Cecchetti Jumps.

Suki Schorer on Balanchine Technique (Sixth in a series)

THESE "CECCHETTI" steps are not commonly given, and they are unlike most jumps in that the legs do not straighten in the usual way in the air, although the feet are fully pointed. Mr. B liked them because they give the dancer practice in getting off the floor, instantly establishing a position in the air and holding it for as long as possible. They also develop ballon.

In Cecchetti changement, the dancer takes a really good plie to push herself off the floor and into the air. She definitely changes levels, despite the fact that she does not fully straighten the legs. She instantly brings the tips of her toes and her heels to touch in sort of a first position in the air. This requires keeping the knees bent just enough to bring the feet into position with the tips of the toes in contact, and holding the inside of the thighs firmly to freeze the legs into this position. She holds until the last possible moment, then changes and catches herself on the tips of her toes to start the landing in fifth. This sequence--getting herself cleanly off the floor, instantly assuming a position, and holding it as long as possible--is excellent preparation for all the "make a picture" steps. When she is in the air, the whole position should freeze, the chest and head are lifted, and the arms are usually in second with the wrists slightly lifted.

Mr. B usually gave Cecchetti changements at moderate to slow tempos. To a slow tempo, he might give plie on count one, Cecchetti changement in the air on "and," land: on count two, stretch on count three, and hold on count four. In this simple exercise, the dancer can concentrate on exactly what she needs to do to execute the Cecchetti changement. Then, still to a slow tempo. we could do three quick standard changements on counts one "and" two, Cecchetti changement on "and," landing on count three, straightening on "and," and plie on count four to repeat. To a faster tempo, we could do three quick standard changements, the first landing on count one, the second landing on "and," and the third landing in a deep plie on count two, followed by a Cecchetti changement in the air on count three, landing into a deep plie on count four to repeat. This combination requires the dancer to be aware of what her feet are doing to show each type of changement clearly, while asking her to stay in the air while she holds one count there. This requires her to be musically aware in order to be on time.

Cecchetti soubresaut, in which the feet make a kind of fifth position in the air, is the companion to the Cecchetti changement in which the feet make a kind of first position in the air. To accomplish this, the knees are again slightly bent and the toes are aligned with each other as in sous-sus on pointe. Mr. Balanchine did not give Cecchetti soubresaut as often as Cecchetti changement, but he liked it because the dancer builds awareness of exactly where the feet are.

From fifth position, the dancer takes a good plie and pushes off the floor, taking her torso and hips into the air. She immediately assumes the slightly "bent-kneed" sous-sus position in the air. As in Cecchetti changement, she freezes the position in the air by using the inside thigh muscles. On landing, she catches herself on the tips of her toes, lowering herself through the toes and feet into plie.

Mr. B gave sets of Cecchetti soubresaut to help us master the technique; the typical timing was plie on the count and up on the "and." Any of the combinations given for Cecchetti changement are applicable here. He also gave the step in a series of traveling forward or sideways and in combinations. The arms were usually in a low or normal second, or perhaps extended to the front.

Another Cecchetti jump we practiced was Cecchetti assemble Mr. B usually gave it in fifth, as in Cecchetti soubresaut. Cecchetti assemble can remain in place or it can travel. In each case, the action of the step is the same as for simple and traveling assemble (plie and brush simultaneously, feet immediately together, land), except that immediately after brushing, the working leg starts to bend. For Cecchetti assemble both knees are bent just enough to bring the feet into the required position as rapidly as possible, and the dancer shows it by holding it as long as possible. She must change levels.

The dancer is usually in plie on the count and up on the "and"; the arms are usually in an extended second position with the wrists slightly lifted when she is in the air.

RELATED ARTICLE: Details I often insist on in the Cecchetti jumps:

1) freeze the legs in the air and assume a pretty picture of the whole body

2) knees bend only as much as necessary to make the correct position in the air

3) take the body into the air: change levels

4) in Cecchetti changement the tips of the toes and the heels touch

5) in Cecchetti soubresaut, the toes of the front foot cover the toes of the back foot, the heel of the front foot covers the arch of the back foot--that is, somewhat similar to sous-sus on pointe, but with slightly bent knees.

From the book SUKI SCHORER ON BALANCHINE TECHNIQUE by Suki Schorer. Copyright [C] 1999 by Suki Schorer. Published by Alfred Knopf, Inc.