Reversing myself - and you!

Hello beautiful dancers!

How can it be March 2023 already? My last blog post was in September of 2022! Wasn't that last week?

Reader: So what brings you to Blogger now, Leigh? Why are you writing a post instead of sharing a photo of your cute dog on Instagram?

It can be only one thing: I have stuff to say!

(Or maybe that's FFUTS since I'm reversing everything. )

Recently I have been reversing center combinations in my beginner and intermediate classes. Even my basic classes will reverse the tendu combination. I hear a lot of moans and groans from dancers when I announce, "Now let's reverse it!"

But there are many reasons why it's good to reverse combinations. Let's discuss!

"Hurry, Diptych" courtesy Cobalt123, CC lic

1. It's good for your brain.

Seriously, this is the best reason. How many times do we perform a combination like glissade jete, jete, assemble? Oh you could do it in your sleep! But when you reverse it, doing the steps under (dessous) instead of over (dessus), your brain has to work a bit harder to get your feet to comply. It has to ask, "what is glissade? what is jete? what is assemble?"

2. It's good for our technique.

Admit it: there are things you do that are a bit messy. You don't always brush the floor when you jete; you don't close fifth cleanly on sissonne ferme. But when you reverse, you give your technique a check-up. In some cases, when steps are especially tricky, you have to break them down into their individual parts.

3. It's good for creating choreography.

If you choreograph, having the ability to reverse a step or combination gives you infinitely more possibilities to build dances.

4. It's good for picking up choreography.

If you perform, knowing how to reverse steps can help you break down and learn choreography you're given. A dancer who doesn't know it's possible to reverse a temps de cuisse sissonne will be scratching their head trying to figure out what they're doing!

5. It's a good challenge for all levels.

So you think only advanced dancers should be reversing combinations? Think again! Everyone should learn! In fact, I don't understand why we don't teach jete under when we teach jete over. It's kind of like dancing only from right to left, or vice versa. 

5A. It helps eliminate allegro anxiety.

Much like pirouette anxiety, many dancers suffer from allegro anxiety. They freeze when it comes to small jumps, fearful of speed and the many direction changes that are often in quick combos. But mastering how to reverse steps helps give them that much more control over what they are doing, more confidence that they can do the allegro. It feels so good when you can reverse a combination. Like you've unlocked a secret door.

Bonus: It's fun!

Happy dancing! !gnicnad yppaH