Here The Ailey School’s Peter Brandenhoff teaches Bournonville style, marked by its use of épaulement and quick footwork. Brandenhoff explains that at the peak of the grand jeté, it should look as if the torso is sitting atop the legs, unaffected, and the narrow second position of the arms should be presentational—like you’re “giving a […]
Susan Hebach and Margaret Morrison believe it’s important to get your beginning tappers moving through space with their flaps. An easy way to do this is with a traveling flap-heel. Remember to lift the knee and bring the leg with you as you travel forward. The next phase? Take away the heel and replace it […]
The soutenu is a basic step often used in choreography as a transition between turning sequences or before more virtuosic movements. In class, Deanna McBrearty concentrates on the step’s coordination. Deanna McBrearty grew up in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, before studying at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the School of American Ballet. She joined New York City […]
The double time-step is a foundational tap step that Denise Caston says often pops up in Broadway auditions. In fact, auditionees are frequently asked to demonstrate the time-step one by one. “Choreographers want to know: Can you learn it quickly? Can you keep time? Can you stylize it while doing both of those things? And […]
When Espen Giljane teaches rond de jambe en dehors, the accent is always in second position, not to the front—and it’s the same for en dedans. For the double rond de jambe on count 4, he describes the movement as two half-size circles around second position. “It’s like whisking an egg with your leg,” he […]
This sequence takes dancers through several foundational poses of the Giordano jazz technique. These positions aren’t stagnant—they flow together with continuous energy. Nan Giordano stresses that the dancer’s powerful gaze is quintessential to authentic technique. “That’s my dad’s look—the Giordano eyes,” she says. “All the intensity comes through the eyes, focusing and imagining, but not […]
Because the chassé is often neglected during the execution of this traveling step, Judy Rice asks her students to do a minimum of a six-inch chassé before transitioning into the pas de bourrée. She encourages dancers to pay close attention to their shoulders and hips in effacé, too. “Kids tend to open it up. They […]
In garba, be-thali (pronounced “beh-tahlee”) is the basic step used to travel around the circle counterclockwise and clockwise. Be-thali translates to “two clap.” (The phrase in its entirety is a daudiyu, which loosely translates to “running step.”It includes multiple steps, like two-clap, three-clap, pivots and turns that are linked as the dancer travels around the […]
The twist-o-flex is a standard popping move in which you divide your body into three sections and turn each section individually. Although you can rotate in any order, Ms. Vee’s variation of twist-o-flex rotates the lower body (hips and feet) first, then the head and finally the upper body (shoulders, ribs and arms). “It’s kind […]
The lateral T is a hallmark of Horton technique. When executed correctly, the body resembles the letter T: The torso tilts to 90 degrees, and the opposite leg extends for counterbalance. For a more advanced version of this staple movement, Karen Arceneaux has students continue tilting past 90 degrees to create a low lateral T […]