WELCOME TO CUESHEET, a perfor- mance 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 activi- ties that apply to both ballet companies and lecture/ demonstra- tions. 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 batte- ments: 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 MYDTSKOV RIGMOR 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. Spanish choreog- rapher Nacho Duato tells the story of the people who farm the harsh land in earthy, powerful movements. Bare What the feet and many non-classical dance elements make this Kent Stowell and Francia Russell Critics say 1983 work a fascinating challenge for PNB’s dancers. about Quaternary (“In Sets Of nder the artistic guidance Pacific Patricia Barker and Amy Rose Four”), choreographed by in The Quilt of Kent Stowell and Northwest Kent Stowell, is an abstract Francia Russell, Ballet ballet that explores the possi- Pacific Northwest Ballet “Accurate per- U bilities and applications of (PNB) of Seattle, Washington, formances by the concept of “four.” It is has become one of the nation’s Pacific North- performed to Rachmaninoff’s most respected ballet companies. west Ballet Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos Each year, PNB performs a have the kind (four hands), and is danced repertory of original works by of life that this by four principal couples. Stowell, ballets by George ballet, and no The dancers are clad in sim- Balanchine (staged by Russell), other ballet, ple ebony and ivory cos- commissioned ballets by contem- was born tumes, emulating the colors porary choreographers, and clas- with.”—Arlene of piano keys. sics of ballet and modern dance Croce, The by master choreographers. New Yorker Symmetries, set to a John Adams score with choreogra- Kent Stowell has been “A new strain of phy by Mark Dendy, is an Artistic Director and principal ballet has emotionally-charged work choreographer of PNB since emerged on that intertwines both modern 1977. He has choreographed full- the West dance and ballet movements. length productions of ballet clas- Coast and it’s The underlying theme is a sics such as Swan Lake and The time to young man’s quest for identi- Nutcracker, and has created acknowledge ty and meaning. Along the many innovative works for PNB, it.”—Dance Ink way, this wild and wacky such as Quaternary, Delicate ballet has room for tribal Balance, and Carmina Burana. dances, a cartoon fox hunt, a Francia Russell is PNB’s Artistic Director, PNB dysfunctional family portrait, Ballet School Director, and Affiliate Professor of upside-down tutus, heavenly Dance at the University of Washington. She added vistas, and more choreo- the works of George Balanchine to the Company’s graphic and dramatic sur- repertory. prises than you can imagine. 8 Activities and Resources

Books RESOURCES Au, Susan. Ballet & Modern Dance. NY: Thames and Hudson, 1988.

Ballenberg, Birdie. Looking at Ballet. NY: Marshall Cavendish, 1989.

Clarke, Mary & Clement Crisp. Ballet, An Illustrated History. NY: Universe Books, 1973.

DeMille, Agnes. The Book of the Dance. NY: Golden Press, 1963.

PNB Artistic Director Dufort, Antony. Kent Stowell in rehearsal. Ballet Steps: Practice to Performance. NY: Clarkson N. Potter, 1990.

Fonteyn, Margot. ACTIVITIES The Magic of Dance. NY: Alfred A. Before the Performance Knopf, 1979. ● Look at ballet picture books found in Whitehill, Angela & school or local libraries. What questions William Noble. The come to mind as you look at the pictures? Parents Book of Ballet. Princeton, ● If you are unfamiliar with NJ.: Princeton Book the basic movements and Company, 1987. steps on pages 4-5 of this After the Performance Study James A. Johnson, Chairman Guides Cuesheet, ask someone ● Make a list of what you learned about Lawrence J. Wilker, President ballet by attending the lec/dem. What Derek E. Gordon, Associate San Francisco who has studied ballet to Managing Director, Education Ballet. Study Guide was your favorite part of the lec/dem? San Francisco Ballet for Teachers. demonstrate them. You Pacific Northwest Ballet may want to observe a bal- Lecture/Demonstration Written and ● The next time that you are assigned a biog- Cuesheet Editor: Rosalind Compiled by Debra let class at a local studio. Flynn. Writer: Nancy Diers raphy book report, you may want to choose Johnson. Contributing Writer: Farb, Outreach Cynthia Word. Design: Paul Coordinator, SFB. ● Try performing some of a ballet superstar as your subject. Look for Dupree Communications. books about Margot Fonteyn, Rudolph Cuesheet is funded in part Pacific Northwest the ballet movements and through the support of the U.S. Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Marie Department of Education, The Ballet. Arts in steps. Try combining some Kennedy Center Corporate Education Study Taglioni, Vaslav Nijinsky, Marius Petipa, or Fund, and The Morris and steps to “perform” to your Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Guide. Written and Sergei Diaghilev. ©1996 The John F. Kennedy Compiled by Jeanie favorite music. Try some Center for the Performing Arts. Thomas, Director of steps with a piece of classi- Educational cal music. What did you learn in this Programs, PNB. process? What was easy? What was chal- lenging? PHOTO BY DALE KUTZERA