A split leap or split jump is a sequence of body movements in which a person assumes a
split position after leaping or
jumping from the floor, respectively, while still in the air. Split leaps and split jumps are both found in various genres of
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
including
acro,
ballet and
jazz dance, and in
gymnastics. Split jumps may also serve as a form of
exercise
Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.
It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...
, and the term ''split jump'' is also commonly used to describe similar body movements in
figure skating.
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Types
Some types of split leaps and jumps are named according to the type of split that is performed, while others may use nomenclature associated with specific dance genres. For example, a ''straddle'' (sometimes called ''side'') split leap incorporates a straddle split, with legs extended symmetrically to the sides, whereas a
grand jeté, which involves a front split, derives its name from ballet terminology. A ''stag split leap'' is a split leap in which one knee is bent, whereas both knees are bent in a ''double stag split leap''.
File:Chenxin Liu - Don Quichotte, Kitri - Prix de Lausanne 2010-7 edit.jpg, A ballerina performing a ''grand jeté''.
File:NwFusionAngelaLeap.jpg, ''Stag split leap''.
Technique
Split leaps and split jumps require significant flexibility and strength. Flexibility and strength are both needed to attain a split position without the aid of external leg support. Also, in order to remain airborne while in the split position, strength is needed to propel the body upward with sufficient
kinetic energy to compensate for the loss of vertical
momentum
In Newtonian mechanics, momentum (more specifically linear momentum or translational momentum) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. If is an object's mass an ...
that results from raising the legs into a split position while airborne.
In dance, the perceived quality of a split leap or split jump depends in large part on the application of various
dance techniques. In particular, emphasis is often placed on pointing the feet while airborne, especially during the split, so as to extend the leg lines. Also, proper technique (''i.e.,''
best practice) typically calls for straight legs (except in ''stag'' variations) and a full split position at the
apex of the leap or jump.
Ballon
Ballon may refer to:
Places
* Ballon, County Carlow (''Balana'' in Irish), a village in Ireland
*Grand Ballon, the apex of the Vosges Mountains in France
*Ballon, Charente-Maritime, France
*Ballon, Sarthe, France
Others
* Ballon (ballet), the ap ...
, which is the appearance of effortless and weightless movement, is another important aesthetic.
Ballet
In ballet the leap, called a ''grand jeté'' in
ballet terminology begins with a grand
battement. Ballet demands that knees are stretched and feet are pointed when performing the jump. One variation of the jump colloquially called the "Plisetakaya head kick" after
Bolshoi ''prima ballerina assoluta''
Maya Plisetskaya is a jump with the front leg tilted downward and a full backbend.
[Eric N. Franklin, Dance Imagery for Technique and Performance, Human Kinetics (1996) p.290.]
See also
*
Split jump (figure skating)
*
Split jump (exercise)
References
{{Dance
Dance moves
Gymnastics elements