Sous-sus

Sous-sus [soo-SEW], or under over, refers to the movement of the feet from fifth position à terre to a position sur les pointes with feet and legs as close together as possible. (Think, ballerina inside the music box.)  Sous-sus can be performed en place (not traveling) or moving forward, side, or backward and it is generally done in a quick snatching motion upward.

Bonus Extra Geeky Stuff
Officially, sous-sus is only a Cecchetti step. The French folks and the Russian folks refer to it as the reverse - sus-sous (over under). All of the versions of the step are performed in pretty much the same manner, BUT if the feet cross so that the front foot completely covers the back, it’s called temps cou-de-pied (time neck of the foot). VERY few people use this term, so it’s a great way to impress your other geeky ballet buddies.


Why We Do It

Sous-sus (or sus-sous) is . . .well . . .pretty. It is the ballet movement in which the body is at its most lengthened (vertical) position . . . and who doesn’t want to look super tall and thin, right? In short, it is the ballet equivalent of a sensible four-inch heeled pair of Louis Vuittons without the price tag. Sous-sus is also a great “ta da” at the end of a variation – like a gymnast at the end of a routine.

How to do it even better

• Most dancers tend to think mostly of the feet and ankles when sous-sus-ing which causes the knees to slightly soften. The softer the knee, though, the less stable the balance. The old “twenty dollar bill between the thighs” trick works wonders for remedying this! 
• When performing most relevés, less advanced dancers arch their lower backs ever so slightly. This is most prominent in sous-sus. Check yourself out from the side (or, even better, have a friend watch you). Slight arch? If so, think of actively lengthening the lower back AS you relevé. This not only corrects your alignment as you perform the step, but it also more than likely has engaged your lower abdominal muscles and will improve your overall balance. Two-fer!
• Please, pretty please don’t catch air on your way up to sous-sus. Rock a sensible sliding or snatching movement rather than a slight jump. Why? First of all, it’s not correct. Second of all, it’s really bad for your knees. And lastly? The force of the small jump causes a very unseemly rippling jiggling effect in the rest of your body. Not cute at all. 

Photo Credit: John Manning
Dancer: Erica Cohen