So last night I was working on one of my competition solos. It is for a 12 year old boy and it is modern/contemporary. In the past I have never choreographed fuetes...at first becuase we just weren't strong enough, but then because i was seeing them everywhere and just felt that they were overused. Well, last night, I found myself working some into the choreography for this solo. So many times in the past i have found myself saying...that was a great modern dance, until they did the fuetes.

And now here I am....

So my question is, are fuets as old and overused as I think they are, or do they still serve a purpose? This kid is doing Cosmic Dancer by Trex from the billy elliot movie...which is about ballet. He is doing the turns in a la seconde and is very good at them. He only does a couple into a pirouette, so it is not like the 135 we see at comp and then the song ends.

what do you think?

I'm an idiot. i thought the other one didn't post, so I put up a second one. Let's ignore this one and just post on the other one. Does anyone know how to get rid of this one?

Lock this post to avoid any confusion . I would also PM the mods and see if they can delete it but I don't know what criteria it has to meet to be "deletable".

I say don't worry! It is true that people overuse them, but if your dancer is only doing a couple, it's no biggie...not like they are everywhere in the dance and people will get tired of them, you know? Best of luck, I struggle with these exact same kinds of things, so I am right there with you!

I think teachers and judges (and perhaps some audience members) do see them as overused. But, I know when my dancers finally have mastered them, it's almost like a rite of passage that they have them in their dance. Kinda like, "Hey, look at me! I can do them!" I think to students is a big deal. At least mine.

missfitz2 wrote:

He only does a couple into a pirouette

There's nothing wrong with that. For modern I rarely use them too, but a couple wouldn't hurt.

I have the same problem. I am doing a group piece to the monologue at the end of American Beauty. There is NO WHERE to put them that would be relevant, without it seeming as though I am trying to bump their score up. It seems as though they are thrown in the dances to score points. It's kinda ridiculous, being that dancing isnt always about the tricks you can do.

If you believe that they serve a purpose (and I can see the dance in my head with knowing the movie)I think they would be relevant and serve a purpose. And being that there are only a few (and hes a boy!!!!) I dont think it will be overwhelming at all. If it kills you to see them while he is rehearsing, then take them out. The dance has to please you...and you will hate yourself if you are constantly watching it and cringing during that part.

Hope this helped!