The 5 Basic Jumps You'll Learn in Dance Classes

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When you watch professional dancers leap and bound across the stage, it can seem like there are a million different jumps that you will have to master in dance classes. Intimidating, right?

Well, looks can be deceiving. Because all of us only have two feet. In reality, there are only five possible jump combinations that a dancer can do: one foot to the same foot, one foot to the other foot, one foot to two feet, two feet to one foot, and two feet to one foot.

Doesn’t seem quite so hard now, does it? To make it even easier, we’re going to take a look at each one.

One foot to the same foot. Technically, this is a hop instead of a jump, because hops happen on one leg. For the sake of this post though, we’re looking at it as a jump. Simply put, you take off on one leg and land on the same one. “One to same” hops include:

· Cabriole

· Heel clicks

· Over the tops

· Temps levé or Step-hop

· Over the log

· Leg jumps

· Fouetté sauté

One foot to the other foot. This category includes both the longer leaps that we’re all familiar with from dance classes as well as exaggerated runs and bounds.

· Barrel turns

· Calypso leaps

· Glissade

· Petit jeté

· Straddle or Russian leaps

· Tour jeté

· Pas de basque (first part)

One foot to two feet. When you do this kind of jump in dance class, it will likely be as an assemblé, where your legs come together in mid-air. These can be big or small, and done in parallel or turned out.

Two feet to one foot. This is typically a small jump that starts on two feet and ends with one leg in sur le cou-de-pied. However, in contemporary dance, it’s a basic jump that can be done in a number of ways.

· Sissone

· Faille

Two feet to two feet. Frequently a small vertical jump, this one is also known as the bunny hop and is often the first kind of jump that kids learn. It can be done while moving or standing still and encompasses many different kinds of common jumps learned in dance classes:

· Échappé sauté

· Entrechat quatre

· Firebird jumps

· Fish jump

· Soubresaut

· Standing straddle

· Temps levé sauté

· Tours en l’air

· Tuck jumps

Now that you know the five basic jumps you’ll learn in dance classes, it’s a lot easier to envision (and learn!) the various combinations that can be put together to make it look like you know a million different jumps, too.

Bio

Gallery of Dance is a family-run dance studio in Freehold, NJ, and offers a wide range of recreational and competitive dance classes, including ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop, for students from preschool to high school. Learn more at GalleryofDance.com

Our Mission: To Provide Solid Dance Training and Foster Our Future Leaders