What's in Cuesheet?

WELCOME TO CUESHEET, a performance guide pub- lished by the Educa- tion Department of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC. This Cuesheet is designed to be used before and after the San Francisco Ballet and/or the Pacific Northwest Ballet Lec- ture/Demonstrations. The first portion of this Cuesheet and the final page contain information and activities that apply to both ballet companies and lecture/ demonstrations. Information about the individual ballet companies is on page 6 (SFB) and page 7 (PNB). What’s in Cuesheet? What is a Lecture/ Demonstration? page 2 The Role of the Audience, page 3 Basic Movements and Steps of Ballet, pages 4–5 San Francisco Ballet, page 6 Pacific Northwest Ballet, page 7 Activities and Resources, page 8 2 What is a Lecture/Demonstration? lecture/demonstration, or mistress joins the dancers, class repertory—the collection of lec/dem, is an informal presen- begins, first at the barre and then at dance works performed by a tation used by ballet companies center. dance company or solo dancer. A to introduce their dancers, repertory may contain the ballets A Dancers perform a series of move- dance styles, and repertory to an audi- of one or many choreographers. ments that include demi-pliés, grand- ence. Lec/dems take different forms but pliés, battements, tendus, dégagés, fon- ballet master/mistress almost always include a performance of dues and frappés, ronds de jambe—à —an individual responsible for excerpts from the ballet company’s terre and en l’air; developpés, and grand keeping the company’s repertory repertory. battements. On pages 4–5 of this and dancers prepared for The format for the San Francisco Cuesheet, you will find brief descriptions performance. The ballet master Ballet’s lec/dem features a performance and illustrations of some of these move- learns every choreographic aspect of a ballet from the company’s repertory ments and steps. of a new dance work (solos, and, in addition, includes an abbreviated duets, and corps or group work), Pacific Northwest Ballet performs ballet class that shows the rigorous and understands sets, costumes, three excerpts from the company’s reper- training ballet dancers pursue each day. props, and makeup to be used. tory and, before and after each excerpt, The lec/dem starts as the dancers gather The ballet master maintains the PNB’s artistic directors talk to the audi- on stage and move through their own ballet in performance condition ence about their company and about the stretching and bending warm-up and conducts daily ballet classes ballets being performed. exercises. When the ballet master/ when the company is on tour. San Francisco Ballet’s Helgi Tomasson choreographs the ballet Tuning Game on Yuri Possokhov and MARTY SOHL Elizabeth Loscavio. The Role of the Audience 3 barre—a long cylindrical piece he same courtesies required of audience members at any of wood fastened horizontally to live performance are expected of audience members in a the wall of the dance studio (or a lec/dem. Arrive a little early before the performance begins free-standing metal frame used at Tso that you have time to find your seat. You may talk quiet- center) used by the dancer for ly with friends until the house lights dim. If you need to find some- support during initial ballet thing in your purse or book bag, say something to a friend, or use training. The term also defines a the rest rooms, do so before the performance begins. portion of the daily ballet class Listen and watch closely during the performance. Demonstrate and includes such movements as your appreciation by applauding. The dancers and the other audi- pliés and tendues. ence members will appreciate your consideration and attentiveness. center—the term used to The information on pages 4–5 of this Cuesheet will help you identify a series of exercises, understand what the dancers are doing and how the choreographer similar to barre exercises, uses ballet vocabulary in creating dance works. During the lec/dem performed in the center of the —both the class and the performance—watch the dancers closely. practice room without support of Can you identify any of the movements or steps they are perform- the barre. ing from the illustrations and descriptions on pages 4–5? choreographer—a maker of dances. He or she must have knowledge of numerous movement vocabularies; ability to combine movements and steps into meaningful movement phrases; be capable of manipulating the elements of time, space, and energy; be aware of the theatrical elements of lighting, costuming, sets, and props; and have a strong creative philosophy. § First Position Second Position © 4 Basic Movements and Steps of Ballet Exercises and Basic Movements Demi-plié Plié [plee-AY] “to bend.” Plies are good warm-up exercises because they stretch all the muscles of the heel and leg. Demi-plié [duh-MEE plee-AY] “half bend.” The knees are bent as far as they will go without letting the heels come off the floor. Grand-plié [grahn plee-AY] “large bend.” The Grand-plié knees are bent, keeping the heels on the floor, until it is necessary to lift them off the floor. Tendu [tahn-DEW] “to stretch.” This exercise Tendu stretches and strengthens the arch underneath the foot. The leg is turned out, the foot is brushed to the front, side, and back. The toe always touch- es the floor. Rond de Jambe [rawn duh-JHAHM] “to circle Rond de Jambe the leg.” This exercise loosens up the hip liga- ments and improves turnout. The leg and foot are brushed forward, then circled around to back and closed to the original position. Battement [bat-MAHN] “beating.” The kicking Battement actions of the leg. There are two types of battements: grand battements (large kicks) and petits battements (small kicks). They can be done to the front, side, or back. Illustrations courtesy of An Usborne Guide: Ballet & Dance, EDC Publishing, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 5 Turns or Pirouettes Pirouette Pirouette sur le cou de pied [PEER-oo-ET suhr luh KOO duh PEE–eh] “turn with foot at the ankle.” The dancer makes a complete turn with the foot of the free leg touching the ankle or instep of the supporting leg. Pirouette sur le pointe [PEER-oo-ET suhr luh PWEHN] “turn on point.” A pirouette turn done on the tip on the toe without the aid of a partner. Jumps and Traveling Steps Changement Changement [shahnj-MAHN] “change.” A changement is a jump in which the position of the feet is changed before landing. Jeté [jhuh-TAY] “to throw.” A jump from one foot to another. The leg is thrown forward, back- ward, or sideways. Entrechat [ahn-truh-SHAH] “interweaving or Entrechat braiding.” A step in which the dancer jumps straight up in the air and changes the position of the feet a number of times before landing. Bourrée [bour-REH] “to glide.” A series of small steps performed by a dancer on pointe which gives the impression of gliding over the stage. Pas de Chat [pa-duh-SHAH] “cat step.” A Pas de Chat jumping step which looks like a cat pouncing on a mouse. The dancer travels through the air in a light, springing movement, often doing several in a row. 6 San Francisco Ballet ounded in 1933, the San Francisco Ballet (SFB) is America’s oldest professional What the ballet company. It has a long history of Critics say artistic firsts including producing full- about San F RIGMOR MYDTSKOV length productions of classics such as Coppelia, Francisco Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker. Under the artis- Ballet tic direction of Helgi Tomasson, “San Francisco SFB has become one of the most Ballet is in a important ballet companies in Artistic Director and Choreographer— league of its the United States. Following a Helgi Tomasson own. Both in distinguished career as soloist Born in Iceland in 1942, Helgi Tomasson received his ballet size and quali- and principal dancer, Tomasson training in that nation’s capital, Reykjavik, and in Copenhagen, ty, it’s a troupe was appointed SFB’s Artistic Denmark. He won the Silver Medal at the First International Bal- the equal of Director in 1985. let Competition in Moscow. He has choreographed more than 20 the best in ballets, including full-length productions of ballet classics, America, as well as intricate and varied dances showcasing the Europe, or unique qualities of individual SFB dancers. Russia.”— Christine Evelyn Cisneros in Lambarena Temin, The The Ballet—Lambarena Boston Globe This abstract ballet blends African dance movements with ballet techniques. “All in all, this Lambarena is a musical score as well as the proved a gor- name of the group that performs the audio taped geous compa- dance music. The score is a blend of African ny, and rhythms and songs, with extended passages Tomasson is at taken from various Bach compositions. least potential- Lambarena is a new work that emphasizes the ly one of the idea of music as a universal language. world’s few major choreog- Lambarena’s Choreographer— raphers.”— Val Caniparoli Clive Barnes, For this ballet, Val Caniparoli created a movement The New York vocabulary that suits both African and European Post music. He says, “The score is a marriage of these two kinds of music, and I wanted the choreogra- “All the danc- phy to be the same thing. I wanted to show that ing was first- you can do either kind of movement to both kinds rate.”—Laura of music. It’s very much a ballet, and it’s my own Bleiberg, The vocabulary, but it’s influenced by African move- Orange County ment.” (Quoted from Performing Arts, San Register Francisco Ballet, May 1996) PHOTO BY MARTY SOHL Pacific Northwest Ballet 7 The Ballets—Jardi Tancat, Quaternary, Symmetries Jardi Tancat (which means “closed garden”) is danced to songs based on Catalonian folk tales.

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