Rachel CaduriTracy NavarroJazz Dance 39 March 2015Physics of DanceOn February 23rd we watched the video Physics of Dance which is based on the work and theories of Kenneth Laws. The video, as the title implies, discusses the physics behind basic concepts and movements in dance and of the body. Five specific concepts that were mentioned in the video are torque, center of gravity, the grand jete, rotational velocity, and fouette turns. The first concept I have chosen to discuss is torque. Torque is a measure of how much one, or more forces acting on an object causes that object to rotate. In a basic pirouette, there are two forces acting to create torque: a horizontal force, and vertical force. From the fourth position preparation, you must push down against the floor, to go up, and push slightly forward to bring your center of gravity over the standing foot. In theory, the more torque, the more you can turn. However, having improper alignment, a lack of spotting, or not being balanced over the center of gravity can affect your turn. My biggest issue with pirouettes is balancing, spotting, and overexerting torque. When doing the exercise where we simply go into passe, I have trouble finding the right combination of up and forward to bring my center of gravity over the standing foot. I think working on engaging my core and glutes could help to correct this issue. However, my biggest problem is that I overexert the amount of force, or torque needed for a turn. I push more than enough for a single, but not enough for a double. Now that I am aware of the different forces acting to create a pirouette, I can work on using less force to try and get a cleaner single. The turning combination where we work on quarter, half, three-quarter, and full turns really helps in controlling how much force I need to exert based on how much of a turn I need. The next concept is center of gravity. Center of gravity is an imaginary vertical line you use to determine where your balance should be in order to stay balanced. When you stand on two feet your center of gravity is a symmetrical line from your head to your toes, with weight equally distributed on each side. When you tendu, although you still have two feet on the ground the working foot has no weight in it. Therefore your center of gravity must shift over the standing foot, bringing all of your weight onto the standing foot as well. This concept of center of gravity can be applied to turns, degages, tendus, lunges, and various other aspects of dance. During the tendu section of warm ups I always pay close attention to my balance and center of gravity. Its similar to the Russian ballet school that doesnt allow dancers without three years of balancing in pass. I focus on the basic tendu, in order to one day improve my balancing skills in all other aspects of dance.The third concept I chose is the grand jete. The grand jete was always something I disregarded because I felt like I could never be good at it because of my height and weight. Watching this video showed me that there are various techniques that can be used to make the grand jete appear more like youre floating, instead of what I feel I look like, which is uncoordinated. The video heavily emphasizes the idea of a parabolic arc and its peak. When you leap, you are creating a parabolic arc with your body. In order to get the appearance that you are flying, you must fully extend into a split at the peak of your arc. Another thing to keep in mind is keeping your head and torso upright. It will give the illusion that you are jumping higher. I know for myself I still need to work on pli-ing before I jump, and when I land, and work on fully extending my legs. However, I know now that when I am able to achieve those things, if I can work to extend at the peak of my arc I too can look like I am flying.The next concept I have chosen to discuss is rotational velocity. The video talks about how friction and position of arms and legs can affect a turn. If you turn in attitude a la seconde, you will go much slower than when in pass because it creates more friction. While I wish I could, I cannot do more than the basic pirouette, however I can use this concept in remembering to attach my foot in pass instead of letting fly all around. I can also make sure my arms are in a tight and low first position. In doing so, I will be able to increase my rotational velocity.The last concept I have chosen to discuss is fouette turns. Sadly, I cannot do these but they are one of my favorite dance moves to watch. I really enjoyed learning about how the momentum is carried to maintain the fouette turns. I also found it interesting how the dancer must switch from releve to being flat on their foot when they face the audience. Also how use their working leg, bringing it out to a la seconde in order to slow their momentum when they are facing the audience. While I am not doing fouettes in class, I can apply the idea of slowing my momentum in the turning combination we have in class. At the part where we do a single turn and then land with the working foot out in tendu, if I think about lowering to a flat foot before I lower my working foot I may be able to find and maintain my balance with more ease. Overall, watching this video helped me understand that dance isnt just about the ability to move gracefully. There are certain physical and mathematical concepts and techniques behind dance moves that a dancer must understand in order to execute a dance move.