Audition Tips - Competitions and Solos

Audition Tips - Competitions and Solos

Odette,

I would like to ask you, do you have any tips for maintaining very fast, clean courus? Also, do you know of any ballet competitions in England that I could attend and any very unique, unusual variations that i could perform?

Orla

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Reply by Odette
To:- Audition Tips - Competitions and Solos

Hi Orla,
Thanks for your message! Lovely picture too.

To start off, here's a quick definition of Couru from my ballet terms page-

Couru (koo-REW) Running. For example, pas de bourrée couru.

It is a tricky step, which is especially used a lot for female ballet dancers in pointe shoes.I can't tell you how many pas de bourrée couru I have performed in corps de ballet work/ choreography/ shows. So, it is good to master this step early on!

Depending on your feet, it comes more easily for some dancers than others. If you have very high insteps and flexible feet, it is harder to keep control and move very fast.

Yet it is challenging for every dancer, so here are some tips to maintain very fast, clean courus-

* Keep your legs active and engaged! I mean your WHOLE legs too - right from the very top (glutes) and through down to the very tips of your toes. This will keep the muscles tight to go faster in the couru.

* The quicker your move your feet, the easier the step will become. I know, it's very hard to couru fast especially if you have to travel, but if you slow down or lack the energy in your legs then it will feel even harder!

* Think about the whole picture, so don't forget the importance of your upper body. Engage your core and keep the right posture to help master the steps in the legs.

Here's a very useful youtube link of a ballet dancer from the Royal Ballet demonstrating bourrée en couru. Take a look for yourself! -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX4y-YNlybE&noredirect=1

I know of several ballet competitions that are based in England, which I will give you the names of now. You can research yourself further online - just type the name into google and you will find tons more infomation.

1. Molly Lake Award
2. Young British Dancer of the Year (YBDY)
3. Cecchetti Classical Ballet
4. Genée International Ballet Competition

I know most of these competitions will have certain requirements and/or be linked to an institution, so it is defintely worth taking some time to find out more about each one.

I am also pretty sure that each competition will give some sort of list or solo that each dancer has to learn and perform if they are to enter. Otherwise, I would say the solos that suit your personal stengths and what you feel confident in are always the best ones to peform. It doesn't neccessarily have to be flashy or 'show off'. It is to show your unique dancing quality and performance edge, which is unlike any other dancer.

It is great you have moved on and looking forward in a positive approach to discover NEW things & what more you could be challenged on! That is what I like to hear!! Keep in touch.

Best wishes,
Odette