoothly resume | | | | again, smoothly, as the toes drop, the arch |
| weight onto it. All the way into first or | | | | presses down, and the weight goes on to the |
| fifth behind, aiming for the foot placement | | | | foot. |
| that allows maximum turnout of both legs form | | | | |