In Step With DC
Prep School: Giving Lift to Your Jumps
You probably had this thought at least once while practicing leaps and jumps in class: “Why do we take so much time to work on our preparation, and not follow through with the leap?” There is a really good reason for that. Your preparation will determine both the height and the quality of you leap, and improper preparation can lead to injury.
A leap or jete, is more challenging than it may seem. Your teachers and professional dancers may make it seem easy, but they have put in countless hours of perfecting positioning, technique and timing. Let’s break down some reasons that working on your preparation is so important.
- Your preparation will affect the height to your leap – As you move through your run or combination of steps leading up to it, you are trying to build momentum, but it’s your plie just before the leap that helps you to get height for your jump. You know the old saying “what goes up must come down”? Well the opposite is also true!
- The placement of your body can affect your forward momentum and balance throughout the leap. If you are too far back you may not travel the distance you are hoping, to far forward and the same can also be true.
- You can also plie too deeply, or rush your timing in which case you could injure yourself as you leap, or attempt to correct your positioning.
Miss Mary explained the focus on preparation for leaps this way:
Practicing preparation, whether for turns or leaps and jumps is all about teaching your body the correct technique until it becomes muscle memory and minimizes your injury risk while maximizing your abilities.
Mary Naftal, Artistic Director
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