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Show 62 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE. The close-legged dancer must endeavour, as much as possible, to separate the parts that are too nearly united. To succeed in these attempts, let him, in the first place, turn his thighs outwards, and move them in this position, which he is enabled to do by the freedom of the rotatory movement of the os femoris in the cotyloid cavity of the hip bones. The knees, assisted by this movement, will follow the same direction, and at length get into their right place. The rotula, which hinders the knee from bending backwards, will then fall perpendicularly on the point of the foot; and the thighs and legs at last become perfectly straight, and firmly maintain the stability of the trunk. In the second place, he ought to keep a continual flexion in the articulation of his knees, and make his legs appear much extended, without being so in reality. This is the work of time and practice. Having once acquired the habit, it will be almost impossible to make the legs return to their primitive vicious situation, without the most painful and insufferable efforts. The bow-legged dancer must also try to diminish the vacuum between his legs, by drawing them as close as possible to each other. It is as requisite to him as to the close-legged one, to practise moving his thighs outwards. H e should, moreover, keep his knees in constant extension, that they may thereby acquire pliancy and softness, and thus conceal his natural stiffness; yet a dancer of this kind can never succeed in the serious or heroic branch; he should, therefore, devote himself to the demi-caractere, or I would advise him rather to embrace the pastoral, and study its characteristic steps. The close-legged dancer is tolerably well adapted to the serious and demi-caractere; and is, in general, far more skilful than the preceding ; his execution is easier, his movements more delicate, natural and graceful; but |