Ballet Dancing for Beginners : The Degage Step in Ballet Dancing

[brucedabetta]

You gotta close in 5th...

[LadyFan05]

Dang, she makes it look so easy. Fortunately, I'm a musician! ;)

[hippohappy000]

IM not a beginner but i did ballet a year ago and i want to start it again

[lalitha65]

very helpful..

[aceofspades02]

thou hast lovely ankles!

Ace

[clinny90]

oh lord can you idiots be more criticizing....damn you're not the teacher. if you want to teach that bad then find a school fools. you're indirectly criticizing Pierre Beauchaps..look him up if u dont know who he is idiots.

[hellohello874]

OMG! i am begginning to learn ballet and i can only say i love doing these degages;)

[RyceKake95]

i think it would be better if she was holding the bar so people can see how to stand at the bar

[estaremixada]

Very good explanation, but very bad performance... your fifth possition is not closed enoguh (you're doing something between 3rd and 5th) and your arms are well possitioned, but your hands have some flaws... I repeat, nicely explained though

[sereniti2]

woow alot of people on here are really snobbish. For someone watching this trying to learn the skill could learn the general idea. She's not a dancer on a stage.

[innocence968]

You don't seem to be elegant enough :/

You just throw your foot down. Ballet is supposed to look effortless (Even though it's far from it). Sorry, I don't mean to be so negative. Just putting my opinions across. It's good that you did the video though.

[DreamPeaceBelieve]

Thanks so much for the video. I have not taken a dance class in a studio in over 5 years. I'm brushing up on all my technique and remembering everything, so I can dance in college. This helped a bunch!!

[KatherineSalvatoreV]

@DreamPeaceBelieve

Same with me, except I want to go to Wexford, which is, if your didn't know a performing arts high school in toronto. Well, I want to get in next year and I am just brushing up my moves. It helped a lot.

Thanks!

[KatherineSalvatoreV]

@DreamPeaceBelieve

Same with me, except I want to go to Wexford, which is, if your didn't know a performing arts high school in toronto. Well, I want to get in next year and I am just brushing up my moves. It helped a lot.

Thanks!

[TheGymlovers1]

PLEASE learn how to close in fifth before you try to teach other people

[lespatmilescyrusbff]

Her turn out (or lack thereof) makes me cringe!

And to all the comments below, I am sick of non-serious dancers complaining that the prima ballerinas they see are "anorexic". I know there is a percentage of them who are. But I have been dancing ballet for 10 years very seriously (I am 16 now) and my opinion is that if someone is a very serious and committed dancer (which includes cross conditioning and eating healthy and balanced meals) that they will naturally be skinny.

[SURFUR]

To the expert ballerina--

Merci, ballet goddess! It's now just short of impossible to make time for class. But if you want at least any part of life in ballet itself--you gotta make time.

But to make time for class nowadays? Just like the rest, I'm busy... not just busy, I've no more free time. You gave all budding dancers the greatest gift of all.

You actually gave us ballet classes, free of charge on YouTube. We're eternally in your debt.

--See you in class, Dane Youssef

[novemberain1989]

ok i agree...but if you want to be a dancer you must be thin, stop. moreover ok, you think that "fat" is ok in ballet, no problem but now let's talk about another thing...your tecnique!!!!!!!!! i'm sorry but you dont' have a good one!!! look at you feet, your arms, no no no...if you teach things like that there will be physical problems in your pupils!!! you can be fat if you want (i do not agree even if i'm fat too) but you must have tecnique tecnique tecnique!!!!!!!!!!

[engy199]

thnx this is so helpful

[novemberain1989]

@LaurenFelicia

i do not agree with you...if you want to be a classical dancer you should not be such fat...you should be good, grat expression, perfect technique but no one will see you on a stage if you'r fat...at least in roles like giselle, swan lake etc etc...

you can love dance like i do even if you r a bit fat but you can't certainly dance ballet!!!

classical dance is a world all alone...you must be thin and perfect!! sorry!

[rebelmars]

@novemberain1989 And attitudes like this are why girls and women are starving themselves half to death in so many places. Many people in ballet are thicker than the waif stick figures that you call "perfection." Obviously technique and superior health are important to professional dancers. But when you start equating "perfection" with ribs showing and 5% body fat, you're supporting needless suffering and humiliation of women everywhere.

[lespatmilescyrusbff]

@rebelmars When it comes to being serious in ballet (as a career or in a prestigious company) size does matter. I'm not saying that one can't be a good dancer if they're larger, however body shape and size is a judging factor in serious ballet because it reflects the dancers' level of conditioning.

[rebelmars]

@lespatmilescyrusbff Body shape and size are reflections of many, many things, not simply the type and level of physical activity one does. This comment is exactly my point: by promoting the idea of an "ideal" and "perfect" body type, we not only destroy the self-image of all those who do not have that, but we short-cut really understanding what makes the wonderful diversity of human bodies.

[lespatmilescyrusbff]

@rebelmars Lines are very important in ballet and are more easily displayed by a "skinnier" body, so in ballet, there is a more "perfect" body type, but it is achieved by hours of practice, cross conditioning, and a healthy diet.

Pefection in ballet dancers' bodies are not equated with ribs showing or "5 %" body fat, although it may appear so to outsiders.

[lespatmilescyrusbff]

@rebelmars Thin bodies are a byproduct of dedication and practice in ballet. NOT starvation. Think about it, if you think a starved ballet dancer could be successful in the professional ballet world, you're then putting down ballet as a physically demanding activity.

[rebelmars]

@lespatmilescyrusbff Please don't misquote me. I didn't say that ballet dancers are all starving themselves. My point is that if we start talking about perfection and thinness interchangeably, even if in the name of serious ballet, we add to the overall societal attitude of judging women overall by standards of "the thinner, the better."

[novemberain1989]

her legs are supposed to be rotated..she has an awful 5th position....

bleahhh

[12haily12]

work on your turn out!!!

[Ballerina0Girl]

what is the different between dagage and jete?

i see them same

[ellie5ballerina4ever]

um no offence but shes too fat for ballet and her technique is awful. 24 years of dancing? I think not.

[LaurenFelicia]

Do not make fun of her weight. You can be a great dance no matter what size you are. But I do agree with you that her technique is not that great.

[froggielovelove]

the colorgard in my marching band, almost all of which consist of people taught dance on the fly as they need to know new steps for their drill, have a better 5th position then she does. sad. sad sad sad.

[iloveplatypuses]

love those side-"degages"

[lilemidancer]

O_O THAT IS A BATTEMENT GLISSE!!!

[tedsler]

it is NOT a tendu that is lifted off the ground...

[236williee]

I am LOVING those 5th positions!

[franticantics]

oh dear, not only is theer no floor pressure, but wow, that supporting leg....

nothing like lifting your hip in a glisé to 2nd...

[HeRefusesToListen]

this is shit

a degashe is a fucking linking step

she is doing a pissing glise and it's a shit glise at that

jesus christ

Elmhurst School for Dance and the UK frigging Rock :)

[annaXundead]

omg even I can do that better

[12sarac12]

weeeee i love barre work without the barre!!! hahahahhahahahhaa these videos are hilarious .... un-be-lievable- fonteyn is trembling im sure

[LifeResort]

is this video supposed to mean: a better beginner teaches other beginners? U know, imagine if u were a beginner going to a beginner class. Before the class starts, u try to revise what the teacher has taught in previous class. There's no teacher, only some classmates. What you do is you ask a person like this girl to teach you, right? She obviously is knowledgeable for a beginner. She just doesn't execute it well enough (but of course it is pretty good for a beginner)

[sailmoo]

she doesn't uses the floor at the 3/4 of her foot,beside her fifth position does'n exists.this step also is not a degaje.

[Sophhyy]

She is saying degage wrong, or it may just be her way of sayin it

[Hybrid587]

Where is the barre??

[copacetic79]

Pathetic; absolutely pathetic.

[Homurakitsune]

I've only been doing ballet for a month and I can see she's doing it wrong. Wow. She doesn't even turnout her back foot at all! She has no right to be teaching.

[aliciacad]

How the hell is she doing barre work without a barre?

And yeah, I have one Vaganova teacher from Belgium so he calls them jetes, while my other teachers are all American and do Cechetti, but the essentials of the moves are the same.

[Paradiselost89]

i dont see why people defend her she is doing a great disservice it is people like this these rinky-dink ballet teachers that steal money from people because if you are taking money ad teaching poorly you might as well steal this is sad and pathetic

[julie101rox]

her fifth position is messed up

[Beautifulmusicfan161]

Are you supposed to slide it on the floor like that?

[5555iamdiva]

Yes, when broken down, the first component of the degage is a tendu sliding the foot across the floor to the ball of the foot. Second press into the floor and release the foot 3-5 inches from the floor. Third return foot w ball of the foot on floor. Finally close to starting position w entire foot on the floor. When actually preformed, the energy explodes outward and releases in, so the ball of the foot may not connect as visibly...but slide and press movements warm up & strengthen foot.

[Beautifulmusicfan161]

Thank you.

[Ppendu]

Why do you think she has gone through the trouble of filming all these balletmoves (very badly by the way), and didn't put down a barre or even chair for the barre exercises? She grabs an imaginary barre and then starts wobbeling...

[icesk8ter326]

lol

[1149mrs]

ahahahazhha, so very true...

[kp123abc]

i dont think she brought her back foot into fifth ONCE on her back degagers

[movementaddict]

Degaje is a term of the Cechetti school ("dis-engaged" )RAD calls them battements GLISSE (not glissade) (meaning glided) and vaganova calls them battements jetes (thrown), however, differences exist among these. chiefly: Glisses come off the floor a fraction, degaje is demonstrated correctly here (at least the feet) and battements jetes are at 45 degrees.

[ritafofa1]

ok ok white flag

but at least you have to agree that that lady isnt the right one to show this. she hasnt got the proper posture. really. she can know a lot about ballet but well... you understand right? (sorry my english. im portuguese =) )

[fleecymango]

I would have to say these are degages. A glissade is a travelling step.

[ritafofa1]

this are glissades

oh god

this is an insult to all baillerinas...! and her body is not right to ballet. but she as good feet nothing more

[Trinibutterfly]

really? I'm tryin to learn ballet. can yu tell me where I can find videos with someone who has proper posture?

[ritafofa1]

well i know great videos but they are all in portuguese bcause im from portugal

and the videos here on youtube are very good but they are for bailarinas in pointes. if its your case, you should see some videos from lisahowell2. if its not, i cant help you... sorry

but try to watch those videos i told you bcause they are very good and if you like ballet you could search "center stage". its a ballet movie and its very good. the last part its awsome.

bye

[ritafofa1]

i forgot to tell that if you want to learn ballet you should got in to a ballet academie. that way you could learn with a teacher and that will help a lot

its better than try to learn how to do it on youtube. dont you think? search for one in your area and talk wiht you parents.

bye

[Trinibutterfly]

Yea, I'm going to take ballet in fall. I just wanted to get a head start before I take the class. thanks so much for your help! ^^

[ritafofa1]

i did the best i could

well you can also search on google for ballet bcause there are great sites when you can search for more information

sorry i cant help more

just one more thing

if you saw here on youtube or any where else a step and you have no ideia how to do it just send me a message and i explain you. okay?

i wish you the best

bye

[Trinibutterfly]

ok, thanks so much!

[ritafofa1]

happy dancing!