The Spins in Electricity

[Steamboy]

I remember hearing that Liam Mower would often do up to 27 spins in Electricity towards the end of his run - the other cast and crew would watch and count from the wings.

Since the spins aren't really in time with the music (at least not in a locked-in way), it would seem to me that the number of spins has more to do with the confidence of the Billy in his ability to spin at a higher speed, or perhaps willingness of the resident director/musical director to allow the Billy to increase the energy at the end of the song.

Once they have the knack of spotting*, a good dancer can spin almost indefinitely. The title escapes me atm, but one of the more famous classical ballets has choreography that requires the male lead to do 36 spins at a go.




* "Look at that spot on the wall. Focus on that spot. Now whip your head round, and come BACK to that spot. Concentrate! Now, what have I told you about your arms?!"

[ERinVA]

As I pointed out on the previous page, Liam did 36 rotations in the Royal Variety Performance that introduced the three original Billys to the world in December of 2008.

[hammy]

Once they have the knack of spotting*, a good dancer can spin almost indefinitely. The title escapes me atm, but one of the more famous classical ballets has choreography that requires the male lead to do 36 spins at a go.

I believe that's Swan Lake as i remember when the Aus Billy's started then noted how one of the Billy's was only 4 spins off achieving this.

[lolabeanz]

In an old clip of David, Kiril, and Trent, where they all perform Electricity together on Live with Regis and Kelly, David starts his spins earlier than the other two..it was hard to count towards the end, but I think he did around 32 at least.

[Billy Whiz]

I counted 32 for David when they danced at the 3rd birthday show in London.

[Eltonjohn]

Old thread but here's some new thoughts based on what I've been led to believe and have observed on youtube of various ballet billies performing Electricity either on stage or otherwise. A balletomane (serious ballet lover) or a dance teacher would know more.

- in classical ballet there once was a precedent set by a noted prima ballerina performing 32 fouette turns en pointe (women dancing on their toes in pointe shoes, unlike men who don't generally dance this technique) in a scene from Swan Lake. This became a kind of rule-of-thumb or unofficial standard: 32 fouette turns as a kind of ideal or hallmark to strive for (BTW 32 is 2 to the power of 5; or 2 doubled 4 times).

But 32 isn't an arbitrary number. The turns are done in multiples of 4 or 8 in keeping with or owing to the musical score, which is also in multiples of 4 and 8, the number of bars of music to create musical phrases. Thus 1-2-3, 2-2-3, 3-2-3, 4-2-3| 5-2-3, 6-2-3, 7-2-3, 8-2-3 followed by 3 more cycles repeated, for a total of 4 cycles of 8.

- looking at youtubes of various ballet billies, some are able to perform more turns, some fewer, for it takes a lot of stamina and endurance, besides balance and stability to pull it off so many consecutive turns. The boys finish off with a few pirouette turns (bent knee not a straight leg extending out from the body) which rotate at an accelerating speed as their working leg is drawn in closer to the standing or pivoting leg that is nearest to the axis of rotation of the dancer's body.

Some of the billies can raise both of their hands above their heads in what is referred to as fifth position port de bras (french for carriage of the arms) and this makes them spin even faster since their rotating body mass is so compressed inwards towards their axis of rotation. Same physics as for when the leg and arms are brought in tighter to the spinning body, and same as seen with figure skaters who spin on the ice.

- fouette turns are obviously one of Liam's fortes (strengths) having watched his various Electricty videos dozens of dozens of times. Different billies turn at different rates or speeds and the music is written so as to sound fine with varying turning rates.

- I think there must be a musical score 'variation' customized to each billy that takes into account the length of each one's choreography and intended or planned number of finale turns (if any).

The conductor has to keep his eyes on the performer knocking off turns and then signals the orchestra when to play the resounding sustained final musical chord, during which the last triumphal accelerating pirouettes are cranked out

- the turning stops with the arms in fourth position (i.e. one arm raised in 5th overhead and one arm in 2nd outstretched to the side) while the fouette leg slides backward in past 4th position derriere and the standing leg fondus (or bends / pliers), with both feet kept turned out

- Ta Dahhhhhh

Whenever there are quadruple billies performing Electricity, one is always singled out to crank out the turns at the end, presumably the dancer best able to execute the greatest number, out of the four performers.

[Eltonjohn]

But here is an 11 year-old Liam Mower doing an amazing 36 rotations during the Royal Variety Performance in Dec. 2004, the first time the 3 original Billys were introduced to the public.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNcSF6xGHyI

What I was able to discern is that the music was written so as to have 32 'counts' and turns slated over the final measures of the number. Liam put in an 'extra' 4 turns in the bar or measure leading up to / immediately ahead of the final 32 beats, i.e. he started 'earlier' than was 'called for' by 4 beats, thus enabling him to exceed the standard 32 target turns. In the final four counts, he did 3 fouette turns with the last count taken up by a pair of pirouettes spinning at double speed (1 turn per half count). So the number of fouette rotations I counted was 4 + (8 + 8 + 8 + 7) plus a double pirouette, for a total of 35 fouette turns and 37 turns in all.

Thing is, the tempo or speed of the music gradually slowed towards the end whereas Liam's turning rate was more or less constant throughout, except for the final two pirouettes at double speed.