The Allegro
This month's article is a continuation of Article 5, The Centre Barre. It will focus on the aspects of the allegro section of the technique class such as:
- the allegro as the culmination of the technique class
- appropriate allegro exercise construction and delivery
- repetition and combining allegro steps
- a chart of the four basic allegro movement types and their relationship to the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels
The Allegro: the Ultimate Goal of the Dancer
The breakdown in levels of technique are the same as discussed in Article 4 and will only be repeated here as necessary for clarity.
The allegro is the foundation of the art and science of dance. By now you realize that all of our barre and centre barre work has only been to prepare for the allegro and that the art of dance is built upon the allegro movements. Master the science of its complex rhythms and form and you are much closer to the ultimate dance goal -- perfection.
Before we begin any discussion of the allegro we must first look at its integral and supportive opposite -- the adagio. In the adagio the dancer learns the basic poses of the body and the épualement of the upper torso and head. It is the adagio, ever-increasing in length and complexity, that allows the dancer to master the firmness of the body and its subsequent stability; a requirement for the self-control needed to perform large jumps.
Though the adagio is important when considering partnering and sustained movement, its focus in the technique class should always be on how it supports the allegro. It is in the performance of variations, mostly built with allegro movements, that the subtleties of artistry and aplomb in a dancer stand out; how well the dancer has mastered the adagio will determine the weakness or strength in the dancer’s overall performance. One is as important as the other, but the allegro stands as the apex for the dance artist.
Allegro Construction and Delivery
When the dancer has gained some mastery in body placement, turn-out, foot elasticity and strength then the dancer can approach the study of allegro exercises. Until then only rudimentary work, such as walks, runs, skips, and sautés should be done
This is a great time to explain my basic theory of jumps. There are four basic jumping movements: (see chart)
jumps from -
- two feet to two feet
- one foot to two feet
- one foot to one foot
- two feet to one foot
The order used for this list is intentional. The easiest movements are jumps from 2 feet to 2 feet -- they are the most stable and require a minimum of coordination. Somewhat more difficult are jumps from 1 foot to two feet. This requires some coordination to stand and push from one foot but it has the same landing stability as the previous movement. These first two jump distinctions - 2 to 2 and 1 to 2 - are the types of jumps that beginners should first tackle. It will be in perfecting these movements that the dancer’s future allegro development is assured.
1 foot to 1 foot requires coordination and strength both on the take off and the landing. Most of classical ballet allegro movements are in this category. The 2 foot to 1 foot allegro movements do not require as much strength as 1 foot to 1 foot, but it usually requires greater coordination between the legs.
There are three basic allegro movements that should be mastered before others are introduced; changements, échappé, and, the most important of all basic allegro movements, assemblés. This sequence is vital to all the dancer’s future work. Below I have listed an outline of the basic allegro movements and their order in the training schedule. It is not meant to be comprehensive but a basic guide to follow.
Basic Allegro Movements |
|
| 1 | Changements |
| 2 | Échappé |
| 3 | Assemblé |
| 4 | Chassé |
| 5 | Glissade |
| 6 | Jeté |
| 7 | Pas de Basque |
| 8 | Balancé |
| 9 | Sissonne |
| 10 | Ballonné |
| 11 | Ballotté |
As each allegro movement is mastered in its turn, the dancer’s ability to master the more difficult movements is enhanced. Once the basic allegro movements have been mastered the dancer is then challenged to greater levels of technique by doing many of the basic movements en tournant and then with beats. In the more advanced levels basic allegro steps are enhanced with turns and beats and then combined in such a way that the dancer must put greater demands on their body in regards to speed and coordination.
Another aspect that the teacher must consider is that all allegro combinations, where possible, should be done not only right and left but in reverse as well. It is in the reversal of the combination that the dancer’s muscular and mental development has the opportunity of achieving extraordinary levels.
The delivery of the allegro combinations is of crucial importance. By ‘delivery’ I mean the combinations of movements and appropriate musicality must be well thought out. It serves the beginner and intermediate dancer to use the basic meter of 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8.
For the advanced dancer the teacher needs to understand the more complicated and subtle meters of 3/8, 5/8 and 9/8. The teacher must visualize and utilize the dancer’s body as a musical instrument. It is in these more advanced rhythms that the dancer's skills will be refined.
If the teacher neglects this area of the advanced dancer’s training, the dancer and teacher cannot expect the finished product to be more than adequate. I have taken advanced classes where 80% of the class was executed in 3/4 time. I refer to a class built upon the 3/4 as the "lazy" dancer’s class. 3/4 is very hypnotic and does not require much concentration. 3/4 should be used sparingly (and where possible, replaced with 6/8) and should be employed only where the even shifting of movement is paramount.
Repetition and Allegro Combinations
Beautiful and complicated allegro variations are gained through great repetition of the more basic movements. This lays the foundation of all future success. For example it is better to do one step 8 or 16 times in repetition as opposed to a couple here and there, attempting some type of choreographic statement. Only in the very advanced levels should the teacher attempt to limit repetition, though a certain amount of repetition is required for continued muscular development.
In the beginning levels the teacher should refrain from adding any complications to allegro combinations. Repetition of each basic step, keeping an eye on how feet and upper body are placed, and having the beginner dancer master all of the épualement positions are the focus for the beginning to intermediate level dancer. In the more advanced intermediate levels the teacher must be absolutely certain that the dancer has mastered the basic allegro steps before adding any complications to allegro combinations. Repetition and careful placement of the feet and upper body are still the most important factor at this stage, but adding allegro steps together, with great concern for musicality, is appropriate. It should be remembered that the intermediate levels form the power and stability the dancer will rely upon throughout their dancing career.
Combining allegro steps is a science in itself. Like fish in a sea, where species of fish group and swim together, they may swim with other groups of different species, but each has their own way of moving. Keeping to this analogy, their unison and cooperation keeps predators away and generates safety for all. This is an appropriate analogy when designing allegro combinations for dancers; keeping stress to a minimum by grouping the appropriate allegro steps together compliments the whole movement and keeps the dancer's most onerous predator, called "injury", at bay. Combining allegro steps can also be referred to an orchestra - each type instrument has their place in the orchestra pit, but they all contribute to the overall sound; each one in their place without undue stress to the others and a compliment to all.
This last topic, The Allegro, is the end of a three part seriesdescribing some basic concepts behind ballet technique classes. The series was intended as a general overview. The next articles in the BalletCentral will begin to get more specific in regards to ballet movements and steps, body placement, and coaching techniques.
For those of you who have followed the articles thus far (and those who have just joined us here at BalletCentral), I invite you to submit proposals for articles that you would find valuable, entertaining, or specific areas of ballet technique that you are having difficulty with. DanceArt.com administration and I will choose the most appropriate subjects from the submissions to create an article from. We will attempt to answer every submission we receive, via personal email, or directly in the BalletCentral Forum, and give as much an in-depth discussion as possible. I look forward to hearing from all the BalletCentral enthusiasts.
