Question

"When a ballet dancer leaps across the stage in a grand jeté, she raises her arms and stretches her legs out horizontally as soon as her feet leave the stage (Fig.9-6).These actions shift her center of mass upward through her body. Although the shifting center of mass faithfully follows a parabolic path across thestage,its movement relative to the body decreases the height that is attained by her head and torso,relative to that of a normal jump.The result is that the head and torso follow a nearly horizontal path,giving an illusion that the dancer is floating."
I don't understand why head and torso follow nearly horizontal path, instead of parabolic path. Is there other force that makes head and torso follow horizontal path?

Answer 1

her head and torso will follow a parabolic path but this parabolic path will be nearly horizontal, it is saying that it will make a narrow parabola which will not look like a parabolic path. this will look alike a horizontal path.

Due to shifting the center of mass(which is following a parabolic path), but her body weight will try to take her out from that parabolic path to horizontal path. which will be still remain a parabolic path but will look alike nearly a horizontal path.

Hope you understand in case of any doubt you can ask for