SAUTÉ

Sauté is a ballet term referring to a “jump”*. Many ballet positions are commonly done as a sauté, such as sauté in first, second, and fifth, sauté arabesque, and sauté passé. The first jumps of class will often include sautés in the basic positions of first, second, and fourth because these can easily be done as a warm-up for larger jumps. Sautés are less complicated jumps without any foot switches, and they appear frequently in choreography. Sautés are very adaptable and can stay in one place, travel, or be jumped higher or lower depending on their use. You might be surprised by how many sautés there are if you count all of them in a classical variation! 

Sautés directly translate from the technique you apply to a relevé in the corresponding position. A relevé arabesque will use the exact technique you need for a sauté arabesque. The only difference is the necessary push-off through the bottom leg to jump and disconnect from the floor. Because a jump requires even more energy and lift, it’s very important to know exactly the position you want to show in the air and keep that position strong as you sauté. It’s a great idea to practice relevés in the sauté positions to get used to correct placement before jumping. Remember, a sauté isn’t just about how high you jump, it’s primarily meant to show a clean and beautiful position in the air. 

It’s very common for the arms to drift out of alignment and the shoulders to lift up in a sauté because they want to “help” the jump go higher. Make sure the arms stay relative to the rest of the body, and the shoulders stay down. It’s also very helpful to think of the lower body creating the force in the jump, and the upper body staying as relaxed and lifted as possible. Put all the tension into your jump push off and think of the energy traveling all the way out through your toes. A sauté is about the whole picture, so make sure to point your toes fully until you reach the ground again. 

For sautés followed by other sautés, such as in small jump combinations, it’s extremely important not to shorten or stop the plié at the end of each sauté. It’s beneficial to use the power from your plié landing to rebound into the next sauté, which will keep your jumps consistently strong. Remember to lengthen and rotate through the whole leg, just like in a relevé. 

Sautés appear so often in ballet it’s sometimes easy to forget just how fun and exciting they can be. Each sauté is an opportunity to show the technique and placement of ballet while also getting to fly through the air for a moment!

Have a wonderful Technique Thursday!

*source: ballethub.com