Steps: Fouettes

[Jan McNulty]

When is a fouette not a fouette?

 

If a dancer does more than one turn in the midst of a fouette, technically speaking is that step a fouette?  People talk about double and triple fouettes but I thought the fouette as a step in itself was the whipping action of the leg as the dancer turns.

 

I'd love to know people's opinions.

[MayKwok]

I'd say if the turn was initiated with a fouetté action of the leg then it would qualify.

 

Interestingly the Royal Ballet has a video dictionary of fouettés:

[Jan McNulty]

Thanks!

 

What I am about to say may seem like sacrilege but I find that when I am watching fouettes they do not seem to coincide with the music as well when double or triple turns are introduced as they do when the single whipping turns are used.

 

Many years ago, ENB used to split in 2 and perform excerpts in smaller theatres.  I can remember a performance in Crewe when Lyudmila Semenyaka whipped out her fouettes so fast the pianist couldn't keep up with her!

[bangorballetboy]

Hi Janet.

 

To get the pedantry out of the way first, the question is about fouetté turns, as fouetté just means "whipped" (literally) and applies to a large number of steps.

 

In layman's terms, a fouetté turn is a pirouette with a whipped leg action.  If there's a double pirouette before the whip, it's a double fouetté turn.

[bangorballetboy]

What I am about to say may seem like sacrilege but I find that when I am watching fouettes they do not seem to coincide with the music as well when double or triple turns are introduced as they do when the single whipping turns are used.

 

 

 

Not sacrilege at all.  I prefer the turns to be on the music and this can be done.  For example, when the music in the Swan Lake 32 changes tempo, and you get the ya-da-da-da-dum at the end of the phrase, that's perfect for a double. 

[MayKwok]

[...] I find that when I am watching fouettes they do not seem to coincide with the music as well when double or triple turns are introduced as they do when the single whipping turns are used.[...]

 

Yes, I find that sometimes too!

On the other hand I've seen a video of Tamara Rojo doing fouettés completely on time with the music, can't check which one it is now as I'm in the office, might post it later today.

[Jan McNulty]

Good thinking BBB!

[DavidW]

One of the most thrilling part of watching fouetté turns for me is when there is the change in the music after the first 16 and the dancer (often) switches from sequences including doubles/triples to a string of snappy singles. Always makes me smile!

 

In terms of dancing, I personally love doing grand fouetté relevés - there's something about them that makes me feel like I'm 'dancing' the step and not just executing them. On the other hand, I'm certainly not a fan of Italian Fouettés (or the version of grand fouetté relevé where you link each fouetté without moving the supporting leg - the only example I can think of is the Lilac Fairy variation). As for fouetté turns - I'm just glad that as a guy I tend to do grand pirouettes when the girls are doing them!

[Jan McNulty]

There's a section of Italian fouettes in the dream sequence in Don Q, certainly in a couple of the productions I have seen.

[Ian Macmillan]

Some fouettés in amongst this lot:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/27/washington-ballet_n_5398838.html?utm_hp_ref=arts

[victoriapage]

In the coda of this video, a series of consecutive double fouettes:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xa-CD86FmM