Video transcript
NSW Public Schools State Dance Ensembles – Audition 2022 – primary students yrs 4-6 in 2022 – (Millie’s Video Option 2)

[intro music]

MILLIE SLENNETT: Hi, dancers. Welcome to your 2022 State Dance Ensemble audition. My name is Millie, and I'm going to be taking you through a movement sequence today. We're going to get straight into things. We're working with a 4-count. We're going to start with our feet in parallel. You're going to hold the first 2 counts of 4.

On the third count of 4-- so we've held 1, 2, 3, 4, 2, 2, 3, 4. So on the third count of 4, you're going to lean out to your right and make a sharp angle-- 1. On 2, you're going to releve up and extend your left arm. On 3, 4, you're going to transfer your weight into your left leg. We scoot along that line to make a really nice shape. This back hand is invisible.

From here, you're going to pull up into the terre, you're going to passe it to the back. As we do this, my right hand comes across my chest, I transfer down, and then I'm going to rock back and forward. As I do my rock back and forward, my arms are going to go scoop and down. So I rock back and forward. This is a preparation for a turn, so make sure you're really grounded in that left leg.

From the top, we've got hold, 2, 3, 4, and 2, 2, 3, 4 to go. 3, 2, 3, 4. You pull up, 1, 2, shift, 3, 4. Good, one more time. 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 2, 3, 4 to go 3, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4.

From here, we're going to turn. You're going to extend your right leg out to the side in parallel. My arms come up to here as I turn. So from here, 3, 4. I turn 1, 2. I'm not going to put that right foot down, I'm going to step onto it.

So we turn 1, 2. You're going to step out, 3, 4. Blades for hands. You plie and rond de jambe. 1, 2, scoot back, 3, 4. You transfer your weight back and forward again, this time interlocking your hands.

All of that again. So hold, 2, 3, 4 and 2, 2, 3, 4 to go 3, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, turn, 1, 2, 3, 4. Slice, 1, 2, back, 3, 4. Let your head go on that.

Moving on, we're going to come down into a nice, juicy plie into second. You're going to let your head scoops, so 3, 4 to go. 1, 2. You end up squared off to the left side with your right foot in front. Beautiful.

From here, you're going to grab your wrist-- so this goes 1, 2, you're going to lean back, 3-- so really push that elbow back-- 4, and you look to the front. So this goes scoop, 1, 2 to go 3, 4, and. Beautiful, from the top. 6, 7, 8. We go 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4, and.

From here, you're going to ripple, starting in your hips or your legs, and you do a little voom up and through. So you let that really ricochet through your body. From here, 3, 4. This goes 1, 2-- you're going to release your hands. On 3, 4, you start extending. This is your own little around the world. You have a little floating moment, so I want you to really go for it. So we've got 1, 2, release, 3, 4. You have another full count of 4 to keep flowing. 1, 2, 3, 4.

After that, you're going to transfer your weight onto your right. I'll move back so don't kick my back door. 2, 3, 4. We scoop under, over the top. You're going to reach out into a nice flattitude with that left leg nice and straight-- and not straight, it's bent, but out to the side. And our arms are also following out to the side. So then scoop down, you fondue, and then you stretch.

Let's recap. So, hold 1, 2, 3, 4, and 2, 2, 3, 4 to go 3, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Slice, 1, 2, back, 3, 4 to go 1, 2, 3, 4. And 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Scoop, 1, 2, hold, 3, 4.

From here, you're going to pull up. You're going to grab your left leg and knock in, 1, and 2. So you grab, right, left. So here, 3, 4. We scoop into a retire, 1, and 2. And I really throw my body forward with that. So finding my flatitude here, I bring it in, 1, and 2. So I land there, but facing the front. 1 and 2.

From here, you're going to open everything. My hands trace over my shoulders, and 2 to go 3, 4-- start to plie, 4. I'm going back a little bit so you can see me. So 1 and 2, scoop, 3, 4. You land down. We're going to release the right leg. 1, 2, you bring it into here. You're going to do a little scoot around towards the back to back to facing the front on our knees. Using our left hand, you scoot around the corner, 3, 4, and then land here.

I am very mindful that we're working in small spaces for a lot of us, so hence why I've chosen to do it in a small space to make it work for you. Right. Revisit that from-- we've just landed-- we've done our turn. 1, 2, 3, 4, slice, 1, 2, back, 3, 4 to go 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Scoop, 1, 2, 3, 4. This goes on 1 and 2, 3, 4. Scoop, 1, 2, cut, 3, 4. And we land on our knees facing the front.

Moving on, from here, we've landed 3, 4. This goes hand up your chest, 1. As I do that, I kind of rise with my chest. 1, 2. I have my palm facing the ceiling. 1, 2. I roll my right hand, 3, 4. I extend that up to that top diagonal. Try and open your chest up as much as you can to the front.

So we've got you arrive 3, 4. You have 1, 2, 3, 4. You bring your hands in, 1, open them, and on 2, you're going to catch by taking your left hand across your right shoulder. So this goes 1 and 2. So you slice your right hand out to that front left diagonal, and our left hand shoots across our shoulder.

Again, so we arrive 3, 4. This goes on 1, 2, 3, 4, 1 and 2. From here, you're going to slice across your chest. You're going to put your left hand out, 3, 4, and you drop it behind you.

Either have this foot pointed and you're really leaning back or on a false arch. I personally appreciate seeing the pointed foot, so slice across-- boom. And that's like a blade down here-- 3, 4. So 1, 2, 3, 4. 1 and 2, 3, 4.

Just to finish off this little sequence, you're going to stand up by following your hand. 1, 2, 3, 4, and you look straight to the front on 4 nice and sharp. So 2, 3, 4. Come up, 1, 2, 3, 4. Nice.

OK, all that from the top. Ready? 1, 2, 3, 4 and 2 2, 3, 4 to go 3, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Turn, 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1, 2, 3, 4. Move, 1, 2, 3, 4. Scoop, 1, 2, 3, 4. 1 and 2, 3, 4. Around, 1, 2, scoot, 3, 4 to go 1, 2, 3, 4. 1 and 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Beautiful, OK. My goodness, I'm out of breath.

Moving on from there, we're going to step around towards the back, 3, 4. Now, depending on your space, be super careful. You're going to step 1, open up into a nice attitude line, 2-- better than I did, my wall's very close. So you've got 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. You're going to land in a nice pirouette position-- pirouette-prep position, sorry-- ready to turn.

So we've gone 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Bring that down nice and controlled. You have 4 counts to turn. Either take the full 4 counts, show us how many times you can get in that-- otherwise, I want you to go for your control and then show us a really nice, stable landing out of it. So 4 counts to turn. So we've got 1, 2, 3, 4. Turn, 1 2, 3, 4.

When you land-- 3, 4-- you're going to take your body, contract as if someone's got a rope attached to your back, 3, 4. You're going to be pulled to this back corner. 1 and 2, you fall back left to right as big as you can. 3, 4, you're going to pull 1 and 2. Good.

From here, again, space-dependent. You're either going to go for full, contemporary roll stepping on our left, you're going to collapse down, keep everything connected to the floor, and then stand up to face the front. If you don't have room for a full contemporary turn, we're going to spin on our bottom. So we go pull back 1 and 2, you'll go 3, 4. Stand up, 1, 2, 3, 4. Yeah, so either on your back or on your bottom.

Once we send up from there, you're going to have a little wishy-washy moment where we get pulled to the right, pulled to the left. So we've got 1, 2, 3, 4. It's quite loose. You can decide which part of your body gets pulled where first. It's just 1, 2 counts one way, 3, 4 the other way, as big or as subtle as you like. 1, 2, 3, 4.

From here, you're going to slide back with your right foot, and your right hand comes down to our thigh. 1, 2, 3, 4. So our foot won't go, slide back on our right. Boom. Ball change, then your right leg sashays through to the front. Our hands go on to our thigh, 1. On 2, on the ball change, it comes back and over. Then you scoop that right hand at the same time that the right foot comes forward.

So we've just rolled 1, 2, up, 3, 4 to go 1, 2, 3, 4. This goes 1 and 2, 3, 4. And you land in a nice, neat lunge. Beautiful.

Backtrack for me from where we stood up off the floor. So 1, 2, 3, look, 4. We go 1, 2, 3, 4. Turn, 1, 2, 3, 4. Pull, 1 and 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. Shift 1, 2, pull, 3, 4 to go 1 and 2, 3, 4. Beautiful.

Moving on, you're going to ball change out into a nice, wide second-- 1, 2. You're going to pull up-- 3, 4. Now, you can use either your left or your right. You can take the extension to the front, the side, the back, totally up to you. We are looking for your control and your performance qualities, so think nice, clean lines rather than a big whack of a kick. Yeah, we appreciate flexibility, but it needs to be matched with control and stability.

So we've got 1, 2-- for right now, I'm going to just use my left leg. 1, 2, I pull up, I go for a nice, extended line, make a nice shape. You're going to recover to terre, and then you come down to parallel and you just kind of sway to finish off that sequence.

I'm going to walk through that start to finish one more time for you all. We go hold, 1m 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2 2, 3, 4 to go 3, 2, 3, 4. Pull up, 1, 2, 3, 4. Turn, 1, 2, out, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1, 2, release, 3, 4. Float, 1, 2, 3, 4. Up, 1, 2, 3, 4. 1 and 2, 3, 4.

1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 5. 1 and 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, look, 4 to go 1, 2, 3, 4. Pull up, turn, 2, 3, 4. Shift, 1 and 2, 3, 4. Roll, 1, 2, 3, 4. Go pull, 2, pull, 3, 4. This goes 1 and 2, 3, 4. Ball change, 2, 3, 4. Finish it off, finish it off.

[music playing]

OK, so that is it for part one. And that is for our juniors and our primaries. So piece all that together, rewind this as many times as you need to get the hang of it, and then watch the run with music as well for timing. Good luck.