Source
- Alexander Yanai Vol 11 (501-550)
- Reel 35, Track 3, Lesson 3
- Duration of the recording: 37 minutes
Synopsis
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Synopsis: The culminating movement of this lesson is holding one leg up in front, hopping over it with the other foot while turning 180 degrees in the air to land facing the opposite direction, and then reversing the move. The lesson leading up to it is a precise exploration of balancing on one leg, how the weight shifts when the lifted leg is moved different directions, and the actions in both hip joints as the pelvis moves. (Jae Gruenke)
Lesson Outline
- Stand and extend one leg in the air in front. Breathe freely. Turn head to look either direction.
- Stand and lift the leg again, noticing any need to compensate for imbalance. What is needed to stand simply?
- Stand with the leg behind instead of in front. Slowly straighten the lifted knee and extend the foot. Find which direction it’s easier to straighten the leg.
- Again stand with the leg in the air behind. Extend the arms out to the sides. Bend and straighten the lifted knee, looking for parasitic effort in the chest and arms.
- In the same position, slowly bring the arms together in front to touch each other and return them out to the sides.
- Interlace hands so arms are in a circle in front. Lift leg and arms at the same time, slowly. From this position, try moving the leg from front to back in an arc around the body, then back again. Repeat, observing how the arms shift in space as the leg moves. Feel how the center of gravity moves. Explore how to move the leg so that the movement of the arms will be smallest.
- Stand again with the leg and arms (hands still interlaced) in front. Begin to lift the heel of the standing leg.
- Same thing, but with the leg behind. Then try hopping instead of just lifting the heel. Hop and land alternately with the toes pointing out and pointing in.
- Start with the leg in front, knee bent, and then straighten it backwards as you hop. Then bring it forwards again.
- Bring the leg in front, hop a few times, then hop over it, turning the pelvis 180 degrees to face back, with the leg now behind you. If necessary, touch the lifted leg’s toes to the ground as you do this, but don’t put it fully on the ground.
- Reverse the movement, starting with your leg behind you and hopping over it, turning so the leg is in front again.
- Imagine the movements.
- Hop in place with the leg lifted in front and imagine you’re turning the pelvis. Then try the full movement again.
- Extend the leg in back, put the arms out to the sides, and hop in place. Bring the arms together in front with each hop.
- Then bring the arms slowly together and apart while hopping with the leg behind. Then do it while hopping with the leg in front.
- Hop, swinging leg in an arc forward and backward, then turning the hopping foot alternately in and out. Then once again hop over your lifted leg and back again.
- Stand on your leg for a moment and observe the difference.
Focus of the teaching
- In addition to the movements, what theme or ideas did the teacher focus on
Related ATMs
- Tag Standing-on-one-leg
- Tag In-standing
- Tag Balance
- Tag Standing
- Tag Lifting-heel
- Tag Hopping
- Tag Imagining
- Tag unilateral
- Tag Lifting-one-heel-standing
- Tag Center-of-gravity
Hopping on one leg:
Resources
- Someone showing how to do the final move–in tap dance it’s called and “over the top jump.
- Here’s Mikhail Baryshnikov doing a more spectacular version of the move in Jerome Robbins’s ballet “Fancy Free.”
Share Your Insights (ideas, principles, strategies, experiences, …)
- Add your thoughts about the lesson here.
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- Differing viewpoints are welcome and desired!
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