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To do a dip curtsey, f rom a standing position, place your feet at a 90 degree angle with one foot’s heel meeting the other foot’s arch. Lower your head and bend your knees while holding your skirt (or pants) out for the bow. This is usually done as a quick dip.
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- Performing a Simple Curtsy
- Performing Other Types of Curtsies
- Posture Etiquette
Curtsying may seem simple, but it takes a proper lady to execute a proper curtsy. Curtsying used to be commonplace in everyday life, but nowadays it is reserved for members of European royalty, along with very specific occasions such as debutante balls and ballet recitals. That said, it’s still an elegant and timeless greeting that makes an invaluable addition to any lady’s etiquette. We’ll show you how to do a simple, traditional curtsy like the royals do, then a few other styles to cover your bases. We’ll also show you how to stand, walk, and sit like a lady, because etiquette doesn’t stop at the curtsy.
Lower your chin, but maintain eye contact with the person you’re curtsying for. If your skirt is long, hold it between your forefingers and thumbs.
Place your right foot about 4–8 inches (10–20 cm) behind and to the left of your left foot. Then slowly bend your knees and lower yourself about 4–6 inches (10–15 cm).
Hold that position for about 1 second, then slowly and gracefully straighten your knees and return to a standing posture, with your back straight.
Lower your chin and maintain eye contact.
Bend your head forward at a slight, 45-degree angle, as if giving an exaggerated, respectful nod.
Not too far, though; avoid pressing your chin to your chest, or looking at your feet. Maintain this position throughout the curtsy.
Perform this curtsy any time you’d like to show respect to someone else in a formal setting, such as before dancing with a partner, or meeting a partner’s parents at a banquet or gala.
Hold your skirt if it reaches your ankles.
In modern times, it isn't usually necessary to hold your skirt while you curtsy. Instead, simply place your hands at your sides, and a little bit out from your hips if you need to balance.
Extend your right foot forward, then draw it in a wide circle behind your left, resting on the ball of the foot. Keeping your back straight and your head lowered, bend your knees outward. Bow your head slightly and keep lowering yourself down until your right knee almost touches the ground. Stay in that position for 1-2 seconds, then slowly raise yourself back to an upright position.
Do this curtsy after performing for an audience, or to thank attendees for coming when hosting a formal event.
This is a somewhat antiquated curtsy used to show respect and deference to members of royalty, usually from European countries.
Begin with your heels together and your toes pointed out. Take a step to your right, place your right foot behind your left, and bend your knees with your arms out. Then, step to your left, and perform another curtsy like the first.
Stand with your spine straight and chin tucked back.
Standing like a lady is all about being as tall as possible. Pretend there’s a string tied to the top of your head, and that it’s gently pulling you upward. Keep your shoulders back to align your spine.
In addition, tense your abs inward to help keep your midsection straight.
Hold your hands behind your back, or clasped in front of your with your elbows slightly bent.
Walk with long strides, stepping with one foot in front of the other.
pretend you’re walking on a balance beam, and keep each stride a little more than the length of 1 foot in front of you. There’s no need for fancy struts, but if you feel up to it, swing your hips just a little bit along with the natural shift of your weight as you walk.
Feb 13, 2019 · Reverence typically looks like a bow or curtsy, and it is the last exercise of a ballet class, in which the ballet dancers pay respect to and acknowledge the teacher and accompanist. It is also a bow or curtsy after a performance to acknowledge the applause of the crowd.
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Today this practice has become less common. In Victorian courts, the curtsy was done as a signal for courtship availability, and social status dominance or submissiveness, in order to be successful socially. [3] Further, some female domestic workers curtsy for their employers. The "Texas dip" is an extreme curtsy performed by a Texan debutante ...
Aug 23, 2019 · Mehler also calls for additional bows depending upon each audience’s applause. “Stage management will judge that and tell us what to do,” says Pollack. For as much work as goes into learning a ballet, most dancers first curtsy and bow by watching one another. “I was never officially taught how to bow,” says Pollack.
Aug 26, 2024 · The old-fashioned curtsy, a word that derives from “courtesy”, dates to the Middle Ages and the association of the curtsy with young ladies, rather than gentlemen, can be traced back to the 17th century.
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Mar 6, 2019 · A reverence at the end of a class usually includes a small port de bras that ends in a bow or curtsy. A grande reverence is elaborately performed by a dancer that includes a port de bras often gesturing to the audience and their partner (if a pas de deux is involved) to show their appreciation. Ballet: Les Sylphides (Chopiniana)
