"Those who do not jump will never fly." -Unknown
Introduction
Tour Jeté, also known as entrelacé or grand jeté entournant, is one of the staple steps of grand allegro. As such, it requires all of the things that make an allegro fun and exciting to do and watch-strength, a big jump, and an unexpected turn in the air! Here are the things you need to think about when executing your tour jeté:
Along with a few other things (as always), take this advice and you will have beautiful tour jetés!
- Brush through first position, and then pass through sous sus
- Coordinate your arms with your body
- Use your battement
Along with a few other things (as always), take this advice and you will have beautiful tour jetés!
Brushing Through
We all know that to get off the floor, you need to plié. Many times though, plié alone won't get you high enough off of the floor. When this is the case (as in assemblé, jeté, or tour jeté), you need to add a brush. This brush-plié combination gives you enough power to get sufficient height in your jump to be visually appealing and to allow you to add a special touch, such as a turn or a beat. Since tour jeté requires a half turn in the air, you need to get off of the floor high enough so that you have time to make half a rotation with your whole body. The initial brush and plié will provide you with this height and power.
The second "brush" of your tour jeté happens in the air. Because of this, you obviously cannot brush the floor, but you must still pass through "home base" as you battement your second leg to arabesque. In this case, you must pass through first position, with pointed feet.
See the diagrams below for illustrations of these brushes, and how they differ.
Finally, do not forget how much your chassé or the steps before your tour jeté will influence your jump. You need to build momentum to help you get off the floor and to land silently, so bring power to your step and use your plié!
The second "brush" of your tour jeté happens in the air. Because of this, you obviously cannot brush the floor, but you must still pass through "home base" as you battement your second leg to arabesque. In this case, you must pass through first position, with pointed feet.
See the diagrams below for illustrations of these brushes, and how they differ.
Finally, do not forget how much your chassé or the steps before your tour jeté will influence your jump. You need to build momentum to help you get off the floor and to land silently, so bring power to your step and use your plié!
Your Battement
Your brush gives you height, but what gives you the power for your tour jeté (aside from your plié)? Of course, it's your grand battement! After you brush, you must "finish" it with a strong, relatively high, grand battement. This will help give you height, and it will also help whip your body around as you scissor your legs to change them. Make sure to keep your alignment as you do this-don't pass through à la seconde! The first brush is devant, and the second is in arabesque. In addition, a strong arabesque battement will help you stick your landing in arabesque for a beautiful finish!
Coordination
Like almost everything in ballet, your tour jeté requires arm and body coordination. Even though your legs are doing most of the work in tour jeté, coordinating your arms with what your legs are doing will help get your body into a good rhythm so that everything happens in sync.
As you start your initial brush through first, your arms should come from second position and pass through en bas, so that they are there when your feet are in first position. As you lift your leg in front of you, bring your arms through first position, and continue lifting them to fifth en haut as you approach the top of your jump. As you scissor your second leg to arabesque, open your arms to the corresponding ending arms (which many times is first arabesque).
As you start your initial brush through first, your arms should come from second position and pass through en bas, so that they are there when your feet are in first position. As you lift your leg in front of you, bring your arms through first position, and continue lifting them to fifth en haut as you approach the top of your jump. As you scissor your second leg to arabesque, open your arms to the corresponding ending arms (which many times is first arabesque).