WEEK #2: Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, ballet lovers!  It’s time for another installment of “Let’s Get Technical,” where we make learning fun!  Hope you’re enjoying our Coffee Break With the Ballet series so far, and don’t forget to take a few minutes for our Google Challenge!

Let’s Get Technical

The term “port de bras” means “carriage of the arms.”  It encompasses a vast range of different kinds of upper-body movement that has evolved hugely over time.

From Nuove Inventioni di Balli, an ballet instruction book by Negri (1604)

Port de bras of the era (early 1700s)

Fanny Cerrito in La Sylphide (mid-1800s)

Today’s classical academic port de bras–from Ballet Steps: Practice to Performance (drawings by Antony Dufort)

Act III of The Sleeping Beauty at OBT (Photo: Blaine Covert)

GOOGLE CHALLENGE!

Simplifying costumes to allow for a greater range of movement, and the evolution of different ballet techniques, means that 21^st-century dancers can do unbelievable things Find the word for “arm” in a language other than English and post it in the comments.  No repeats!