h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Ballet Positions and Directions - A3636731
Author: MrsCloud - I am NOT a Sys Admin - U180110

This is my first proper entry so please be nice!

Hi MrsCloud

Firstly, I confess to a total ignorance of ballet, think of Miss Piggy doing ballet, and you'll get an idea why.

However, I found you Entry intesting and informative a few points and suggestions.

>"RAD, ISTD, Cecchetti"

no idea what any of those mean, maybe a short Footnote explanation of each one.

>"The dancers legs should always be turned out to give "a good line", to look nice in other words."

isn't there more to it than 'to look nice' such as define the body shape, or something like that.

All your "double quotes" need to be changed to 'single quotes' and ballet need not be capitalised, through Entry.

heals ~> heels

Goodluck MrsCloud

Emmily

As far as I can gather from my experience the turn out is just to look better, don't see knobbly knees etc. If you raise the leg straight out to the side if it wasn't turned out the line along to top of the leg would be lumpy but if its turned out you just see a straight edge.

Maybe saying something like

'The dancers legs should always be turned out, enhancing the shape of the leg - giving a 'good line'.

Ok I spotted the heal/heel and changed it, all the B's in ballet have gone and I've reworded the sentence about turnout so that it hopefully makes more sense.

All gone a bit quiet.

Disappeared of the end of the list!

MrsCloud I'd forgoten about this. IMO it looks pretty good now.

Emmily

Thanks

Nice entry - the Gruesome Twosome both take ballet classes, at least I now know a wee bit of what they are wittering on about!

Isn't there a third position for the feet? (yep, I'm totally ignorant about such things)

Yes, but it gets a bit odd as it sort of turns into fifth position depending on what method you are following.
Some people describe third as crossed like fifth but not overlapping to such an extent (possibly heel placed next to the instep), but then some methods describe fifth as not being heel to toes as it is in the Russian method.

I have a couple of other ballet terms pages half written but it's difficult to know where to start and stop without writing a whole dictionary

I think this is about as well-written as it could be, though I have to admit that even your last post made my head spin a bit Seriously, good work

I had a quick look at your other ballet entries, too and I'm sure they'll be suitable for the guide once you get them finished. You may need to explain the more advanced moves as gently as you can, though, so even an ignoramous like me can understand

Good work and hope to see you write more entries this good!

I'm trying to split it up into groups of similar moves/positions so it doesn't come out huge.

I'm going to put in the third position, I had been unsure but have found a definition which makes me more sure of it.

MrsCloud, I enjoyed reading this. I loved ballet as a child and had lots of books about it, but was never allowed to learn. I don't really have the build for it (do any ballerinas have size 8 feet?) so this was probably a wise decision by my mother.

I did spot a few typos so I'll come back later in the week when less and re-read properly

Mol

Actually I have size 8 feet

I was really into the whole ballet thing when I was younger (esp. the Drina books) but thought it wasn't worth me learning as I would be too tall. I'm 5' 8" now and have always been tall as a child.

But decided after I graduated (and had a lot of free time whilst trying to find a job) that I would go for it and start learning and I've not looked back since.

Congratulations MrsCloud not many of us make our childhood dreams come true.

I hope Mol won't mind if I mention some of the typos I noticed, I'm sure to have missed some, and haven't gone to end of Entry

I've use *s to make it easier for you MrsCloud

First paragraph(para); poststions ~> positions

Second para. "methods" ~> ‘single quotes’ rather than “double quotes” are standard.

Third para. ~> One of the mainstays of ballet dancer - One of the mainstays of *a* ballet dancer

outwards of it's own accord - outwards of *its* own accord.

Forth para; These position ~> These positions

Eighth para; This position is similar to fifth ~> This position is similar to *the* fifth

Emmily

When I first wrote this I did copy and paste it into word to spell check it, obviously I haven't checked the changes I made.

"Eighth para; This position is similar to fifth ~> This position is similar to *the* fifth"

Generally I would accept grammer corrections but this one I think I need to leave as its a bit balletspeak ish. Trying to reason with myself as to why I think it can't be *the* fifth position because there is more then one fifth position, feet or arms, and generally when telling a dancer what they need to do you would probably be more likely to say

"demi plies in fifth" or "bouree, arms in fifth"

Though this could be construded as shorthand.

Ok I was unsure of that myself, and nearly said so in brackets before I posted it.

Emmily

Hopefully back tomorrow am!

I can't wait to read all the related entries too.


I actually hated ballet as a kid, but sadistically insisted that the Gruesome Twosome at least did a year each - and I managed to breed two such girly girls that they love the prancing around in pink floaty stuff.