Fouetté
I woke up with this word on my mind. I have no idea why as I haven’t been watching ballet recently and have never studied it in great depth.
The word comes from the French fouetter, meaning to flog or whip.
A fouetté or ‘fouetté rond de jamb en tournant’, to give it its full name, is a movement in ballet in which the dancer stands on one foot and moves the free leg in a whipping motion in front or behind the body while spinning. It is an extremely difficult move to perfect and takes determination and hours of practice.
Most professional ballet dancers train for about six hours a day for six days of the week and are judged to be among the fittest of all athletes. The nature of their work means that their bones are strengthened as well as their muscles, because dancing is a weight-bearing occupation. After eight to ten years of training, a professional ballet dancer’s life as a performer does not usually last beyond the age of thirty-five. There are exceptions, of course.
The ballets in which thirty-two fouettés can be seen are Swan Lake, in the pas de deux of the Black Swan, and the wedding pas de deux in Don Quixote.
I can see how such a move would be difficult. I dreamed of being a ballerina when I was young, as many girls do I suppose, but I'm lazy by nature and I never would have managed all that training. I was more entranced by the costumes I think and outgrew the dream.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard work and many just can't sustain the life, even if they manage to reach 'the top'. Just beautiful to watch, though.
DeleteA pirouette is? Ok, not with the foot whipping motion.
ReplyDeleteIt's an extension or development of a pirouette, I think.
DeleteInteresting. I'd heard of pirouettes but not fouettes. My ignorance might be because I was the typical tomboy who would run a mile from anything involving a tutu or leotard and did not appreciate the athleticism involved in ballet.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Gail.
I was never dainty and ephemeral!
DeleteI love that bit in Swan Lake where Odile is dancing so showily to keep the prince's eyes on her and not seeing Odette in despair at the window (or wherever). xx
ReplyDeleteI never tire of watching Swan Lake.
DeleteSuch hard work but the end result is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThere's real artistry in making something so hard look so graceful.
DeleteThe photo is quite something
ReplyDeleteSkilled photography.
DeleteIt takes a lot of commitment to become a dancer, but especially a ballet dancer.
ReplyDeleteSo many aspire but just don't have the 'right' bodies.
DeleteI don't know the first thing about ballet, so the word fouetté conjures up a completely different thing, namely whipped cream, or crème fouettée in French :-) xxx
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious:-)
DeleteShe's doing such strenuous exercise, but her face is composed and unbothered.
ReplyDeleteI can never get over how slight the girls look and yet they are so strong and have such stamina. The positions they have to hold sometimes would reduce another to painful cramp in no time.
DeleteBallet is not for sissies! This was an interesting piece of information. I took ballet for 8 years as a young girl but never seriously. Just enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteforgot to sign in... the above anonymous comment is from Judee @Gluten Free A-Z Blog
DeleteI'm sure eight years of ballet ensured good deportment - a gift for life.
DeleteI can honestly say that I have never woken up with that word on my mind! Interesting though, now maybe I will!
ReplyDeleteI never have before - and it's not a word I use, ever!
ReplyDeleteI've been to some memorable ballet performances but learnt not to sit so close that I can hear what hard work it is!
ReplyDeleteHahaha - brilliant!
DeleteI have been to a few ballets and they were beautiful to watch.
ReplyDeleteThe dancers have to be so fit.
We have a local ballet school near to us and it's very popular.
All the best Jan
I never realised the pointe shoes made so much noise until I sat close to a performance locally!
DeleteI loved ballet when I was around the age of 8/9/10. I so wanted to have ballet lessons but my parents said that I had to have piano lessons! I was actually quite good at playing the piano but nevertheless, my sister and myself were allowed to go to the theatre to watch the ballet and then we pestered my mum to buy us ballet shoes, which she did after she had done some supply teaching! Lovely red ones they were! We’d play the records Swan Lake or The Nutcracker and then perform our ‘ shows’. Years later, when I was teaching in Surrey, I used to sit on the bus with a lovely lady who taught at The Elmhurst Ballet School! I often wonder what happened to her.
ReplyDeleteElmhurst is where Hayley Mills went (among others)
DeleteMy youngest daughter was entranced by ballet when she was very small and would sit watching for ages. She 'did' ballet and tap for a couple of years.
I imagine it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become a ballerina. I must admit that I have never wanted to be one. I've always been far too clumsy, even as a child!
ReplyDeleteI was always interested in ballet but never actually wanted to try it.
DeleteLa imagenes grandiosa el ballet es bello y duro. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteIt is very hard.
ReplyDeleteAmazing to see this particular movement in a ballet. Such strength, agility and persevence over many years to perfect it.
ReplyDelete