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Show THEOR Y OF THEATRICAL DANCING. 85 lose its natural shape, and rolls backwards and forwards, from the great to the little toe ; this sort of wavering motion, caused by the convexity of the toes, when in that position, impedes all stability, and by the vacillation of the instep the equilibrium is entirely lost. Let your body be steadily fixed on your legs before you begin to do your pirouettes, (see fig. 3, plate VII), and place your arms in such a position as to give additional force to the impulse that sends you round, as also to act as a balance to counterpoise every part of your body as it revolves on your toes. Previous to the commencement of a pirouette, either from the inside or outside, the dancer may pause in any sort of attitude or arabesque in which he pleases to end his enchainement. But the positions best suited to its preparation, and that are generally chosen, on account of the body being already upright on the legs, are the positions represented in fig. 3, 4, and 5, plate I; fig. 4, plate IV ; fig. 1, and 4, plate V ; fig. 1, plate V I ; and fig. 1, plate VIII. The usual attitudes adopted in the performance of pirouettes are that of the second position, (see fig. 1, plate VI), that of the attitude of fig. 1, plate VIII, and on the instep (fig. 4, plate IX). But why should dancers be so limited as that in the position of the body during the performance of their pirouettes ? W h e n an artist has once acquired an easy method of revolving on his toes, a little exercise will soon enable him to turn in an arabesque, or any other different attitude. I was one of the first to go out of the common track in this respect, and possessing much facility in the performance of pirouettes, I obtained some success in the new kind that I invented, one of which is done in the following manner :-turn three times round in the second position, then place the leg 6 |