The Barre Part III

DÉGAGÉ BATTEMENT

The dégagé battement is usually of an upgraded speed.  Speed itself is not easily learned by the dancers and if the barre exercises are all metered slowly, the dancer will not form the correct attack for good dance execution during choreography. 

The dancer's speed of execution, particularly during petite allegro, is an exciting part of the dance art and should be learned from the beginning.  As a teaching technique, we want to press for speed as a method of isolating only the proper movements, as there is not time for extra motion.

Speed, accent, and plié, with the added dimentions of relevé and even pirouette, are good things to incorporate into the dégagé combination.  Dégagés are traditionally about 2 1/2 inches off the floor.  When executed with a petite developé on either the way in or the way out, the move is titled pas de cheval and makes excellent foot contour and a supple, yet strong foot.

FONDU

The fondu exercise can be intertwined with the dégagé and pas de cheval combinations.  A fondue is defined as any movement that lowers the body by bending one leg.  In a plié, both legs support the body; in a fondu, only one leg supports the body.  All battements can be touching (tendu), just off the floor (dégagé), at right angle, or fully extended (grand battement and/or grand fondu).