Outside the mainstream: ballet teaching at the margins

At the barre Naomi sets an intriguing rond de jambe exercise. Conventionally in most classes these days ronds de jambe are followed by a port de bras sequence combining big body bends or stretches, sometimes left open for the dancers to choose their own. But this exercise instead begins with the port de bras, a deep forward bend preceding a succession of ronds de jambe en dehors, and in reversing it a generous back-bend leading into ronds de jambe en dedans. This order draws attention through movement to body posture and aplomb; and presages in the body the outward and inward circling actions of the legs to come. It turns out that this is an exercise that Naomi remembers from classes in New York with legendary ballet teacher Maggie Black. (Author's personal notes, 2019)