"Why walk when you can dance." -Unknown
Introduction
Walking and running like dancers, particularly like a ballet dancer, is one of the most difficult things in ballet. Both steps require you to move either very quickly or very slowly but maintaining grace and fluidity in your movement. If you can master ballet walks and runs, your transitions and the overall quality of your dancing will improve dramatically. Here's what to think about:
- Move smoothly, without bouncing
- Point your feet and keep your knees straight
- Move as one piece
- Decide whether or not you will run with a small devéloppé
Walks
In ballet walks, women generally walk on demi pointe. Although you will need to lower your demi pointe slightly as you move one leg in front of the other, you should try to minimize this and stay "up" for as much as possible. This lowering, along with the fact that ballet walks tend to be slow, make it easy to get a "bounce" in your step. You want to avoid this, so as you walk imagine that you are balancing a book on your head and that you cannot let it fall off. This means that you need to walk smoothly and roll through your feet at you gently lower your heel down from your demi pointe.
As you move one leg in front of the other, you will need to bend the forward-moving leg slightly to pass through first position (en rélevé). Some teachers prefer that you exaggerate this bending and almost go into a small devéloppé to do this. Others prefer that you make the bend more subtle. Either way, you need to show your heel as much as possible when you bring your leg through so that you can really show off your turn out.
Don't forget your basics here, as this is a moment where they are extremely noticeable. Keep your feet pointed and be sure to straighten your knees completely once your leg passes through first. Finally, move your body across the floor in one piece; don't leave your backside behind!
As you move one leg in front of the other, you will need to bend the forward-moving leg slightly to pass through first position (en rélevé). Some teachers prefer that you exaggerate this bending and almost go into a small devéloppé to do this. Others prefer that you make the bend more subtle. Either way, you need to show your heel as much as possible when you bring your leg through so that you can really show off your turn out.
Don't forget your basics here, as this is a moment where they are extremely noticeable. Keep your feet pointed and be sure to straighten your knees completely once your leg passes through first. Finally, move your body across the floor in one piece; don't leave your backside behind!
Running
There are two acceptable ways to run in ballet: the first way is essentially the same as the walking described above, but just executed more quickly. The second way eliminates the small devéloppé and almost becomes an emboîté, where you quickly change which leg is in front without let your legs bend and "pass through" first at all.
Regardless of which way you choose, you need to really use your plié as you run. This can feel counterintuitive since you want to look tall as you run, but you need to plié in order to avoid bouncing. This doesn't mean that you need to take a deep plié; it just means that you should not resist your plié.
As you run, be sure not to leave your backside behind. In addition, try to lead your movement with your chest (without opening up your ribcage), and really push forward with your whole body. You should be able to cover a lot of ground within a short amount of time. Again, your plié will help you with this.
Regardless of which way you choose, you need to really use your plié as you run. This can feel counterintuitive since you want to look tall as you run, but you need to plié in order to avoid bouncing. This doesn't mean that you need to take a deep plié; it just means that you should not resist your plié.
As you run, be sure not to leave your backside behind. In addition, try to lead your movement with your chest (without opening up your ribcage), and really push forward with your whole body. You should be able to cover a lot of ground within a short amount of time. Again, your plié will help you with this.
Port de Bras
There are many different port de bras positions that are traditionally used in walking and running. The most common is the Cecchetti third position (one arm in second, one arm in first). You want to stay open (éffacé) to the audience, so your upstage arm should be rounded, and your downstage arm should be in second position. This means that if you run across the floor and turn the corner to begin running in the other direction, you should change your arms. This is usually done by lowering your second position arm through en bas and then into first, while simply opening your rounded arm to second position. If you are running in a circle however, you almost never need to change your arms.
The other most common arm positions for walks and runs are first arabesque, and then "windmill" arms. Many times people start walking or running with first arabesque arms, and as they speed up or run off the stage, they will do the windmill by letting their front arm move straight up and then back while the second position arm moves down and into fourth arabesque. This is a very stylistic way of running and is often used in choreography, but rarely in class.
The other most common arm positions for walks and runs are first arabesque, and then "windmill" arms. Many times people start walking or running with first arabesque arms, and as they speed up or run off the stage, they will do the windmill by letting their front arm move straight up and then back while the second position arm moves down and into fourth arabesque. This is a very stylistic way of running and is often used in choreography, but rarely in class.