The Moves

Alessia performs a series of half turns in rapid succession moving forward in a straight line with the feet held close together in first position en pointe.

The feet alternate quickly while travelling and create a full rotation for every two steps taken.

Notice how Alessia gradually brings her arms to first position - this arm movement can be very helpful in maintaining force and gaining the necessary speed for the ‘chain’ of rotations.

Featured dancer: Alessia Petrosino

Standing in fifth position right foot front, arms in third position, Yu jumps up vertically, turns in the air twice with straight legs together and arms in first position. He lands in fifth position demi plié, right foot behind, arms open. Notice how the axis of his rotation is perfectly vertical and Yu lands on the same spot from which he took off from.

Featured dancer: Yu Wakizuka

An échappé is a level opening of both feet ‘escaping’ from a closed to an open position.

The actual beat is performed on the calves with both legs.

Heather begins in demi plié in fifth position right foot front. Springs into the air, opening the legs to second position and lands in second position in demi plié. She springs into the air again, beats the right leg in front of the left leg and finishes in demi plié, fifth position, right foot back.

Here, Heather immediately repeats the entire movement starting with the left foot in front, finishing with it behind.

Notice how Heather evenly distributes the weight between both feet throughout the movement providing her the stability to perform the beat using both legs equally.

Featured dancer: Heather Lehan

A vertical jump where straight legs cross and uncross rapidly beating against each other three times on each side through a total of six positions.
Starting in fifth position right foot front, Aaron jumps up high, half opens his legs, the right calf strikes the left one behind, the legs half open again, the right calf strikes the left one in front, the legs again open and Aaron lands in fifth position demi plié, right foot behind.

Notice Aaron’s precise timing and the coordinated scissor motion of his legs.

Featured dancer: Aaron Kok

Preceded by a few steps to give impetus, Bruno jumps from one foot, the legs are brushed high in front of the body one at a time, switching past each other. At the height of the jump his body makes a swift half turn change of direction in the air before landing on the other foot in arabesque. The arms pass through fifth position to first arabesque.

Notice how the powerful throw of the first leg sets the height of the jump and how Bruno’s flexibility allows for a 180 degree scissor-split of his legs before landing.

Featured dancer: Bruno Serraclara

Usually performed at the barre, this movement helps prepare dancers for big jumps.

Standing in fifth position Jack makes a powerful action extending the right leg straight in front, high above hip level before returning to the starting position.

Using the same leg, he repeats this sweeping motion to the side, back and side again, creating the pattern of a cross.

Notice how Jack controls the decent of the battement, passing through tendu and sliding his foot back to fifth position whilst maintaining straight knees throughout.

Featured dancer: Jackson Dwyer

A few steps at the beginning serve as a springboard for the big jump that follows.

The weight of the body is thrown onto the left leg, which moves forward into fourth position demi-plié. The right leg is thrown straight forward at 90 degrees and Stefano leaps touching the ground again on the right foot. The left leg assumes the attitude position behind the body in the air and is maintained on landing. The arms are raised in open fourth position.

Notice how Stefano is able to protract the jump and create the effect of being momentarily suspended mid air.

Featured dancer: Stefano Varalta

Performed at an angle facing the corner of the room, Kaho executes a relevé on the left leg with a développé ecarté devant. Lowering to demi plié on the left leg she brushes the right leg down through first position and makes a half turn en dedans before sweeping the right leg forward in grand battement en relevé.

She continues into the ‘whip’ by making a swift half turn to the left leaving the right leg at the back in attitude derrière croisé.

As here, Italian fouettés are often performed in succession.

Notice how Kaho clearly demonstrates all the elements of the movement, her arms are co ordinated and she uses just the right amount of momentum to finish the fouetté on balance with her hips and shoulders square.

Featured dancer: Kaho Masumoto.

A sideways jump resembling a cat-like leap. Filippo takes a preparation step on the left foot then raises the right toe in retiré to the side of the left knee. From a demi plié on the left leg he springs upward and to the side onto the right foot, quickly bringing the left toe to the front of the right knee.

The landing is made almost simultaneously with the right foot landing first in demi plié followed by the left foot closing to fifth position front, bending the knee.

There is a moment during the jump when both knees and feet are drawn up in passé.

Notice how quickly Filippo brings his second foot into position and creates this diamond shape, suspended in the air.

Featured dancer: Filippo Di Vilio

Penchés can be performed solo, standing on the flat of the foot or partnered on pointe, as here.

Mayuko balances on one leg in first arabesque, the other leg extended high behind her body. Keeping her back up, her torso inclines forward towards the floor whilst she increases the height of the back leg to 180 degrees.

Notice how Mayuko starts the penché leading with the back leg, maintaining the connection between her leg and body which creates the classical line.

Featured dancer: Mayuko Iwanaga.

Arabesque means to stand on one leg, with the other leg extended behind. A piqué arabesque is where the dancer transfers their weight, pitching forward with a piercing motion onto a stretched leg on pointe, the other leg lifted in the air behind their body. The arm on the same side as the supporting leg is extended in front, the other is held to the side.

Notice how Sena’s core is lifted up and forward in the position. By evenly distributing her legs and upper back she maintains their connection and is able to balance before moving on.

Featured dancer: Sena Kitano.

Nida steps sharply to pointe with a straight right leg, transfers the weight and raises the left high behind her, bent at the knee to create a curved line.

The arm of the raised leg is held over the head in a curved position whilst the other arm is extended to the side.

Notice how Nida executes the position with one precise movement. The efficient piqué action with the simultaneous raising of the attitude leg, enables her to establish the pose and sustain her balance.

Featured dancer: Nida Aydinoğlu

Jonny begins with a demi rond de jambe en dehors with the right leg. He takes a piqué to the side immediately to demi pointe on the right foot, transfers the weight whilst maintaining a straight right leg and turns a complete turn to the right with the left leg raised behind, bent at the knee in attitude.

The arm of the raised leg is held over the head in a curved position whilst the other arm is extended to the side.

Notice how Jonny’s precision and control throughout the turn allows him to finish the rotation on balance allowing him time to extend the attitude leg to arabesque whilst still on demi pointe.

Featured dancer: Jonathan Hanks

Often performed in series as here, Aurora travels diagonally with three turns.

She steps directly side on pointe onto the right leg, turns en dedans to the right with the left foot placed in retiré, toe behind the knee. After completing the turn, she switches leg to demi plié on the left leg and the right leg extends low in front in preparation for the next identical turn.

The arms move from second position, changing to first position during the turn.

Notice how Aurora pushes off taking a large piqué step each time - stepping out any less has the potential to disrupt the body alignment and the necessary momentum, particularly when the turns are performed in succession or with double rotations.

Featured dancer: Aurora Piccininni

A pirouette is a complete turn of the body on one foot, here Saeka performs five rotations on pointe to the right.

She begins in demi plié in fourth position, executes a relevé on the left leg bringing her right leg to retiré front. The arms transition through second position as she prepares for take off and join to first position as she turns on her balance.

To end the pirouette Saeka lowers the heel of the supporting leg to the ground, and places the raised leg behind her in a lunge position with her arms in arabesque. The power for the pirouette is obtained from a combination of the initial plié, the co ordination and impetus of the arm movement, combined with the spotting of the head.

Notice Saeka’s precise body alignment throughout and how her head is the last to move as the body turns away and the first to arrive as the body comes back around.

Featured dancer: Saeka Shirai

Albert takes a preparatory step croisé with the left foot, followed by a side step to the right with the right foot and performs a grand rond de jambe en l’air en dehors to attitude derrière with the left leg, whilst executing a relevé on the right foot.

Upon reaching attitude he intentionally ‘upsets’ the position by arching and tilting his upper body towards the working leg. The arm of the raised leg is extended to the side whilst the other arm is held over the head in a curved position. To complete the movement he takes three steps turning to the left starting with the left foot.

The focus of renversé is not on the turn but on maintaining the balance in the tilt and arch motion.

Notice how Albert controls and suspends this moment, creating a dynamic, striking pose.

Featured dancer: Albert González Orts

Preceded by a few steps to give impetus, the dancer throws the right straight leg forward in the air, pushes off from the left leg swinging it up and forward to meet the first leg in the air, before landing on the right leg in an open lunge.

Whilst in the air Toni’s body is at an angle as he rotates one and a half times to the left with both legs extended and held together throughout, his arms in fifth position.

Notice how Toni keeps his weight slightly back on take off and focuses on maintaining control throughout the jump.

Featured dancer: Antoni Cañellas Artigues

This is a compound step and here consists of a sissone attitude ouverte to croisé, a coupé dessus and an assemblé en avant.

Taking off from both feet, Gemma springs up and forward into the air opening the right leg straight in front and the back leg to attitude. Landing in attitude en l’air in demi plié she immediately changes leg, brushes the right leg forward, pushes off the left leg and jumps to assemble both legs in front, before landing on both feet in fifth position.

During the sissone the arm of the attitude leg is held over the head in a curved position whilst the other arm is extended to the side.

Notice how Gemma generates momentum in the initial sissone as this helps to  achieve the slight travel forward necessary to complete the movement.

Featured dancer: Gemma Coutts