Hi ballerinaaa! How hard is grand pas classique? it is quite the talk how challenging the variation is.
This variation is tough, easily one of the hardest in the classical repertoire. It's a stamina challenge, not so much in terms of crazy bravada, but in terms of the sheer # of releve's. Your calf muscles are screaming even before the famous diagonal of ballonees. The choreography is also quite exposing for the dancer, with body angles that are hard to keep turned out, and intricate transitions. Stylistically, the variation needs to be confident and crisp, authoritative but charming- not the easiest thing to convey when the choreography is a bit terrifying. Especially with students, you'll often see them walk on with one of two emotions: fear or overly aggressive 'I'm gonna nail this' gusto- both miss the mark for me.
Let's start with the first section, obviously the easiest. I like to watch the depth of the plies out of the pas de chat and into the different releves. The strongest dancers, and the one's with the technique to really shine in this variation, will have their heels firmly, safely pressed into the floor any time they get a chance.
I haven't performed this variation but remember having a master class on this variation with Jurgita Dronina. She stressed the importance of musicality and footwork in the first diagonal. Your arms are trying to sustain your legs, float the attitude and en dedans turns, and really sing the melody. To keep you balanced, she told us to think about our legs and lower body acting as the bass, the accompaniment. Yes, you need to float the balances and coordinate your body but not excessively. Each plie should be measured right on the notes, this becomes easier if your feet are stepping precisely in the rhythm of the piece.
Jurgita Dronina in “Grand Pas Classique” 💎
Moving on, the jete's going up the diagonal should have actual height- this is still a jump even though it's the preparation for a developpe. It also should create a feeling of spontaneity, the releve out of the jump should be lightly unexpected. Afterward, one of the most difficult sections is the consecutive turning releve's in attitude into a big battement to the side. It's a fatiguing moment, but the leg should remain at the same height, not a bobbling up and down attitude. Watch also how the leg transitions from attitude, to coupe, to a la seconde.
Now on to the ballonne's that made this variation famous. It's supposed to be done on the croisé line, with the leg crossed to the audience. You may see it done on the effacé line to favor a stronger supporting leg or to make it a bit easier to keep turnout. It's an exhausting step, but also a great way to see how well someone has been trained and how strong their turnout is. When they do the ballonne to the side, they should plie with the leg in a la seconde before going into the turn. What often happens is that dancers will 'cut' the ballonne short and plie with their leg in either sur le cou de pied, or retire passe, before pushing up to turn. Most professional dancers aren't cheating at 45 degrees, but when the legs 90+ for the second set....things can get wacky. Watch for that plie, and the turnout of the supporting leg, as well as the stability of the spine. Here's two examples to consider, specifically comparing the diagonals:
And finally, consecutive tour pique is not terribly difficult on its own but it's somehow so much harder to do (and to finish) at the end of all this, especially for those who are trying to make it really exciting by nearly jumping them and throwing in a double to finish.
