January 2017 | 2 Tips for Ballet Teachers | Height and Control in Grand Jeté

Tip 1
The grand jeté is one of ballet’s most rewarding steps, for both the audience and the dancer. The ability to propel oneself from one foot into the air, reach a perfect split, then land on the other foot, all while showing grace and ease in the upper body, is a hallmark of excellent ballet technique. However, I often see students sacrificing jump height to achieve perfect splits. To address this tendency, tell students to throw the leading leg first, as if hurdling over a barre