Chocolate Fondu, a Book and a Cup of Tea

For many people this will sound like the ideal combination on a rainy autumnal day! A book to read, a nice warm cuppa and a chocolate fondu with strawberries and marshmallows for dipping-yum!

For me these three objects have another use -I use them when I am talking to dancers about balance. Fondu is a smoothly coordinated bending and stretching movement of both the supporting and the working leg. It requires great strength and balance and appears to look as if the legs are melting just like a chocolate fondu! Anybody who has been in my classes will know that I love comparing food to dance steps and this one is one of my favourites because it really helps students to perform the movement softly. The cup of tea is great when talking to dancers about relevé or rises. The idea of balancing on a rise long enough to take a sip of tea helps students to stay up longer. Finally, the book is all about poise. Asking dancers to imagine balancing a book on their head whilst performing classical walks helps them to lift their eyes from the floor and gain a sense of performance.

I hope you enjoyed these little secrets and get a chance to make a tasty chocolate fondu this weekend.