Arabesque the line
in classical ballet.
ar·a·besque
ˌerəˈbesk/
noun
noun: arabesque;
plural noun: arabesques
- 1.an ornamental design consisting of intertwined flowing lines, originally found in Arabic or Moorish decoration."arabesque scrolls"
- Musica passage or composition with fanciful ornamentation of the melody.
- 2.Balleta posture in which the body is supported on one leg, with the other leg extended horizontally backward.
How did 1. get to
2.?
Many years ago I
read in a dance dictionary that arabesque was so called because it was
"a line". In art, arabesque - from the Arabic - was a style
of lines, because in the practice of Islam artists could not draw
images of the human form.
In ballet the leg is
behind - and arms have a variety of placements. Yet, they
should
continue the line of the leg and the back and the neck.
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| source. |
Ballet has the best of both worlds - the lines, and the human form.
In grand jete - most
often a 180 degree line to the legs (a split), the upper body can be
lined in first second or third arabesque, or rounded arm positions.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:From_the_ballet_Coppelia_cropped.jpg
The dancer can arch
backwards and bend the back leg with arms arcing back toward the back
foot, almost making a circle. It's a beautiful line.
Yet, the back
thigh is still in a 180 degree line continuing from the front leg.
Extreme overstretching exercises.
If the front leg can
raise upwards breaking that straight line, and the back leg
does as
well, there is now a shallow V shape. Or bow shape.
If the front and
back arm are not parallel to the legs, it looks very odd.
In fact if they are
parallel to the front and back leg, it still looks very odd!
It doesn't fit in
any classical ballet!
Do I just sound like
I'm complaining because I don't like it?
Yes, that's what I'm
doing.I mean...take a look!
D. Buxton is a writing partner with Vone Deporter, of The Sedona Series, about a surfer girl in pointe shoes.
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