turns

I saw this video on youtube.. thought it was pretty awesome..

ballet terms

Ballet is a very beautiful form of dancing, although it was one of my least favorite classes it is the base knowledge for any type of dancing really. I would describe ballet as being elegant, graceful, peaceful, disciplined, and inspirational. The terms in ballet all come from French terms (mostly). Ballet started in Paris with King Louis XIV who ruled France in the late 1600s. By the 1700s many of the terms we use in ballet today were recognized to display ballet movements. Here is a list a few basic ballet moves:

- Assemblé [a-sahn-BLAY] : Assembled, or joined together. Assemblé is a step in which the working foot slides well across the ground before being swept into the air. As the foot goes into the air the dancer pushes off the floor with the supporting leg, extending the toes. Then both legs reach the ground simultaneously in the fifth position (position with feet). Usually when doing an assemblé you would first js porté (slidding move will define later).

- Attitudé [a-tee-TEWD]: This is a particular ballet 'pose'. It is a position on one leg with the other lifted back, the knee bent at an angle of 90 degrees and well turned out so that the knee is higher than the foot. The arm on the side of the raised leg is held over the head in a curved position while the other arm is extended to the side.

- Balancé [ba-lahn-SAY]: This step is a rocking step that is an alternation of balance, shifting the weight from one foot to the other. Balancé may be done crossing the foot either front or back. Fifth position R foot front. Demi-plié, dégagé the R foot to the second position and jump on it lightly in demi-plié, crossing the L foot behind the R ankle and inclining the head and body to the right. Step on the L demi-pointe behind the R foot, slightly lifting the R foot off the ground; then fall on the R foot again in demi-plié with the L foot raised sur le cou-de-pied derrière. The next balancé will be to the left side.

- Plié [plee-AY]: A bending of the knee or knees. This is an exercise to render the joints and muscles soft and pliable and the tendons flexible and elastic, and to develop a sense of balance. There are two principal pliés: grand plié or full bending of the knees (the knees should be bent until the thighs are horizontal) and demi-plié or half-bending of the knees. Pliés are done at the bar and in the centre in all five positions of the feet. The third position is usually omitted. When a grand plié is executed in either the first, third or fourth position croisé (feet in the fifth position but separated by the space of one foot) or the fifth position, the heels always rise off the ground and are lowered again as the knees straighten. The bending movement should be gradual and free from jerks, and the knees should be at least half-bent before the heels are allowed to rise. The body should rise at the same speed at which it descended, pressing the heels into the floor. In the grand plié in the second position or the fourth position ouverte (feet in the first position but separated by the space of one foot) the heels do not rise off the ground. All demi-pliés are done without lifting the heels from the ground. In all pliés the legs must be well turned out from the hips, the knees open and well over the toes, and the weight of the body evenly distributed on both feet, with the whole foot grasping the floor.

- Jeté, grand [grahn zhuh-TAV]: In this step the legs are thrown to 90 degrees with a corresponding high jump. It is done forward to attitude croisée or effacée, and to all the arabesques. It may also be done backward with the leg raised either croisé or effacé devant. Grand jeté is always preceded by a preliminary movement such as a glissade, pas couru or coupe

The ones i described above are just a few of the basic ballet terms, although there are many, many more.

This shows the basic positions that almost every move begins in; fifth being the most common

This is a picture of the Attitudé position I described earlier.

This picture shows some other ballet positions.

northwest dance company

I just made the dance company this semester so i thought i would post a video of one of their dances they did a few years ago.. the theme of the dance is the movie Grease!

you got served

You Got Served is a dancing movie that came out in 2004. This movie was all about "street" dancing... probably one of the better street dancing movies.. in my opinion better than stomp the yard.. the movie won American Choreography Award (2004).. and was nominated for 3 other awards.
One of the most memorable dances from the movie was the scene at the very end of the movie.. the last dance battle.. here is the video I found on YouTube for it..

pole dancing competitions?

Wow.. saw this on youtube.. Did you know that they had pole dancing competitions? They are all really good.. and it looks pretty tough.. I thought pole dancing was just for strip clubs...weird.. heres a video...

Evolution of Dance

I saw this video on youtube called Evolution of Dance. It has some famous dance moves through out the years.. 

Michael Jackson's Greatest Dance Moves

We all know Michael Jackson had a rough life, he was also a very talented singer, but another thing he was well known for was being able to dance! So here are some of his famous dance moves:

The Kick: As seen in numerous music videos, Michael Jackson could deliver a high kick better than the combined character list of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. The Michael Jackson kick was always directed to the side and generally preceded by a half or full body spin. Hands turned out at the waist, one leg completely straight, and one leg unleashed into the air with devastating force. 

The Soulful Robot: Michael Jackson is not generally credited as being a master of the robot (though it’s hard to argue his mastery of any and all dance moves). Jackson’s robot, however, was a sight to behold. More serpentine and fluid than the average robot, Jackson was the king of the Soulful Robot. When Michael half-timed his way through a choreographed number like an automaton the audience saw a robot with soul. The Cylons on Battlestar Galactica wasted four years trying to prove that machines were capable of possessing souls, when all they really had to do was watch the HIStory DVD.

The Never-Ending Spin: Like an Olympic figure skater on buttered blades and a patch of fresh ice, it is impossible to believe how many full spins Michael Jackson was capable of performing without stopping. Even harder to believe that he was only wearing tap shoes and spinning on hard wood or concrete. Every time Michael Jackson performed his Never-Ending Spin Brian Boitano cried a little bit.

The Crotch Grab ‘N Pop: Fred Durst and Eminem may have adopted the crotch grab as part of their stage-monkeying repertoire but they could never perfect the pure artistry of Michael’s movements. Somehow Michael Jackson was capable of suggestively thrusting his pelvis into the air in musical salute without appearing overly-offensive or crass.

The Moonwalk: No list of Michael Jackson dance moves would be complete without the famous Moonwalk. The Moonwalk put the King of Pop on the map. Effortlessly sliding across the stage like a small child trapped on a conveyor belt, elongating each beat with a bend of the knee, escaping to nowhere in a groovy backslide across the stage: no move is more iconic. Though he did not create the dance, Jackson’s appearance on the Motown 25 special in 1983 made the Moonwalk his signature move.

Michael Jackson will always be remembered as one of the most important figures in modern dance culture. There is even a new game for wii out that you learn to do some of his dance moves, called Michael Jackson the Experience . I haven't gotten the chance to play it but I heard it was pretty fun! Here is the trailer for the video: