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Show 102 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE. for were he gifted with the rarest talent he can never become perfect, but by incessant application and study. OF THE TEMS. W e call terns a movement of the leg. Of the Pas. The pas denotes the various manners of arranging one's steps in walking or in leaping, either as he moves in front or turns round. It generally means a combination of steps arranged to some musical air: thus we say such a one made a beautiful pas on such a chaccone, such a gigue. Pas are often combined for the performance of two or more persons; pas de deux,pas de trots, quatre, cinq, $c. OF THE LESSON. The combination of elementary exercises, and of the principal steps of dancing is what is usually termed the lesson. The learner first exercises himself in bending his knees in all the positions, in the practice of grands et petits battemens, the rond-de-jambes on the ground and in the air, the petits battemens on the instep, &c. Afterwards come the terns de courante simples et composes, the coupe's a la premi&e, a la seconde, et composes, the attitudes, the grands rond-de-jambes, terns de chaccone, the grands fouettis, facing and revolving, the quart-de-tour, the pas de Bourrie and the various movements of different kinds of pirouettes. These exercises tend to form a good dancer, and afford him means of obtaining success. The lesson concludes by the practice of pirouettes, of terns terra-a-terre, and terns de vigueur. But after the pupil is enabled to perform all the exercises which the lesson comprehends, he does not yet attain that end which he in the beginning hoped to reach. To become a finished dancer he must divest himself of that school-boy appearance which necessarily hangs about him, |
