Theresa D'Alessandro: Hi I am Theresa D'Alessandro, the Director of the School of Theatrical Dance. We're sharing with you some of the basics techniques of contemporary dance. Today's dance lesson is going to be about Retirs that is drawing one toe up to the dancer's knee and balancing. This is an important concept considering the dancer spend a lot of time balancing on one foot. The girls are standing in parallel first position, they are going to draw the right toe up to the knee at the same time bring the opposite arm forward balance briefly, slide the foot back down and repeat on the other leg, up, two and balancing coming down one more right, up, two and down two, on the left, two and lower and let's turn it out, rotation from the hip socket, arms are in second position, the girls will tilt the body to the left as the right toe is drawn up to the left knee and tilt, two and then step down, bringing the body's center and raise the left toe to the right knee and tilt and center and repeat, Retir with the tilt and center, centering it. You will see their focus going over the lower hand, the arms are staying at a 45 degree angle and Retir angle, two and center two and left two and center two.

In our next contemporary dance segment we are going to learn about full leg extension to 90 degrees.