Croisé L foot devant en pointe with arms in 5th position front or Vaganova 1st position 2 Table of Contents Part I: Valuable Ballet Vocabulary and Other Information 5 Part II: Methods of Teaching 11 Part III: Terminology 15 Part IV: Pointe Work 19 Part V: Various Valuable Information 25 3 1st arabesque en pointe June 2011 4 Part I Valuable Ballet Vocabulary and Other Information 5 Beginning or ending pose for pas de bourrée couru 6 French language Ballet terms are French because ballet began in France over 400 years ago. It makes it easier for dancers from around the world to work together since they are all being instructed in the same language which they learn from their earliest training. One of the most common accent marks in ballet vocabulary is the “accent aigu” which is a slash mark above an “e”…….é or É. These are pronounced as a long “A” in English, such as “plié” or “dégagé”. If the slash above the letter, goes the other way, ignore it. Aplomb Literally translated----assurance or poise. This means that the dancer is in full control of the body and limbs with the weight correctly centered during a movement. When the body is aligned and held properly, it is referred to as being “properly placed”. Ballerina Unlike the common perception the word “ballerina” does not refer to any female who studies ballet or even to all professional ballet dancers. In the ballet world a ballerina is a dancer who has achieved a very elevated and respected status which places her among the very best danc- ers in the professional ballet world. Others must be referred to as “dancers” or “dance/ballet students”. Prima Ballerina This is a title for the first or main principal ballerina in a company Prima Ballerina Assoluta Literally, it means “first ballerina absolute”. This title has only been bestowed two times in the history of the Russian Imperial Theatres. It is rarely used today. Principal Dancers This usually means the small group of dancers, male and female, who are the very best in the company who dance the leading roles. It is a level of competence. Some ballet companies have their own names for the ranks or designations of the level. For instance, in the Paris Opera Ballet, rather than calling their best dancers Principals, they are called Étoiles which translated from French means ‘stars’. Danseuse The French word for a female dancer 7 Danseur The French word for male dancer Premier Danseur The leading male dancer in a ballet company Soloists Typically, this is the rank below Principal. In some companies this is divided into 1st Soloist and 2nd Soloist. Sometimes there are other ranks before corps de ballet. Corps de Ballet (Corps is pronounced ‘core’) The dancers in a company, male and female, who are not soloists or principals. They make up the majority of the dancers in a company. It is the equivalent of “chorus” in theatrical dancing. Ballet Mistress/Master The person in a ballet company who typically gives the daily company class and rehearses the ballets. Classical Ballet This has two meanings. First, it means the traditional style of ballet that is based on an aca- demic technique which has been developed during the 400 years of ballet’s existence. Sec- ondly, it refers to any ballet in which the style and structure adhere to the framework estab- lished in the nineteenth century. Some classical ballets are Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. Variation A solo dance within a classical ballet. Divertissement This means a group or suite of dances in the middle of a classical ballet. 8 Choreographer The person who creates or invents ballets or dances. In the ballet world teachers are not ex- pected to choreograph. This is left to people who have a special gift or talent and desire to create movement----usually former, or possibly current dancers. Some people with a big de- sire to choreograph start their own companies such as George Balanchine (New York City Bal- let)and Robert Joffrey (The Joffrey Ballet). Once in a while there are especially talented people who overlap into all these fields, but generally teachers develop dancers, and choreographers create the dances. There are very few choreographers of special note. Ballet Dance Ballet dances are not referred to as a “number” such as, “the next number will be from Swan Lake.” One could say, “the next dance is a selection from Swan Lake, or the last variation was from Swan lake.” Music for ballet Musical choices for ballet can range from classical music to popular, jazz, or even rap although classical is more typical. In making reference to the music, calling it a “song” as I have heard sometimes, is not acceptable. Choreographic Style Ballet no longer means that all the choreography needs to be classical. Many ballet compa- nies that employ dancers trained in classical ballet not only perform ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty etc, but also include in their repertoire ballets by ballet choreogra- phers who create works in a contemporary style. They also hire modern choreographers to set their works on the dancers. Ballet dancers, these days, must be extremely versatile. In one program they may have to dance a classical ballet in tutus and pointe shoes, a contempo- rary ballet in pointe shoes or possibly ballet shoes, and even a modern dance barefoot. There are also smaller companies that are called Contemporary Ballet Companies, such as “Complexions” and “Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet” in New York and “Lines” in San Fran- cisco. These companies are not to be confused with modern companies. The late George Balanchine is famous for not only starting New York City Ballet, but also creat- ing a new type of classical ballet back in the 1920’s and 1930’s. That new, contemporary style is known as “neo-classical”. It was the first time anyone began to experiment and deviate from the strict classical ballet style. Many others have followed, imitated, copied and have been inspired by his innovative style. Performances In the ballet world performances are not referred to as “shows”. 9 Pas de Deux Literally means ‘dance for two’, but is normally a dance for a man and a woman when he ‘partners’ her by supporting her poses such as arabesque or attitude and pirouettes, and lifts her into the air. ‘Deux’ is not pronounced ‘do’, and pas de deux is not pronounced “potty doo”. “Deux” sounds like it has a very soft ‘r’ at the end…….like ‘der’; say the ‘d’ and then barely add a soft ‘r’. “Pas” is pronounced like someone’s father………Pa’. Sometimes a pas de deux is simply referred to as a ‘pas’. Grand Pas de Deux In a classical ballet sometimes a man and a woman perform a pas de deux that has several parts to it. Typically, a grand pas de deux has five parts: the beginning or entré, the adage (or main part of the partnering), the variation for the danseuse or female, the variation for the danseur or male, and the coda in which both dancers usually dance a very lively ending. Partnering Normally partnering is when a man and a woman dance together, and he supports and lifts her. In rare situations it can be a man partnering a man or a woman lifting a woman. In ballet schools students take ‘partnering classes’ in addition to technique, pointe and character classes. In England it is sometimes called ‘doubles class’. Character Dancing Since ballet started in Europe, European traditions have been incorporated. The national dances of many countries have taken on a ballet-flavor and inserted into several full-length ballets such as “Swan Lake”. You will find the polka ( Central European), mazurka (Polish), czardas (Hungarian) and other national dances not only on the stage, but also taught in ballet schools. Usually the men wear boots and the women wear character shoes which look like high heeled jazz shoes or tap shoes without the taps. The women can also wear boots that are especially made for character work. They fit snuggly and are made of very soft leather. How to Address the Ballet Teacher In the dancing school world it seems to be common to address the instructor as “Miss Janice” or “Mr. Thommie”, but in the ballet world this practice is not followed. It is more traditional to either say “Ms Barringer” or simply “Janice” when speaking or referring to the teacher. Euro- pean or Russian female teachers are usually called “Madame ________” such as “Madame Danilova” or “Madame Darvash”. 10 Part II Methods of Teaching 11 Standing in croisé, R foot devant, arms in 5th position low or Vaganova preparation position 12 Vaganova/Russian School Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951) was a famous Russian teacher who is well-known as develop- ing a teaching system that has become the basic method of the Russian School. Cecchetti Enrico Cecchetti (1850-1928) was an Italian dancer and ballet master who codified a method of teaching ballet that is used all over the world. It has a definite program of strict routine and includes a table of set daily exercises for each day of the week. The Cecchetti Society was formed in London in 1922 to perpetuate his method of teaching. Entrance to the society is by examination; students, as well, must pass tests to prove their expertise in this method. French School The French School, or French method of teaching ballet, began in the court of the French kings. It was known for its elegance and soft, graceful movements rather than technical virtu- osity.