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287 2.11 Pointe Work There are two ways to get on pointe: piqué and relevé. And there are two ways to relevé: rolling up and down with or without plié, and springing up from plié. All relevés with a spring must be accomplished smoothly, elevating the body just enough to draw the feet under the center of gravity. It is important not to spring so high as to descend on the toes, jarring the body with the visible quiver. In almost all cases when rising to half-toe or full pointe, the heels tend to slip back, and some turnout is lost. In order to compensate for this, it is necessary to press the heels forward when descending to regain the original position. When the dancer is on pointe, the body weight should not be allowed to force the foot over on the instep. The foot should be held straight in such a way that the center of gravity is directly on the toes and the leg presents a straight line to the hip bone. The amount of curvature of the instep will vary according to the individual. The dancer must not stand over the nails of the toes in an attempt to improve “line.” The dancer should “pull up” through the ankle, holding all the joints of the foot taut. Balanchine preferred shiny shoes with low vamps, and he liked the shoe to be pointed at the tip. The foot must look dainty. Relevé To rise to full pointe in first or second positions, it is possible to roll up through half-toe and then roll down again without bending the knees at all. When rolling up, the foot goes through half-toe, and the toes then actively assist in rising to full pointe by pushing up from the floor. When rising from demi-plié, the knees do not straighten fully until full pointe is reached (all leg and foot joints stretch and bend simultaneously). When descending, all the joints begin to flex at once. It is impossible to put the heels on the floor before bending the knees. The effect will be jarring, and injury may result. It is also possible to roll down while standing on one 288 / Balanchine the Teacher, Part 2 leg. But to get up on full pointe while standing on one foot requires a little spring to draw the toe under the center of gravity. If the dancer rolls up onto full pointe from fifth position, a very open position results. To get the legs properly crossed, there must be a little spring that allows the toes to be drawn under. This can be accomplished from a small demi-plié preparation or a deep demi-plié depending on the tempo of the music. On pointe in fifth position, the toes must be exactly one in front of the other with both heels visible when viewed from the front. The legs should be pressed together with thighs firmly touching and the buttocks firmly held. To descend from fifth on pointe to fifth in plié, it is necessary to give a little spring to take the weight off the toes. At the moment of the spring, release the tension in the knees, allowing them to bend into a small demipli é, pushing the toes of both feet out far enough to allow the weight of the body to fall evenly on the balls of both feet in a high half-toe (demi-plié in fifth). The dancer must descend on both feet at once, not one after the other, then slowly lower the heels and make a deeper demi-plié. If the dancer comes down from fifth on pointe without moving the toes to the side, a very overcrossed fifth position results. At a fast tempo the same thing happens and is much easier because it requires less control. As the plié becomes quicker and smaller, the heels do not go as far down when continuing with a series of relevés. All the joints of the legs and feet must flex and stretch together. The coordination must be gradual with the rise onto the toes so that the knees are not overly bent just before or after reaching full pointe. The dancer should not appear to be in plié on pointe during a relevé. Relevé Retiré When rising onto pointe from fifth position, plié and spring up on one leg. The toe of the foot that is being lifted must be drawn under...

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