EverHopeful Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Hi, I’m looking for some help on the correct way to perform the polish mazurka step (as in RAD grade 5 character dance D). Is it more ‘hop, step, shunt’ or ‘swish, hop, hop’ 😂 hope this makes some sort of sense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Red_Shoes Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 "Hop, step, shunt" - or as my teacher says "Hop, step, squeeeeze" (as you must really hold that arabesque line as you shunt). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 (edited) Ha ha thought it was more ..hop swish hop step ....hop swish hop step .....etc! with the leg held in small develope in front ( from the swish) on the second hop! But arabesque leg seems to imply being held at the back so a bit confused!! Edited June 10, 2019 by LinMM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glissade Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 (edited) It sounds like a wide topic of discussion! - http://www.ballet-dance.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21860 "There is more than one correct version of the Mazurka but the one you describe is the one that I remember one of my first, serious ballet teachers giving us. I personally like the one that steps on 1 (sometimes into a low arabesque), hop and heel tap on & 2, and then brush on 3. I recall learning at least three versions over the years but could not replicate what they are exactly now." Edited June 10, 2019 by glissade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdance Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 I teach it more like "hop step shunt" with a battement glisse devant action on the first hop, as the gesture leg comes through from low arabesque. The "shunt" is into arabesque on fondu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EverHopeful Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share Posted June 10, 2019 I was hoping there would be a simple, definitive answer to this one but the more I try to look into it, the more unclear it becomes! Do the RAD have any guidelines for character? I have the grade syllabus book and the foundations of classical technique book, but neither seem to break down the step. I just want to know how to gain the best marks I can in the exam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Have found some nice demos of the mazurka step ....well what I would call a Mazurka anyway including some from the RAD site but they won't let me copy link to here! For a real mazurka but ...less balletic one ..you can see on YouTube the Polish group Mazowsze performing the dance but the step is slightly less delineated than a ballet one! It's performed with the extended leg in front....a sort of hop swish the leg in front hop..... I suppose you could do the step with the leg in a low arabesque at the back .....so then guess it would be more...... chasse hop with arabesque at back then immediately hop the arabesque leg through into another chasse hop and so on ..continually on alternate legs etc so the Rythym would be chasse hop hop chasse hop hop and so on. A mazurka dance would have a series of steps though not just the main step to make up the dance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Red_Shoes Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 19 hours ago, LinMM said: Ha ha thought it was more ..hop swish hop step ....hop swish hop step .....etc! with the leg held in small develope in front ( from the swish) on the second hop! But arabesque leg seems to imply being held at the back so a bit confused!! That's more like what the RAD calls the "Russian" Mazurka step. It comes into the Grade 8 mazurka and boys use it in some classical work too (Advanced Foundation pirouette exercise if I recall correctly). The "Polish" Mazurka step (appears in Grade 5 and Grade 6 character) has the second hop forward (the "shunt") in arabesque. 11 hours ago, DeveloppeD said: Do the RAD have any guidelines for character? I have the grade syllabus book and the foundations of classical technique book, but neither seem to break down the step. I just want to know how to gain the best marks I can in the exam. There don't seem to be any published guidelines for character technique. However the book does contain the BMN, which shows it as a small introductory hop with front foot at glisse height, a step forward into arabesque at 45degrees coordinated with arm and head , shunt holding position. The step forward is on the first beat of the bar. My teacher says it must be turned out, smooth and elegant, not jumpy, with arabesque well held. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Ah yes it was the grade 8 videos I found but couldn't post here! In Polish folk dancing however it's the "Russian" version they use mostly then! In a typical Mazurka there are a series of steps which make up the dance all very recognisable and probably interchangeable as Russian steps too!! And of course as they are usually group dances lots of coming into pairs then into circular groups then into lines etc etc Polish dancing is VERY lively! With lots of lifts when in pairs ....not high ones but nevertheless fast and there's lost of use of the upper body which is really nice. The Polish waltz is very exciting as its a fast turning affair and quite exhilarating to do ...well when young of course!! The men's mountain dances are vicious! With use of sticks or poles and are meant to be very competitive but best to keep well out of the way when they are off on one! May PM you about the Tatry Polish group that used to rehearse above Chelsea Ballet in South Ken in the 70's and 80's....if you were there on Fridays you would know about it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdance Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 The RAD did produce a character DVD which by all accounts was very helpful. But your teacher should be the one to help you and guide you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 (edited) Basically Polish mazurka is with the hop step shunt in arabesque, whilst Russian mazurka is with the hop step hop swish through to the front. When I danced in Onegin, we had to do the Russian mazurka whizzing around the stage and really moving. The Polish one as in RAD Grade 5 and 6 seems to move less almost stopping in the arabesque. Edited June 11, 2019 by Dance*is*life 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Red_Shoes Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 11 hours ago, LinMM said: May PM you about the Tatry Polish group that used to rehearse above Chelsea Ballet in South Ken in the 70's and 80's....if you were there on Fridays you would know about it!!! I don't recall the Tatry group rehearsing, but they did perform in Coppelia with us for Chelsea Ballet's 25th anniversary gala performance. They lent us some wonderful genuine Polish costumes. I remember wearing a beautiful skirt with hundreds of tiny pleats. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 Chelsea Ballet rehearsed Tuesday's and Friday's and Tatry Wednesdays and Fridays .....so Friday's overlapped. They were in the hall upstairs and made quite a noise when doing their mountain dances!! One Friday I went upstairs to see what was going on and discovered this Polish dancing group ....which I then eventually joined for the next five years as well as Chelsea Ballet!! They had some lovely songs too! It fascinated me how the the group (nearly all born in the UK) reverted from Polish to English quite freely...with English bits in the middle of Polish bits and Polish bits in the middle of English bits! I Eventually went to Poland ....when it was not easy to do so....and made it among other places to the Tatra mountains around Zakopane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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