An Analysis of the Pedagogy for the Training of Young Dancers
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UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE CLASSICAL BALLET PRE-POINTE EDUCATION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE PEDAGOGY FOR THE TRAINING OF YOUNG DANCERS A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN DANCE By ROSE E. TAYLOR-SPANN Norman, Oklahoma 2016 CLASSICAL BALLET PRE-POINTE EDUCATION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE PEDAGOGY FOR THE TRAINING OF YOUNG DANCERS A THESIS APPROVED FOR THE SCHOOL OF DANCE BY ______________________________ Mr. Jeremy Lindberg, Chair ______________________________ Ms. Rebecca Herrin ______________________________ Dr. Lara Mayeux ______________________________ Ms. Clara Cravey Stanley © Copyright by ROSE E. TAYLOR-SPANN 2016 All Rights Reserved. Acknowledgements A significant work is the culmination of experiences and achievements realized only through the support and guidance of family, friends, mentors, and colleagues. That said, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my thesis committee for their guidance throughout this process: my chair Jeremy Lindberg for his steady reassurance, enthusiasm, and utmost professionalism during my graduate career; Clara Cravey Stanley, a mentor of mine for nearly two decades who will always be an irreplaceable source of wisdom, advice, incredible stories, and laughter; Lara Mayeux for her outside perspective and guidance; and Rebecca Herrin who was instrumental through all phases of this project from concept to completion – her influence and attention to detail greatly aided in the realization of my vision. I would like to thank Mary Margaret Holt for the many opportunities and the University of Oklahoma’s School of Dance faculty and staff for their influence and support through this process. The School of Dance and Graduate Student Senate provided support for this project through research and travel grants, for which I am extremely grateful. This support facilitated travel to select schools for interviews and class observations, which substantially elevated the quality and comprehensiveness of my research. I would like to acknowledge the dance professionals who participated in this research, whose expertise contributed to the reputability of this thesis. I would also like to thank Jane Pierce who not only taught me to be a dancer, but that it is possible to inspire and influence children through patience, positivity, sincerity, humility and grace. I would like to thank my husband, Curtis Spann, for always believing in me, helping me make the tough decisions, giving me the courage to accept and follow iv through with challenges, “UPOD”, facilitating and making my dreams and aspirations feasible, and most of all creating laughter in the midst of hardships – what a journey...now off to the next adventure. Thank you to Moose, Pickles, and Dylan for being my company during the countless late nights of writing, whose paw prints furrever dot the computer keys and pages of this thesis. I would also like to acknowledge my sister Rebecca Taylor and brothers Aaron and Jeremy Taylor for their continual encouragement. Finally, I must thank my parents Vernon Ray Taylor Jr. and Marcia Taylor. The immeasurable commitment and sacrifices they made paired with their unwavering support gave me wings while allowing me to stay close to home and true to that little girl dancing on the 83rd Street porch. v Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ iv ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. viii INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 Defining Pre-Pointe .................................................................................................... 7 Source Review ........................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER I. CODIFIED CLASSICAL BALLET METHODS AND PRE-POINTE .. 14 The French School .................................................................................................... 14 The Bournonville Method ........................................................................................ 22 The Cecchetti Method .............................................................................................. 31 Royal Academy of Dancing ..................................................................................... 39 The Vaganova Method ............................................................................................. 44 American Ballet Theatre® National Training Curriculum ....................................... 53 CHAPTER II. BALLET SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES ................................ 60 American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School ................................ 63 Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy .............................................................. 67 Kansas City Ballet School ........................................................................................ 72 Pacific Northwest Ballet School ............................................................................... 76 Texas Ballet Theater School ..................................................................................... 80 Bluegrass Youth Ballet ............................................................................................. 83 Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet .......................................................................... 86 Colorado Conservatory of Dance ............................................................................. 89 Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet .............................................................................. 92 vi CHAPTER III. ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF PRE-POINTE PEDAGOGY Class and School Structure ....................................................................................... 96 Evaluating Student Readiness For Pointe ............................................................... 113 Pre-Pointe Training Methods ................................................................................ 138 Pre-Pointe Shoes ..................................................................................................... 150 Student Wellness .................................................................................................... 161 Class Observations ................................................................................................. 171 CHAPTER IV. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ............................. 182 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................ 212 INTERVIEW SOURCES ............................................................................................. 217 QUESTIONNAIRE ...................................................................................................... 218 VISUAL REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 220 LIST OF IMAGES AND ILLUSTRATIONS ............................................................. 220 vii ABSTRACT The concept of preparing young female dancers for pointe work is not new to ballet education; however, attention to specific pre-pointe training has become more focused in recent years. Pre-pointe as a defined course of study within classical ballet training has become more common in programs throughout the United States. Contemporary knowledge in fields such as anatomy, exercise science and pre- adolescent and early adolescent development has motivated dance educators to reexamine the pedagogy of pointe preparation and how students are evaluated for pointe readiness. This consideration has prompted the evolution and prolificacy of pre-pointe specific classes and programs incorporated into American ballet training curriculum. The timeliness of this topic in response to increasing conversations surrounding pre-pointe greatly inspired this project. The importance of pointe preparation and the evaluation of a student’s readiness for pointe work, paired with the abundance of pre- pointe programs motivated the research for this project. Relatively little published information regarding pre-pointe pedagogical methods is currently available to instructors. Limited resources and the ambiguity of pre-pointe training significantly contributed to the development of the research model for this thesis. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and assess pre-pointe pedagogy in classical ballet training; determine effective and healthful approaches to preparing dancers and evaluate their readiness for pointe; and identify methods for effective communication between dance educators, students and their parents. Codified classical ballet methods were assessed to identify elements of pointe preparation within the technical progression. It was determined that the most effective viii method of gathering information regarding the questions and problems that inspired this project was to conduct interviews with select dance educators and observe ballet technique, pre-pointe, and pointe classes. Due to the newness of this topic, it was essential to consult current professionals in the field who are teaching classes and developing programs for pre-pointe. Interview questions addressed pre-pointe topics including school and class structure, evaluating student readiness for pointe, and pre- pointe training