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Show 80 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE. and tlie arms in the arabesque attitude shown by fig. 4, plate X , and give three or four more turns in that attitude, ending it in the same. W h e n this pirouette is correctly performed it has a very graceful effect. Another very beautiful pirouette, which I also invented, is this :-having turned a few times in the second position, change it into that of the arabesque represented in fig. 3, plate X I ; stretch out your body, and incline it forwards as much as possible, whilst your head and arms gracefully follow its motion. This pirouette has something in it of a magical appearance, for as the body leans so much over, and seems on the point of falling at each turn of the pirouette, one might think there was an invisible power that supported the dancer, who counterbalances his eccentricity from the line of gravity by the positions of his arms and leg, and the great rapidity of his motions. I believe this pirouette to be the most difficult that can be performed. I have sometimes tjurned in the attitude of fig. 4, plate VIII, which is a pirouette of much gracefulness, and produces a good effect ; the angular positions of tlie right arm giving it a peculiar brilliancy. It may be made much use of in a pas de caractere. O n one occasion, performing the part of Mercury, I took, as I turned in m y pirouette, the attitude of the statue ofiMercury by J. Bologne. (See fig. 1, plate IX.) This fine position is very difficult to stand in. Unless a dancer is naturally arched he never can do it well, and the pirouette loses all its effect. T h e body must lean forward, and the right arm develope itself almost entirely. The leg that is in attitude must be bent, and by its motion accompany the rounding contour of the position of the body. To render this attitude yet more graceful, let the dancer stretch out his left arm, in which the caduceus is held ; this takes off the angle at his elbows that it would otherwise present, |