Ronde de Jambe

The ‘Ronde de Jambe’ is a very important movement in almost all dance forms, but can look very restrained unless you add some Middle Eastern touches. Begin in a neutral position with hips shoulder-width apart and pelvis tucked under. Bring your right leg straight out in front of you, pointing your toe, flexing the right quad to keep the right knee straight and locked. Now move the leg around, counter-clockwise to the right side and then to the back, keeping your quad flexed and toe pointed. Now for the Middle Eastern flavour: drag your leg back under your hips, keeping the knee locked and toe pointed right until your leg is almost back to a normal standing position  You’ll notice that this causes you to roll your right hip forward then up. To complete the movement, allow your knee to bend and bring the toes through, allowing the hip to roll back and finish by tucking the pelvis under to begin again on the other side.

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