Cecchetti Advanced 1 - Theory

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points of the room | position of the feet | positions of the head | positions of the arms
basic body positions | all body positions | movements in dancing | arabesques | attitudes
correct movements of the feet | incorrect movements of the feet | theory of port de bras
French terms | basic head rules | basic adage movements | basic allegro

8 Points of the room – 4 corners & 4 walls
- discussion of theory and purpose of the 8 points of the room
- aids in communication between teacher/choreographer and student/dancer
- helps dancer to orient herself in space
- aids in spotting
- discussion of the ‘dancer’s box’ and how each dancer should face her own corner as opposed to the corner of the room or stage

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Positions of the feet – 1st, 2nd,  3rd, 4th open, 4th crossed, 5th

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Positions of the head – erect, inclined, turned, raised, lowered

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Positions of the arms 1st, 2nd, demi 2nd for adage & allegro, 3rd, 4th en avant, 4th en haut,
5th en haut, 5th en avant, 5th en bas, 3rd in opposition, 4th en avant in opposition, 4th en haut in oppositions,
5th en haut open, 5th en haut open or offering

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Basic Body Positions - à la quatrième devant, à la quatrième derrière, à la seconde

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All Body Positions - à la quatrième croisé devant, à la quatrième devant, écarté, éffacé, à la seconde,
épaulé, à la quatrième derrière, à la quatrième croisé derrière, écarté derrière, éffacé derrière

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Movements in dancing – plier (to bend), sauter (to jump), relever (to rise), étendre (to stretch), glisser (to glide) , élancer (to dart), tourner (to turn)

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Arabesques – 1st, 2nd,  3rd, 4th & 5th (en l’air), allongé, en repose from 2nd arabesque, en repose from 1st arabesque, penché

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Attitudes
attitude éffacé devant
attitude éffacé derrière
attitude croisé devant
attitude croisé derrière with croisé derrière arms
attitude croisé derrière with Mercury attitude arms
attitude croisé derrière with attitude ordinaire arms (4th en haut in opposition)

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Correct movements of the foot – pied à terre (flat), à quart (1/4 pointe), à demi (1/2 pointe), à trois quart (3/4 pointe), à pointe (full pointe),
fully extended, sickled outwards, and flexed (for character dance)

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Incorrect movements of the foot – sickled inwards and clenched

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Theory of Port de Bras – this includes several points and should be discussed with maturity and confidence not as though recited from memory
- builds strength through the back and arms, arms are carried through the back
- uses positions and movement from and through positions
- should use the gate (5th en avant) to give greater depth to the movement
- co-ordination of arms, head, and eyes (and legs when appropriate)
- arms should compliment legs, eg) demi-2nd with an assemblé over and 2nd with an assemblé élancé
- balance of line
- arms may have to move at different speeds to arrive together, particularly in 2nd and 4th port de bras
- anticipation, particularly in 1st and 3rd port de bras
- continuous movement, showing positions without stopping in them
- port de bras allows for the beauty and style of choreography and dancer
and when done well can convey messages and emotions as well as line and strength

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French Terms
la barre
- the bar
en bas - low
en avant
- forward
en haut
- high

devant - front

derrière - behind

adage - slow movement

allegro - quick movement   

demi - half

plié - to bend

tendu - to stretch

grand - big

battement - beating

port de bras - carriage of the arms     

retiré - to withdraw

arabesque - a position in dance

sauté - to jump

à terre - on the ground

échappé - to escape

temps levé - time lifted

reverence - gracious bow

à la quatrième - to the fourth
à la seconde - to the second
rond de jambe - round of the leg
relevé - to rise
chassé - to chase
cou de pied - neck of the foot
petit - small
jeté - to throw
pas de chat - step of the cat
en croix - in the shape of a cross
changement - to change
croisé - crossed
ouverte - open
coupé - to cut
tour en l'air - turn in the air
degagé - to disengage
frappé - to strike
fondu - to melt
developpé - to unfold
temps lié - time linked
detourné - turned aside
assemblé - to assemble
pas de bourée - step of the stuffed
posé - to pose
balancé - to balance
de côté - to the side
enchainement - linked together
en dehors - outwards
en dedans - inwards
dessous - under
dessus - over
pirouette - to whirl
écarté - thrown open
en l'air - in the air
soutenu - sustained
de suite - continuously
glissade - to glide
sissone - a jump named for the Count of Sissone
batterie - beaten step
fouetté - to whip
fermé - closed
étendre - to stretch
éffacé - shaded
épaulé - shouldered
soubresaut - sudden leap or bound
en arrière - backwards
petit tours - small turns
entrechat - braided
attitude - a position of the body taken from the statue of Mercury
entrechat quatre - braided four times
courru - to run
soussus - under–over
royale - royal
entrechat royale - braided royally
élancer - to dart
tourner - to turn
demi-contretemps - half against time

de côté - to the side
ballonnée - balloon-like

brisé - broken
cabriole - to caper (to leap playfully)
entrechat trois – braided 3 times 
pas de basque – step from the Basque region in France
grand preparation – large preparation
autour de la salle – around the room
en diagonale - on a diagonal
promenade - to walk
Chaconne - a late 16th century dance; pretty
Courante - from courrir, to run; from a Court Dance in triple time
which was part of the Baroque Suie in music
ballotté - to toss
entrechat cinq - braided 5 times
temps de cuisse - time of the thigh
raccourci - shortened

 

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Basic Head Rules
coupés, jetés, and temps levés - the head inclines to the foot that you land on
pas de chat - the head is turned over the arm; the neck is lengthened and the eye line is extended down and away from the body
pirouettes - the head is the last to leave and the first to arrive (spotting)
assemblés - as the brushing leg comes from the back to the front, the head inclines towards it;
as the brushing leg comes from the front to the back, the head inclines away from it
pas de bourrées and glissades - the head inclines to the foot that finishes in front
balancés de côté, chassés à la seconde, and pas de bourrée ouverte - the head inclines to the leading foot

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 Basic Adage movements
(demonstrated in the Adage Enchainement)
- Dégagé en tournant à terre
- Dégagé en tournant en l'air
- Fouetté of adage en l’air
- Developpé en tournant
- Slow lift of the leg
- arabesque pench
é
- promenade en dedans in arabesque
- promenade en dedans in attitude effac
ée
- promenade en dehors in second position
- jet
é movement of adage in any basic position of the body

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Basic Allegro
sauté in 1st position
changement
petit jeté sur le cou-de-pied derrière
petit jeté sur le cou-de-pied devant
temps levé devant from one foot
temps levé devant from two feet
temps levé derrière from one foot
temps levé derrière from two feet
gallop side
gallop forward
polka – party polka
polka – balletic polka side (jumped)
polka – balletic polka forward (jumped)
polka – balletic polka forward (stepped)
échappé sauté à la 2nd
spring points devant
pas de chat (in Grade 2 arms 4th en avant in opposition/after Grade 3 arms in pas de chat)
assemblé dessus (over)
assemblé dessous (under)
pas de bourrée dessous (under)
chassé en avant
jeté dessus (over)
jeté dessous (under)
balancé de côté
balancé en avant
balancé en arrière
posé to 5th
posé to retiré
posé coupe
posé to arabesque
coupé dessus (over) from straight leg
coupé dessous (under) from straight leg
coupé dessus (over) from cou de pied
coupé dessous (under) from cou de pied
glissade devant
glissade derrière
glissade dessus (over)
glissade dessous (under)
pas de bourrée devant
pas de bourrée derrière
sissonne en avant fermé
soutenu turn
échappé sauté closing with a beat
sissonne en avant ouverte
sissonne en arrière fermé
sissonne en arrière ouverte
soubresaut
entrechat quatre
assemblé élancé de côté
grand jeté en tournant
assemblé en avant
demi-contretemps
pas de bourrée dessus
pas de bourrée courru (bourrées)
entrechat royale
posé tours
petits tours

grand jeté en avant
posé developpé

assemblé devant
assemblé derrière
brisé dessus
échappé battu (beating out and in)
entrechat trois devant and derrière
glissades en avant and en arrière
pas de bourrée en avant
pas de bourrée en arrière
pas de bourrée en dehors
pas de bourrée en dedans
pas de bourrée ouvert to 2nd position
sissones dessus and dessous

ballonné simple, écarté (arms opening to demi-2nd)
ballonné simple, éffacé en avant (arms 4th en avant)
*On all ballonnés simples, the foot may be either stretched or relaxed on the
cou de pied – candidate’s choice
entrechat cinq
coup
é fouetté raccourci
bris
é dessous
cabriole derri
ère
jet
é battu à la seconde
grand jet
é à la seconde
sissonne battue dessus, desous, en avant, and en arri
ère
pas de basque en avant and en arriere
temps de cuisse dessus and dessous

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