Welcome to the new column on Tights and Tiaras known as Henrik Teaches French, where I will describe some dance terminology commonly used by dancers in a language you understand. First out: En l’air
En l’air is french for “in air”, and we (as in we, the dance-people) use it for just that; describing something that happens during a lift or jump, in-air.
One of the jumps in any male dancers basic repertory is called tour en l’air, or spins in the air. It can be performed with many variations, from two to one or two legs (rarely even jumping from one leg), but the basic version looks like this:
The video is a random video found on youtube. His technique is fairly good, although the stars do it way cleaner. The jump he performes between the spins in the air is called an entrechat six – I’ll tell you more on that later.
Commonly used: (as correction) hold your stomach en l’air.
Check back to Tights and Tiaras for more tips and tales!
Ta-ta
H
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
speaking of stars have you met anyone
cool?
Anyone else have any stories about famous ballet people they've met?
Yes, I have met some "stars" in my career. The biggest recently is probably José Carreno, the principle from the national ballet of Cuba. He was a really great, down to earth person with a working morale just off the charts! That, my friends, is why he is so good – he WORKS!!!! (I'll tell more about him another time).
In school I was lucky enough to have quite a few "stars" teaching me, the most famous beeing the once oh-so-fantastic HET and Royal Ballet principle Zoltán Solymosi. He is not dancing anymore, and he's about 120 kg now, but he still jumps the double saut de basque with cold feet..
ja du veit vi sett no hyer i vika å e klås impregnert