A boy, when starting to learn how to lift, will often not realize that it is the placing of his partner on the floor after holding her aloft that is the most difficult and important part. He will use all his strength to push his girl into the air, hold her there as long as possible, and then be too exhausted to control her coming down. It is, after all, the gentle descent and soundlessness of the ballerina, which gives an illusion of ease. This also requires the most strength from both dancers. For the girl it can be most distressing to be held in the air too long, and results in several faults, two of which are as follows. If the girl's supporting foot does not reach the ground before the rhythmic beat dividing the springs, the girl will have no time to plie and the lifts will become unmusical and without co-ordination. Secondly,, many lifts, such as a simple grand jete en avant, have a definite parabolic shape; if this is interrupted by the boy sustaining his partner too long in one position, the girl will lose her curve through the air and start to 'hang'. This can be minimized, but not indefinitely, if the girl uses her stomach and back muscles with the correct tension, but it is more often the boy's error. It is of course easier for him to support the girl when his arms are fully stretched beneath her, but postponing the strenuous descent is a sign of weakness.
Ballet Studio: an inside view by Anne Woolliams. 1978. Pages 133, 136.
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