A split leap or split jump is a sequence of body movements in which a person assumes a

split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...

position after leaping or

jumping Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotics, robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, gallo ...

from the floor, respectively, while still in the air. Split leaps and split jumps are both found in various genres of dance including

acro Acro or ACRO may refer to: * Acro dance, a dance style that combines classical dance technique with acrobatics * Acro Sport, an aircraft manufacturer * Grob 103 Twin II Acro, a sailplane manufactured by Grob Aircraft * ACRO Acro or ACRO may refe ...

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

and

jazz dance Jazz dance is a performance dance and style that arose in the United States in the mid 20th century. Jazz dance may allude to vernacular jazz about to Broadway or dramatic jazz. The two types expand on African American vernacular styles of danc ...

, and in

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

. Split jumps may also serve as a form of exercise, and the term ''split jump'' is also commonly used to describe similar body movements in

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are m ...

. __TOC__

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 Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and co ...

, 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 In physics, the kinetic energy of an object is the energy that it possesses due to its motion. It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acc ...

to compensate for the loss of vertical momentum 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 A best practice is a method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to other known alternatives because it often produces results that are superior to those achieved by other means or because it has become a standard way of doing ...

) typically calls for straight legs (except in ''stag'' variations) and a full split position at the

apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex, ...

of the leap or jump. Ballon, 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 Because ballet became formalized in France, a significant part of ballet terminology is in the French language. A À la seconde () (Literally "to second") If a step is done "à la seconde," it is done to the side. 'Second position'. It can als ...

begins with a grand

battement In ballet, battement () is an alternating side-to-side movement of the working (non-supporting) leg. Battements are typically performed in multiples, quickly and in rapid succession so that the working foot appears to be fluttering or vibrating. ...

. 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 Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya (russian: link=no, Майя Михайловна Плисецкая; 20 November 1925 – 2 May 2015) was a Soviet and Russian ballet dancer, choreographer, ballet director, and actress. In post-Soviet times, she he ...

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.

References

{{Dance Dance moves Gymnastics elements

Types

Technique

Ballet

See also

References