I need some advice on how to do a toe touch (i hope this is the correct term; apparently it is borrowed from cheerleading )

now, however flexible and strong I am, I just can't manage that one. I'm ususally very good in grand jétés and the like. It defenitely is not a flexibility issue, but I somehow don't know where to take the power to do that jump.

Any advice, please :confused: thanx!

2dance4, can you describe the step you're referring to? My guess is that the "toe touch" refers to bending you back leg in the jump and bending the torso back and touching your hand(s) to the toe of the bent back leg. Is that right?

Is the jump a jete (takes off from one leg and lands on the other) or a sissonne (takes off from both feet and lands on one) or something else?

Hi djb,

no, it unfortunately is (at least to me) a not-at-all-to-ballet-related-jump.

You jump from both legs (face and body facing front) and do a split in the air (still facing front), so to make your left toes join your left hand and your right toes join your right hand. So ideally, your legs are parallel to the floor, making contact with your hands, while your whole body is facing front.

Does that make sense?

It's like a front split in the air? It's what's called a 'bravado step (or jump)' and it's definitely a ballet step!!

It's called 'écarté en l'air' or 'ciseaux' in various methods...

<small>[ 04 October 2004, 05:23 AM: Message edited by: balletowoman ]</small>

I've comsolidated two topics here:

PinkShoes posted 02 October 2004 08:02 PM
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2dance4-
I have experience in both gymnastics and cheerleading, so I think I know what youre refering to. The toe-touch is a jump in which the torso is kep relatively straight and the legs are split at the sides, right? Ok, to do this you must rotate your legs A LOT at the hip flexers and snap them both down and up. Meaning, dont hesitiate in the air. This jump must be done very quickley and sharply.

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2dance4 posted 04 October 2004 02:06 AM
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PinkShoes, Sorry, I didn't see your reply. Thanks for the help, I'll try my best...
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The key is to keep the torso upright and the back long. Think of reaching your collarbone to the sky in the jump while bringing your legs up to your outstretched hands, rather than hunching over and reaching down for your toes. If initially your legs don't go so high, no big deal. As long as you are keeping the torso in the correct position, you can work toward leg height with ab work and stretching the hip rotators and hamstrings.

i agree with missy and everyone else, but if thats the approach you've been taking and its not helping, i was going to suggest leaning your torso forward, while not dropping the chest, just a slight pitch forward, in order to get the feel and develop the height. People' limbs are proportioned all different, making some things more anatomically difficult for individuals, regardless of flexiblity and abilty. The take off is from a stationary plie and not at all like the feel of a traveling grande jete. youve gotta have a solid plie and push from the earth like a volcanic eruption. Also play around with jumping with the arms in a V, not worrying about your fingers touching your toes, but just concentrating on your toes reaching the clouds. Especially in cheerleading theres usually this elaborate prep. with the arms going up...down..around windmill style,...and touch toes... when you learn toe touches that way, your body's is fooled that the momentum of your arms is what instigates the jump, and thats not nessesarily so, sure the aid some, but the key is the PLIE. (try doing it keeping the arms down, its even more difficult,) i guess what im saying is experiment with small adjustments, untill you've disected the jump, and figure out for yourself, keeping all the technique in mind, what its gonna take.

Despite all my classical training i will say that the key to a good toe touch is as a pervios post mentioned a pitch of the torso foward...Pitch meaning the back is straight DONT DROP YOUR CHEST, if you do you'll never get more than a few inches off the floor...the other key is to tuck your hips forward this will allow you to rotate past you normal turn out (Ballet dancers avert your eyes)that will allow your legs to get the postion so that your legs are parelle to the floor
~K~