To the Pointe of Perfection by Becca Hersey

to the

Pointe of

Perfection Becca Hersey

Discover the amazing details that make up the mysterious world of ballet.

to the

Pointe of

Perfection Written by Becca Hersey Photography by Adam Hersey

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION HISTORY

NAMES IN LIGHTS Anna Pavlova Margot Fonteyn Rudolf Nureyev Mikhail Baryshnikov Darcey Bussell Carlos Acosta

20 22 24 26 28 30

THE ESSENTIALS Step-by-Step Story Synopses The Language of Mime

34 48 78

WARDROBE Pointe Shoes Tutus

86 98

A DANCERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LIFE The Life of a Dancer Ballet: A Rite of Passage?

106 110

CURTAIN CALL First Time at the Ballet Superstitions Hierarchy

116 119 120

GLOSSARY

126

Introduction

Ballet is so much more than just little girls in pink tutus. Chances are that if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve picked this book up, you might well agree with this statement. Whether you have been introduced to the dance world by a friend, or merely have a curiosity to find out more about a complex art form, this book will provide an insight into ballet by someone who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine their life without it. The details will refer classical ballet, the most rigid of the various styles to be encompassed under the greater heading of ballet. From covering basic steps and history, through to delving deeper into the detailed but more unknown side of ballet, this book will take you on a journey through all of the essentials for understanding a little bit more about classical ballet.

HISTORY

1581 Ballet as we know it was born in Paris. The performance was ‘Ballet Comique De La Royne’, and attracted an audience of 10,000. It lasted from 10pm until 3am. Fabritio Caroso published ‘Il Ballarino’, a technical guide to ballet at the time.

1738 The Russian Monarchy established The St Petersburg School, making it the 2nd oldest ballet academy in the world.

Ballroom and ballet were recognised as separate dance forms.

John Weaver created ballet d’action, which had no spoken word.

Turnout was acknowledged as a key aspect of classical ballet.

1735

1821 Marie Taglioni was the first female dancer en pointe.

Louis XIV established the Académie Royale de Danse (the world’s first ballet school) in a room in The Louvre.

1661

Paris Opera established its own dance school.

1713

Marie Camargo, the first noted ‘ballerina’ debuted at the Paris Opera.

1726 1725 Pierre Rameau published ‘The Dancing Master’. This was the first time that the 1st through to 5th positions of the feet had been documented.

1832 Taglioni’s father choreographed La Sylphide.

1841 First staging of Giselle.

1870 Coppélia first choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon.

Ninette de Valois opened the Academy of Choreographic Art (which would become The Royal Ballet).

1877 Swan Lake choreographed by Wenzel Reisinger. It was the first of the ‘Big Three’ to be composed by Tchaikovsky.

1926

1934 Balanchine established the School of American Ballet.

The Sleeping Beauty was choreographed by Marius Petipa (the 2nd of the ‘Big Three’ for Tchaikovsky).

The Nutcracker (the 3rd of the ‘Big Three’ for Tchaikovsky) was choreographed by Marius Petipa.

1890

1892

1920

1909

Edouard Espinosa and Philip Richardson founded the Association of Operatic Dancing (became known as the Royal Academy of Dance in 1936).

1961 Rudolf Nureyev partnered with Margot Fonteyn for the first time.

Sergei Diaghilev’s The Ballet Russes were first danced.

2012 The Royal Ballet first performs Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. 13

NAMES IN LIGHTS

Dancers There are many people in the ballet world that have made this dance form what it is today. In the following chapter, read all about the legends that are remembered for their extraordinary dance careers.

Names In Lights

ANNA PAVLOVA

Names In Lights

Anna Pavlova was born on the 12th February 1881 in Russia. At the age of eight, she was taken by her mother to audition for the Imperial Ballet School, having been inspired by a production of Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty in Russia. She was at first turned down, but was then accepted in 1891 aged just ten years old. Classical ballet was a struggle for Pavlova, as her body was not considered ideal for ballet at the time (small and compact dancers were favoured over those with longer limbs, and Pavlova was regularly taunted for her severely arched feet and small ankles). To combat her disadvantages, she took extra lessons to improve her technique. She graduated from the Imperial Ballet School aged eighteen, and was allowed to enter the Imperial Ballet at a level higher than corps de ballet.

She progressed up the ranks quickly, finally becoming prima ballerina in 1906, aged twenty five. In spite of her small ankles and lithe legs, Pavlova was praised for her frail, ethereal look. She was however criticised for strengthening her pointe shoes with extra hard wood. Ballet dancers of the time were taught, as they are now, that the strength comes from the person, not the shoes. In hindsight, her modifications led to the design of the modern pointe shoe, and allowed dancers with different shaped feet to be able to dance en pointe. Pavlova joined the Ballet Russes in its early years, and worked for a brief time with Sergei Diaghilev. She was offered the lead role in Firebird in 1905, but refused it, saying she couldn’t come to terms with Igor

Stravinsky’s avant-guarde score. By the mid twentieth century, she had founded her own company and performed around the world. In 1912, Pavlova moved to London, where she lived for the rest of her life. Whilst on tour in the Netherlands, she was diagnosed with pneumonia, and was told that she needed to have an operation that would result in her being unable to dance again. Her response to this was to refuse the operation, saying ‘If I can’t dance then I’d rather be dead.’ It is believed that she was holding her costume from The Dying Swan (a role she made famous) when she died, and her last words were ‘play the last measure very softly.’ She died of pleurisy on January 23rd 1931, three weeks short of her fiftieth birthday.

Names In Lights

MARGOT FONTEYN

Names In Lights

Margot Fonteyn DBE was born Peggy Hookham on 18th May 1919. Her childhood was divided between living in England, and China. Aged fourteen, she auditioned for the Vic-Wells Ballet (what is now The Royal Ballet School), and made her debut as a Snowflake in The Nutcracker. By sixteen, it was clear that Fonteyn was set to be a huge success. By the time World War Two broke out in 1939, Fonteyn had danced many of the classical lead roles (Aurora, Giselle, and Odette/Odile) as well as half a dozen roles specifically choreographed for her by Frederick Ashton. The partnership endued twenty five years, over which most of Fonteyn’s greatest roles and Ashton’s greatest ballets were produced. The end of the Second World War also saw the company take up the offer to reside at Covent Garden, where The Royal Ballet has been at home ever since. The opening night performance of The Sleeping

Beauty saw Fonteyn display how far she come in order to achieve Principal status within the company. Following the success of the company’s opening night in New York on tour, in 1949, Fonteyn’s standing as international star was set in stone. The 1950s presented the opportunity to dance the lead role in Firebird, along with creating Ondine and Chloe with Ashton. In 1956 she married Roberto de Arias (known simply as Tito to Fonteyn), a diplomat from Panama. Fonteyn divided her loyalties between being a ballerina and an ambassador’s wife. However, by 1960, aged 41, talk of possible retirement was becoming more frequent. This soon proved not to be the case, as after his famous barrier jump at Paris airport in 1961, Rudolf Nureyev burst onto the ballet scene, and prolonged Fonteyn’s near retirement. Their partnership is possibly the most famous of all ballet pairings; the twenty year age

gap was a revelation, and coupling their opposing temperaments with their diverse background led to a chemistry between them on stage that cannot be forced. Their first performance together was Giselle, and it set the bench mark for every performance to follow, with their most famous duet being Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand. Not only did Fonteyn’s partnership with Nureyev extend her career by some fifteen years, it caused her technique to improve, and to also push the choreographical boundaries of what the pair could achieve. Fonteyn gave her final performance in 1978, aged 59, an old age for a ballerina by any standards. Dancing with Nureyev had given her a new lease of life, but this sadly did not stop her body aging. She retired to Panama to live with her husband. Fonteyn died of cancer on 21st February 1991.

Names In Lights

RUDOLF NUREYEV

Names In Lights

Rudolf Nureyev was born on the 17th March 1938; this was his given birthday, as he was born on a train in Siberia, in the Soviet Union, so the actual date is unsure. He fell in love with ballet when his mother took him and his sisters to see a performance of Song of the Cranes. He was encouraged to train in Leningrad by dance teachers who soon noticed his potential. Nureyev auditioned for the Bolshoi Ballet company and was accepted. However, he felt that the Kirov Ballet school was the best, so he left the local touring company and bought a ticket to Leningrad. However, because of World War Two he was only able to enrol at the Leningrad Choreographic School, the associate school of the Kirov Ballet in 1955, aged seventeen. Upon graduation, he continued with the Kirov Ballet and became a Soloist in the company. In the three years that he was with the Kirov, Nureyev became one of the Soviet Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-known dancers, and was allowed to travel outside of the Iron Curtain. However,

following a visit to Vienna where he danced in the International Youth Festival, he was told he would not be allowed to go abroad again. Despite this statement, and his reputation for being rebellious and nonconformist, he was chosen to replace an injured dancer on the Kirovâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s European tour in 1961. He was well received in Paris, but was seen to be breaking the rules about mingling with foreigners, and the Kirov management were alarmed that the KGB would send him back to the Soviet Union immediately. In order to deny him traveling onwards on the tour to London, he was told falsely that his mother was severely ill. Nureyev, however, knew that they lied and that he would be imprisoned upon his return. On the 16th June 1961 at the Le Bourget Airport in Paris, Rudolf Nureyev defected with the help of French police and a Parisian socialite friend, famously jumping the airport barrier.

he was offered a contract to join The Royal Ballet as the top position of Principal dancer. He was famously partnered with Fonteyn, and stayed with The Royal Ballet full-time until 1970 when he became a Principal Guest Artist, allowing him greater freedom to embrace guest appearances on an international scale. As well as dancing, Nureyev appeared in several films in the 1970s, along with television shows. In 1983, he was appointed Director of the Paris Opera Ballet. Despite illness plaguing him towards the end of his term, he worked tirelessly to stage new versions of the classics, with Romeo & Juliet proving to be a particular success. It is common knowledge that Nureyev was suffering with AIDS, and had done so since he tested positive for HIV in 1984. He died from cardiac complications on 6th January 1993, aged 54.

Nureyev first danced in Britain at an event organised by Margot Fonteyn, after which

Names In Lights

MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV

Names In Lights

Mikhail Baryshnikov was born in Latvia on January 27th 1948. He first started his dance training with the Leningrad Choreographic School, which is the associate school of the Kirov Ballet, where he was taught by Alexander Pushkin, the same teacher that had taught Rudolf Nureyev. He progressed to dancing with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, where he was immediately promoted to Soloist, skipping roles as part of the corps de ballet. Whilst he was enjoying success in Russia, Baryshnikov was feeling trapped by the communist regime, and so he defected from the Soviet Union in 1974, as he wanted more opportunities to dance with western companies. Whilst the Kirov Ballet was touring in Canada, he quickly left the company and joined the National Ballet of Canada. After his time there, he joined the American Ballet Theatre, where he became

one of the company’s Principal dancers. Baryshnikov had a legendary partnership with Gelsey Kirkland, who left the New York City Ballet in order to dance with him. Their most famous work was Baryshnikov’s own production of The Nutcracker, which was televised in the United States. In 1977, he made his film debut in The Turning Point, in which he played a tailor-made role. The film was nominated for eleven Oscars, including one for Baryshnikov for Best Supporting Actor. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe award for his role. The allure of working with Balanchine, a world renowned choreographer in the twentieth century, led to Baryshnikov leaving the American Ballet Theatre for the chance to work with Balanchine. He joined the New York City Ballet, where he stayed for a year and a half under Balanchine’s

instruction, before being offered the position of Artistic Director at the American Ballet Theatre. In addition, he also resumed the role of Principal dancer. Baryshnikov was forced to give up dancing as a result of injuries. However, he cofounded the White Oak Dance Project in 1990, a dance company that allows mature dancers to be more hands on in the company, rather than simply dancing. It was the touring part of the Baryshnikov Dance Foundation, and travelled until 2002. Since then, Baryshnikov has played a recurring role in Sex and the City, and in April 2012 starred in a play called In Paris. He has been quoted as saying that when In Paris has finished, he will ‘return to dancing in a serious way... so that his body will be attuned to work with a choreographer.’

Names In Lights

DARCEY BUSSELL

Names In Lights

Darcey Bussell OBE and CBE was born in London on the 27th April 1969. When she was thirteen, Bussell auditioned for one of eight places at White Lodge, The Royal Ballet School, and was successful in gaining entry into the prestigious institute. Because she started her training relatively late, she was less technically advanced than other students of her age, and she struggled with classes. Contemplating dropping out of ballet school, Bussell took extra classes with Svetlana Beriosova, a legend in the dance world, in order to develop her technical skill. Her determination to reach her goals paid off, and in 1985, sixteen year old Bussell was accepted at The Royal Ballet’s Upper School. Whilst still at school, in 1986 she danced her first Kenneth Macmillan role. In the same year, she won the Prix de Lausanne, using the prize money to fund lessons with the Monte Carlo Ballet where she attended classes with Rudolf Nureyev.

Upon finishing her time at the Upper School, Bussell was offered a place with The Royal Ballet, specifically with the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet (which is now known as The Birmingham Royal Ballet). She was part of the corps de ballet for a year before being told that Macmillan wanted to create a lead role for her in his new ballet The Prince of Pagodas. This involved her moving from Sadler’s Wells to The Royal Ballet based in Covent Garden, London. At nineteen, she had secured the position of Soloist, a role you are normally only promoted to from First Artist. In September 1989 she was promoted to First Soloist, and continued to dance Macmillan roles. His choreography pushed her body to the limits, and her partner at the time, Royal Ballet dancer Jonathan Cope, recalls that Bussell would have done anything to please Macmillan - such was his influence within the ballet world.

On the 7th December 1989, she was informed by Sir Antony Dowell (one of The Royal Ballet’s greatest dancers) that she had been promoted to Principal, and at just nineteen, she was the youngest ever to have achieved this position. Her repertoire covers both classical and contemporary ballet. She has danced lead roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Prince of Pagodas, Winter Dreams, Tchaikovsky’s Big Three, plus countless others. She has appeared on television programmes such as The Vicar of Dibley and French & Saunders, and has published several books aimed at children. Bussell retired from ballet in 2007, after a career that spanned nearly twenty years. At her last performance in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, she was awarded an eight minute long standing ovation from the audience. She now lives in Australia with her family.

Names In Lights

CARLOS ACOSTA

Names In Lights

Carlos Acosta was born in Cuba on the 2nd June 1973. At the age of ten, he began dancing at the National Ballet School of Cuba, at the insistence of his father, who told Acosta he needed something to occupy his spare time. He graduated in June 1991 with maximum qualifications and gold medals in various competitions, including the Prix de Lausanne and the Fourth Annual Competition of Ballet in Paris, as well as winning the International Critics Prize from Chilean dance critics. In the period between 1989 and 1991, he performed throughout the world, guesting with many ballet companies in Italy, Mexico and Venezuela. During the 1991/92 season, he was invited to dance with the English National Ballet in London, which

he accepted, dancing in Prince Igor, as well as Ben Stevensonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Nutcracker and Cinderella. He then danced as a member of the National Ballet of Cuba in 1993, touring with the company in October 1993 and September 1994, traveling to Madrid, Spain. The tour saw Acosta dance the principal roles in Giselle, Don Quixote and Swan Lake. In addition to touring with the English National Ballet, he was invited to join the Houston Ballet in America in November 1993, where he built up a substantial repertoire of characters. After a five year career with the Houston Ballet, Acosta made his debut with The Royal Ballet in October 1998. Since then, he has danced countless roles, extending his skills to encompass contemporary ballet

as well as the classics. He was promoted to Principal Guest Artist in 2003, allowing him to be less committed to just The Royal Ballet, and giving him the freedom to dance with other ballet companies. As well as performing on stage, he has appeared in several BBC documentaries and live broadcast performances, along with taking his own production Tocororo to Sadlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wells two years running. Acosta is regarded as one of the most influential dancers of our time, and has been compared to Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov, two of the greatest dancers of all time. Aged thirty nine, Acosta is still dancing, taking on guest principal roles across the world.

THE ESSENTIALS

Step-by-Step Ballet steps are a mixture of basic and complex movements, woven together to create beautiful shapes and flowing movements. This section will give a detailed break down of vital steps and explain how a dancer reaches perfection when performing them.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

Demi Bras

1st Position

2nd Position

Arms rounded in front of body.

Feet turned out to make a +90ยบ angle.

Feet turned out and apart slightly more than hip distance.

Preparatory position for arms.

Arms rounded, level with your waist. Arms held to the sides, elbows supported.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

3rd Position

4th Position

5th Position

Feet crossed next to elastics on back foot.

Gap between feet, both feet turned out.

Feet crossed by big toe bone on back foot.

One arm rounded in front of the body, the other held to the side.

One arm rounded in front of the body, the other held above the head.

Arms rounded above the head. Keep shoulders down.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

En Face

Croissé

Á La Seconde

Facing square on to the front.

Facing at a 45º angle to the front.

Facing the front, working in 2nd position.

This makes the dancer look more turned out.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

Demi Plié

Grand Plié

Battement Tondú

Bend of the knees, ensuring knees are turned out and over the toes.

Full bend of the knees, ensuring knees are turned out and over the toes.

Full extension of the straight working leg from a closed position. Brought back in quickly to closed position.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

DeveloppĂŠ

Working leg brought straight up to full retire, supporting knee must be pulled up.

Extend front leg through attitude, ensuring leg is turning out from the hip.

Arms picked up to 1st position.

Arms open to 3rd position.

Back knee should be pulled up. Leg fully extended. Foot should not be 'sickled' - heel should be facing the ceiling.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

Grand Battement

Arms prepare to 2nd position.

Working leg is kicked straight up.

Once reaching height limit, care must be taken to control the descent, back into a closed position.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

1st Arabesque

2nd Arabesque

3rd Arabesque

Leg fully extended derrière.

Front arm should be the one opposite to supporting leg.

Front arm should be the same as the supporting leg.

Back arm is higher, front arm should be opposite the waist. Both are straight.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

Pirouette En Dehors

En face.

Bring working leg into the back, into a plié. Weight is centred.

Turn towards the back leg, bringing foot to retiré (pirouette position).

Arms are brought into 3rd position, with front arm indicating direction of turn.

Arms whipped quickly into 3rd position.

Battement tondú to 2nd position. Prepare arms to 2nd position.

Whip head round by spotting a point on the wall in front of you. 41

The Essentials Step-by-Step

Pirouette En Dadans

Croissé.

Place weight on the front foot, in a wide 4th position plié.

Weight transfer to back foot. Bring front foot into retiré position.

Battement tondú devant. Arms whipped into 3rd position. Arms prepare to 3rd position, with the front arm indicating direction of turn. 42

'Spot' with the head.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

Relevé

Soubresaut

Quick rise. Feet brought in quickly to a tight closed position.

Preparation plié.

Jump straight up. Feet stay in same position.

From 1st-5th position.

Safely land into a plié.

Applies to demi-pointe or en pointe.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

Petit Retiré

Retiré

Jeté

On flat or demi-pointe, working foot is picked up to the ankle.

On flat or demi-pointe, working foot is picked up to the knee.

Spring from two feet to one, with foot tucked into retiré derrière.

Take care not to 'sickle' the foot.

Arms open into demi-second position.

The Essentials Step-by-Step

Grand JetĂŠ

Preparation of two long runs. Arms in 1st arabesque.

Push off from back foot, extending legs into 'splits' position when in the jump.

Synopses Many of the traditional ballets tell a story, and informing yourself of the plot helps to understand what is happening on stage. This section explores these story lines, highlighting key characters and moments to ensure you have a deeper knowledge of the plots.

The Essentials Synopses

GISELLE CHOREOGRAPHER

MARIUS PETIPA COMPOSER

ADOLPHE ADAM FIRST PERFORMANCE

1841 KEY CHARACTERS

Giselle Albrecht Loys Hilarion Bathilde The Wilis 48

The Essentials Synopses

ACT ONE

In a medieval village in Rhineland the gamekeeper Hilarion is deeply in love with Giselle and just as jealous of Loys, who is really the Duke Albrecht disguised as a peasant. Loys comes to meet Giselle after hiding his sword and sending his groom away. When Giselle comes out of her house she is courted by Loys. Giselle then plucks the petals from a flower and gets a “he loves me not” answer, but Loys promises eternal love to her. Then Hilarion enters the scene and swears his love for Giselle. He, however, is scorned by Giselle, chased away by Loys, and leaves promising revenge. The village people come out and there is music and dancing. Giselle joins in the dancing despite her mother’s fears against it because many girls have died after dancing on their wedding night and become Wilis, white phantoms who haunt the woods by moonlight. At this point in the party the Prince of Kurland and his daughter Bathilde, who are returning from the hunt, stop in the village. Giselle and the Princess Bathilde dance, and the princess gives Giselle a necklace before leaving. Meanwhile, Albrecht/Loys has been conveniently away. When he returns Hilarion unmasks Albrecht, breaking his disguise by showing Albrecht’s sword, which he has found. He then sounds his horn to recall the nobles. When they arrive, Albrecht takes the princess,’ (to whom he is betrothed), arm, ignores the presence of Giselle, and says that he was simply diverting himself in the country dances. Giselle, crushed by this, goes mad and in her frenzy grabs Albrecht’s sword and kills herself with it, falling dead into her mother’s arms in front of an astonished and despairing Albrecht.

The Essentials Synopses

ACT TWO

It is midnight by Giselleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grave in the woods. Hilarion wanders by, mortally afraid. Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis appears and scatters the petals of every white flower in the woods with a twig, thus calling the rest of the Wilis, who arrive to welcome their new companion, Giselle. The Wilis hear human footsteps approaching and quickly vanish in the woods, leaving Giselle hovering above her grave. It is Albrecht, who is mourning Giselle, whom he learned to love too late. He places some lilies on her grave, then suddenly sees the hovering Giselle, whom he follows into the woods. The Wilis return and Hilarion wanders back on stage. He is immediately surrounded by the Wilis who force him to dance until he drops dead of exhaustion. Then Albrecht returns and is condemned to the same fate as Hilarion and all of those who encounter the Wilis. Giselle, however, protects him and begs the Queen for mercy, in vain. Albrecht dances, sustained by Giselleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love until the first light of dawn chases the Wilis into the woods, and survives.

The Essentials Synopses

COPPÉLIA CHOREOGRAPHER

ARTHUR SAINT-LÉON COMPOSER

LEO DELIBES FIRST PERFORMANCE

1870 KEY CHARACTERS

Coppélia Swanilda Franz Dr Coppelius

The Essentials Synopses

ACT ONE

The story begins during a town festival. The town is celebrating a new town bell that is due to arrive in the coming days. Anyone who wants to be married on that day will be awarded with a special gift of money. Swanilda is engaged to Franz and plans to marry during the festival. Swanilda asks Franz if he loves her and he answers “yes”, but she doesn’t feel it is heartfelt. She becomes unhappy with Franz because he seems to be paying more attention to a girl named Coppélia who sits on Dr. Coppelius’s (a toymaker) balcony. She spends all of her time reading and gives no one her attention. Franz is mesmerized by her beauty and is determined to get her attention. Swanilda is deeply hurt by his distractions and feels he does not love her. Despite him saying he loves her, she no longer trusts his words. Instead she will hold up an ear of wheat to her ear and if it rattles when she shakes it, then she will know that he loves her. When she does this however, it does not rattle. When Franz does the same thing he tells her it does rattle. She does not believe him and runs away heartbroken. When Dr. Coppelius leaves his house, he is heckled by a group of small boys. After chasing them away he finally goes on his way, not knowing that he dropped his keys in the process. Swanilda finds his keys and is determined to find out more of Coppélia. She and her friends decide to go inside Dr. Coppelius’s house. Meanwhile, Franz develops his own plan to meet Coppélia. He climbs up a ladder to Coppélia’s balcony.

The Essentials Synopses

ACT TWO

Swanilda and her friends find themselves in a large room filled with people. The girls discover that these are not people, but lifesize mechanical dolls. They quickly wind them up and watch them move. Swanilda finds Coppélia behind a curtain and discovers that she, too, is a doll. When Dr. Coppelius returns home, he finds the girls in his house. He becomes angry and kicks them out. Dr. Coppelius begins cleaning up the mess and notices Franz coming in through the window. Instead of shooing him away, he invites him in. Dr. Coppelius wants to bring Coppelia to life and in order to do that, he needs a human sacrifice. His magic spell will take Franz’s life and transfer it to Coppélia. Dr. Coppelius gives Franz some wine laced with sleeping powder and Franz begins to fall asleep. Dr. Coppelius then readies his magic spell. However, Swanilda had stayed and hidden behind a curtain. She dresses up in Coppelia’s clothes and pretends to come to life. She wakes up Franz and quickly escapes.

ACT THREE

Swanilda and Franz are about to say their vows when the angry Dr. Coppelius shows up. Feeling badly for causing such a mess, Swanilda offers Dr. Coppelius her dowry in return for his forgiveness. Swanilda’s father tells Swanilda to keep her dowry. He pays Dr. Coppelius instead, because it was a special day. Swanilda kept her dowry and Dr. Coppelius was awarded his own bag of money. Swanilda and Franz get married and the entire town celebrates by dancing.

The Essentials Synopses

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY CHOREOGRAPHER

MARIUS PETIPA COMPOSER

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY FIRST PERFORMANCE

1890 KEY CHARACTERS

Aurora The Lilac Fairy Carabosse Prince Florimund

The Essentials Synopses

ACT ONE

In a magical Fairy Kingdom, a Princess named Aurora was born to a wonderful King and Queen. The Kingdom’s Fairy of Protection, Lilac Fairy, and all of her maidens were invited to celebrate Princess Aurora’s birth. In the midst of the excitement, the royal family forgot to invite the wicked fairy, Carabosse. Although Carabosse is distraught by their neglect, she and her allies come to party anyway, but with evil intentions. She disguises herself as a beautiful fairy and pretends to enjoy the festivities. However, her evil becomes her and she casts a spell over Princess Aurora saying that on her 16th birthday she will prick her finger and die. Quick to save the Princess, the Lilac Fairy casts another spell saying that she will fall asleep for a hundred years after pricking her finger. Once Carabosse leaves, the party is restored and everyone continues to celebrate. Sixteen years later, the royal family begins to celebrate Princess Aurora’s 16th birthday. Since the night of her birth, the King had ordered that all sharp objects be kept out of the kingdom so she could not hurt herself. His rules were broken, however, on the night of her party. During the celebration, Carabosse disguises herself again, this time as a beautiful seamstress, and presents Princess Aurora with a beautiful tapestry. Enchanted by its beauty, Princess Aurora grabs the tapestry and pricks her finger on a needle that Carabosse has secretly embedded. Carabosse laughs in victory and runs out of the castle. Remembering the spell she had cast before, Lilac Fairy appears to make sure Princess Aurora fell asleep. Lilac Fairy casts a spell on the entire family and court to fall asleep ensuring them of their safety.

The Essentials Synopses

ACT TWO

One hundred years later in a dark forest, a Prince by the name of Florimund is hunting with his friends. He leaves his friends and insists on being alone. Lilac Fairy hears the commotion and ventures out to Prince Florimund. He tells her that he is lonely and is in need of love. She has the perfect idea. She presents an image of Princess Aurora to him and he instantly falls in love. She leads him to the castle to rescue the beautiful Princess and put an end to the evil fairy, Carabosse. Lilac Fairy reveals the hidden castle to Prince Florimund. Just when Prince Florimund steps into the castle doorway, Carabosse appears before him. She will not let him pass and a battle quickly follows. Prince Florimund finally overpowers her and he races into the castle. Knowing the only way to break the spell, he quickly finds Princess Aurora and kisses her. The spell is broken and Carabosse is finally defeated. Princess Aurora and her entire family wake up from their deep sleep. Princess Aurora accepts Prince Florimundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposal for marriage and her family approves.

ACT THREE

The castle is filled with music and laughter as the family and maids clean the dusty old castle for the wedding. The wedding is attended by the Princeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family as well as the fairies. And like every great fairytale, they seal their marriage with a kiss and live happily ever after.

The Essentials Synopses

THE NUTCRACKER CHOREOGRAPHER

MARIUS PETIPA AND LEV IVANOV COMPOSER

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY FIRST PERFORMANCE

1892 KEY CHARACTERS

Clara Nutcracker Sugar Plum Fairy Drosselmeyer Mouse King Snow Queen 60

The Essentials Synopses

ACT ONE

It’s Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum’s house. Their house is decorated for Christmas, with a majestic Christmas tree taking centre stage. The Stahlbaum family are waiting for their party guests to arrive. When they finally appear, the party picks up with dancing and celebration. A mysterious guest arrives dressed in dark clothing, nearly frightening Fritz, but not Clara. She knows he is Drosselmeyer, the toymaker. His surprise arrival is warmly accepted and all the children dance and carry on with laughter. The celebration is interrupted again when Drosselmeyer reveals to the children that he has brought them gifts. The girls receive beautiful china dolls and the boys receive bugles. Fritz is given a beautiful drum, but Clara is given the Nutcracker. Fritz grows jealous, snatches the Nutcracker from Clara and plays a game of toss with the other boys. It isn’t long until the Nutcracker breaks. Clara is upset, but Drosselmeyer fixes it with a handkerchief. It gets late and the guests leave after thanking the Stahlbaums. Clara ends up falling asleep under the Christmas tree with the Nutcracker in her arms. At the stroke of midnight Clara wakes up to a frightening scene the house, the tree and the toys seem to be getting larger. Out of nowhere large mice dressed in army uniforms, lead by the Mouse King, enter while the toys come to life. A battle between the Mouse King and the Nutcracker ensues, with the Nutcracker eventually winning. The mice army quickly carries away their King. Angels hover over their heads as Clara’s bed turns into a magical 61

The Essentials Synopses

sleigh. The Nutcracker is transformed into a human prince. He gets on Clara’s sleigh and drives through a snowy forest where the snowflakes turn into dancing maidens.

ACT TWO

After their journey through the snow forest, they come to the Land of Sweets. Upon their arrival, they are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy. In their honor, the Sugar Plum Fairy takes them inside the Candy Castle and throws a lavish festival. Hot coco dances to the lively music of trumpets and castanets of the Spanish fandango. The women of coffee dance in veils to an Arabian song, while Mandarin tea dances to an exotic Asian flute chorus. Russian dolls conclude by dancing to an invigorating Russian Trepak. The dancing flowers enter to the tune of the harp. The flowers dance in beautiful mesmerizing patterns, followed by a handsome Cavalier, who enters the scene and escorts the Sugar Plum Fairy to the center of the room. They dance to the most recognizable song in the entire work. This beautiful dance completes Clara’s evening. The festival concludes when everyone comes together in the court and bids Clara and the Nutcracker farewell. She tells the Nutcracker she wishes the adventure would never end and he tells her it won’t for those who have an eye to see it. Clara wakes up the next morning under the Christmas tree with her Nutcracker still in her arms.

The Essentials Synopses

SWAN LAKE CHOREOGRAPHER

MARIUS PETIPA AND LEV IVANOV COMPOSER

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY FIRST PERFORMANCE

JANUARY 1895 KEY CHARACTERS

Odette Odile Swans Prince Siegfried Evil Sorcerer 64

The Essentials Synopses

ACT ONE

ACT TWO

Prince Siegfried arrives at his 21st birthday celebration in the palace courtyards. The royal families and townspeople are dancing and celebrating, while the young girls are anxiously seeking his attention. During the celebration, his mother gives him a crossbow and informs him that his marriage will be quickly arranged. Hit with the sudden realization of his future responsibilities, he takes his crossbow and makes haste to the woods with his friends.

Getting ahead of the group, Prince Siegfried finds himself a peaceful spot by an enchanted lake where swans gently float across its surface. While Siegfried watches, he spots the most beautiful swan with a crown on its head. As dusk falls, the swan with the crown turns into the most beautiful young woman he has ever seen. Her name is Odette, the Swan Queen. She informs the young prince that an evil sorcerer, Von Rothbart, who so happens to be disguised as Prince Siegfriedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mentor, has turned her and the other girls into swans and that the lake was formed by the tears of their parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; weeping. She tells him that the only way the spell could be broken is if a man, pure in heart, pledges his love to her. The Prince, about to confess his love for her, is quickly interrupted by the evil sorcerer. He takes Odette from Prince Siegfriedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s embrace and commands all of the swan maidens to dance upon the lake and its shore so that the prince cannot chase them. Prince Siegfried is left all alone on the shore of Swan Lake.

The Essentials Synopses

ACT THREE

The next day at the formal celebration, Prince Siegfried is presented with many prospective princesses. However, he cannot stop thinking about Odette. His mother commands him to choose a bride, but he cannot. For the meantime, he satisfies his mother’s request by at least dancing with them. While the prince is dancing, trumpets announce the arrival of Von Rothbart. He brings his daughter, Odile, on whom he has cast a spell to look like Odette. The prince is captivated by her beauty as he dances with the imposter. Unbeknown to Prince Siegfried, the true Odette is watching him from a window. The prince soon confesses his love to Odile, thinking that she is Odette. Prince Siegfried sees the real Odette fleeing from the window and realises his mistake. Upon his realisation, Von Rothbart reveals to the prince the true appearance of his daughter Odile. Prince Siegfried quickly leaves the party and chases after Odette.

ACT FOUR

Odette has fled back to the lake and joined the rest of the swans in sadness. Prince Siegfried finds them gathered at the shore consoling each other. He explains to Odette the trickery of Von Rothbart and she grants him her forgiveness. It isn’t long before when Von Rothbart and Odile appear in their evil forms. Von Rothbart tells the prince that he must stick to his word and marry his daughter. A fight quickly follows. Prince Siegfried tells Von Rothbart that he would rather die with Odette than to marry Odile. He then takes Odette’s hand and together they jump into the lake. The spell is broken and the remaining swans turn back into humans. They drive Von Rothbart and Odile into the water where they, too, drown. The girls watch the spirits of Prince Siegfried and Odette ascend into the heavens above Swan Lake.

The Essentials Synopses

CINDERELLA CHOREOGRAPHER

FREDRICK ASHTON COMPOSER

SERGEI PROKOFIEV FIRST PERFORMANCE

1948 KEY CHARACTERS

Cinderella The Prince Fairy Godmother Ugly Step Sisters Wicked Stepmother 68

The Essentials Synopses

ACT ONE

Cinderella is scrubbing down the kitchen floor and daydreaming about how happy she was when her mother was alive. Her daydreams quickly fade when Cinderella’s mean stepsisters demand her to make them breakfast. After she makes their breakfast an old homeless beggar comes to the window. She asks Cinderella for some food, and when Cinderella is about to give her some, Cinderella’s evil stepmother forbids her to do it. Cinderella decides to give the old woman her own food and Cinderella is left without eating a thing. After breakfast Cinderella returns to her chores. Moments later Cinderella’s step sisters are shouting with excitement. They have received a letter from the palace. Cinderella is forced to read the letter aloud, because the stepsisters cannot read. The letter turns out to be an invitation to the Prince’s Royal Ball. Cinderella’s stepmother and sisters go to town to buy gowns and accessories for the ball. Cinderella is left alone, and is consoled by her mice friends. The mice cheer up Cinderella by making her a lovely gown out of rags. After Cinderella puts on her gown, the old woman appears. She magically transforms into a Fairy Godmother and turns Cinderella’s rag gown into a beautiful dress fit for a princess. She turns a pumpkin into a royal carriage and turns the mice into horses. She tells Cinderella to go to the ball, but to be back before midnight, otherwise her dress will turn back into rags and the spell will be broken. Before Cinderella leaves, the Fairy Godmother gives Cinderella glass slippers.

The Essentials Synopses

ACT TWO

At the Prince’s Royal Ball, Cinderella’s step-family arrives late. While the stepsisters try to get the Prince’s attention, Cinderella steps foot into the Ball Room. The Prince is captivated by her beauty, as is every other gentleman, and barely gives the stepsisters his time of day. Nobody knows who the mysterious girl is, not even Cinderella’s step-family. Cinderella and the Prince dance the night away, causing Cinderella to forget about her midnight deadline. As the clock starts to chime, she realises she must go before her clothes turn to rags. She quickly leaves without explanation and in her hurry, leaves a slipper behind on the stairs. The Prince chases after her, but only finds the single glass slipper. The next day, the Prince orders a kingdom-wide search to find her. He travels from house to house with the glass slipper and has each girl try it on. If the slipper fits it must be the mysterious girl he danced with the night before. When the Prince arrives at Cinderella’s house he is greeted by the obnoxious stepsisters. The stepsisters try on the slipper, but it does not fit. During that time, Cinderella’s stepmother locked her in a room so she couldn’t try on the slipper. Since the slipper did not fit either of the stepsisters’ feet, Cinderella’s stepmother insists to try it on. She manages to force her foot to fit the slipper. True to his word, the Prince proposes to Cinderella’s step mother. Cinderella finds out from her mice friends and starts to shout in her cell. The Prince finds out that there is still one more girl in the house. Once Cinderella is freed from her cell, she tries on the slipper. It is a perfect fit. The Prince takes Cinderella with him to his castle. A royal wedding takes place at the palace and Cinderella and the Prince live happily ever after.

The Essentials Synopses

ROMEO & JULIET CHOREOGRAPHER

KENNETH MACMILLAN COMPOSER

SERGEI PROKOFIEV FIRST PERFORMANCE

1965 KEY CHARACTERS

Romeo Juliet Tybalt Mercutio Capulet Family Montague Family 72

The Essentials Synopses

ACT ONE

In the market place in Verona, Romeo, son of Montague, tries unsuccessfully to declare his love for Rosaline and is consoled by his friends Mercutio and Benvolio. As day breaks and the townspeople meet in the market, a quarrel develops between Tybalt, a nephew of Capulet, and Romeo and his friends. The Capulets and Montagues are sworn enemies, and a fight soon begins. The Lords Montague and Capulet join the fray, which is stopped by the appearance of the Prince of Verona, who commands the families to end their feud. Meanwhile, in Julietâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anteroom in the Capulet house, Juliet, talking with her nurse, is interrupted by her parents, Lord and Lady Capulet. They present her to Paris, a wealthy young nobleman who has asked for her hand in marriage. Evening falls, and guests arrive for a ball at the Capulet house. Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio, disguised in masks, decide to go in pursuit of Rosaline. In the Ballroom, Romeo and his friends arrive at the height of the festivities. The guests watch Juliet dance; Mercutio, seeing that Romeo is entranced by her, decides to distract attention from him. Tybalt recognizes Romeo and orders him to leave, but Lord Capulet intervenes and welcomes him as a guest in his house. As the guests leave the ball, Lord Capulet restrains Tybalt from pursuing Romeo. Later on, unable to sleep, Juliet comes out onto her balcony and is thinking of Romeo, when suddenly he appears in the garden. The famous scene follows where they confess their love for each other.

The Essentials Synopses

ACT TWO

The next day, Romeo can think only of Juliet, and, as a wedding procession passes, he dreams of the day when he will marry her. In the meantime, Juliet’s nurse pushes her way through the crowds in search of Romeo to give him a letter from Juliet. He reads that Juliet has consented to be his wife. At the chapel, the lovers are secretly married by Friar Laurence, who hopes that their union will end the strife between the Montagues and Capulets. However, later in the market place, interrupting the revelry, Tybalt fights with Mercutio and kills him. Romeo avenges the death of his friend and is exiled.

ACT THREE

At dawn the following day, the household is stirring, and Romeo must leave Juliet’s room. Romeo leaves as her parents enter with Paris. Juliet refuses to marry Paris, and he leaves. Juliet’s parents are angry and threaten to disown her. Juliet rushes to see Friar Laurence. She falls at the Friar’s feet and begs for his help. He gives her a vial of sleeping potion that will make her fall into a death-like sleep. Her parents, believing her to be dead, will bury her in the family tomb. Meanwhile Romeo, warned by Friar Laurence, will return under cover of darkness and take her away from Verona. That evening, Juliet agrees to marry Paris, but the next morning, when her parents arrive with him, they find her apparently lifeless on her bed. Romeo fails to receive the Friar’s message, and returns to Verona grieving Juliet’s death. Disguised as a monk, he enters the crypt and, finding Paris by Juliet’s body, kills him. Believing Juliet to be dead, Romeo drinks a vial of poison. Juliet wakes and, finding Romeo dead, stabs herself.

The Language of Mime As there is no spoken word in ballet, the story telling relies on the music and on the acting of the dancers. The language of mime is used throughout, particularly in the traditional classical productions. This section offers a detailed guide to the most common mime movements and what they mean.

The Essentials Mime

Love

Anger

Sorrow

Both hands clasped over the heart.

Fists gestured upwards.

Hands slide down face to mimic movement of tears.

The Essentials Mime

Death

Dance

Arms crossed at the wrists in front of body.

Arms start in 5th position.

Hands are rotated in a swirling motion.

The Essentials Mime

You

Beg

One hand points towards middle of chest.

One hand gestures outwards towards another dancer.

Dancer is on knees, hands clasped in front and gesturing upwards.

The Essentials Mime

Royalty

Engaged or Married

Hand makes two points on forehead to symbolise a crown.

Point to ring finger on left hand.

WARDROBE

Pointe Shoes Introduction Anatomy How are they made? Breaking In Tying Ribbons

Wardrobe Pointe Shoes

Introduction They are the most iconic piece of dance clothing in the world. They transform dancers into creatures that seem to effortlessly glide along on the tips of their toes. They are elegant, and should act as an extension of a dancer’s foot. The pointe shoe is the element that transformed ballet into what it is today. The first ‘pointe shoes’ ever worn by a ballerina were basic compared to the highly perfected shoes of today’s standard. Marie Taglioni was the first dancer to be recorded as dancing on the tips of her toes. The support supplied by her shoes was minimal - she danced in her flat ballet shoes, and simply darned the toes in order to harden them up. This is both impressive and dangerous; if a dancer does not have the correct footwear, she can cause lasting damage through injuries, but the strength Taglioni must have had in order to carry herself en pointe is extraordinary. Pointe shoes are the most important tool to a ballerina. Because of the hardened box around the toes and the hard platform 86

at the tip of the shoe, the dancer is able to place all of her weight onto the very tips of her toes, and the structure of the shoe - the hardened shank, or sole of the shoe - ensures safety when dancing. Of course it is still incredibly easy to pick up an injury whilst en pointe. Simply shifting your balance off centre, or not pulling up through your legs can cause injury, so learning pointe work technique prior to buying the shoes is vital. The technology behind them has been little altered to the untrained eye since their invention in the nineteenth century. However, advances have been made in the design of the pointe shoe, and the tiniest alteration can make all the difference to a dancer’s performance. Each shoe is made by hand, and follows a strict process to make sure that they are the correct fit. Once she has found the specifications that suit her feet, a dancer will order hundreds of shoes to the same measurements. There are many details that can be specified, and each depends on the individual: a 3/4

length shank, square or rounded platform, elastic drawstring, the height of the side quarters, the length of the vamp, the height of the heel, and the shape of the vamp cut (V or U) can all be altered depending on how a dancer prefers her shoes. Once the shoes are broken in, a dancer can spend hours of classes strengthening her feet and building her technique. Starting off with barre exercises allows the body to become familiar with the balance and strength needed to dance en pointe. Only after this has been mastered can more complicated exercises such as pirouettes and other turns in the centre be learnt. A professional dancer can get through three pairs of shoes a week, with most ballerinas using a pair of shoes per act if performing on stage. They are broken in during classes, and put aside once they are ready to be worn for performing. A pair of pointe shoes will be worn out after the famous thirty-two fouettes in Swan Lake and will be hot to the touch on the platform.

Wardrobe Pointe Shoes

5 6 8

9 4

3 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 88

shank drawstring vamp box quarters outer sole protective cover feathers (pleats) platform

Wardrobe Pointe Shoes

How Are They Made?

The making of a pointe shoe takes great care and precision by people who have years of experience in the trade. Unlike many production lines in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society, pointe shoes are all still made by hand. Although this adds to the time and ultimately the cost, it is crucial that the height of the vamp fits to within an eighth of an inch because of the support offered to the dancer. Three separate pieces of satin are used to create the body of the shoe. The process begins with these pieces being sewn together, with a pure cotton lining sewn to the back of the pieces to protect the dancerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feet. The vamp (the v-shaped section at the front of the shoe) is attached 90

to the quarter panels (the side panels of the shoe). The back is sewn together to create the heel, and at the same time the drawstring is attached. They are then fitted onto a wooden last, a fixed mould that is a different size and width for every varying shoe, in order to check the sizing. The cotton lining is nailed to the last, and the insole is nailed on as well. The insole is made of rigid cardboard, which has then been improved with the addition of plastic for flexibility.The cotton lining is pulled down over the insole and glued. Removing the nails and any excess once the glue has dried, he pulls the cotton into neat pleats around the bottom of the toes.

Wardrobe Pointe Shoes

The next stage in the process is sculpting the toe box. It is made in a similar way to papier mache - layers of fabric and paste are built up to create a strong and resilient box. The first layer to go on top of the cotton lining is a piece of resin coated cotton. It is dipped in water to soften it, and applied to the shoe. Next to go on are two pieces of burlap fabric, which are alternated with two layers of paste. The paste is a mixture of flour, water and starches, but it also contains a rubber and plastic based resin that hardens to a semi flexible state. This is vital as the dancer needs to be able to flex the shoe whilst still trusting that there is enough support there in order to carry out the challenging steps. A final layer of cotton

is attached, and the platform is squared off with a hammer, to ensure that it is perfectly level for balancing en pointe. Having been left to dry for twenty four hours, the final layer of cotton is glued over the sole using contact cement. Once the excess has been trimmed off, the satin is then glued over this lining, creating the pleats at the toe called feathers. A foam filler is applied to even out the underside of the shoe. A high strength vinyl glue is applied to the underside of the shoe, and left to air dry for another twenty four hours.

on a heater set to 200째F, where it is left for thirty seconds. The outer sole is applied and put in a press for fifteen seconds to solidify the glue and bond it to the sole. A sock lining is glued inside the shoe, on top of the sole after it has been removed from the last. With the shoes complete, they are ready to be delivered to dance shops and schools, ready for the dancers to break them in.

The final stages occur once the glue has dried. It is reactivated when the shoe is put 91

Breaking In Pointe Shoes

The process of breaking in pointe shoes is a process tailored to the individual, but there are standard techniques for getting the best life and performance from the shoes. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Breaking inâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a term that refers to the bending and shaping of the pointe shoe in order to get it ready to dance in. It is the same with any pair of shoes - you wear them in to get them to be comfortable, and pointe shoes are no different. Some dancers barely break their shoes in, as they like to feel they have a lot of support from the hardness of the shoe. Others break them in so that they are nearly too broken in, as they like them to be soft and feel like an extension of the foot. 92

Wardrobe Pointe Shoes

The first step to break in pointe shoes is to bend the shank, and mould the shoe to fit with the dancer’s natural arch of their foot. The easiest way to do this is with your hands. You want the shoe to bend at the point your heel meets the arch of your foot. You also want it to flex at the demi pointe position; this is easiest to do by wearing the shoes and going through the foot, from flat, to demi pointe and then to full pointe. The shoe shouldn’t be broken (able to bend) in the middle of the foot, as this is a crucial area of support. A common way to make the shoe more flexible is to trap it in between a door and its frame, on the demi pointe line, and shut the door on it to break the back of the shoe. As brutal as this sounds,

this proves how strong the shoes are! Some dancers use a hammer on the ball of the foot to emphasise the demi pointe. Stepping on the box with the back of your heel flattens it, and makes it more pliable, but you don’t want to break it too much, as this is the part of the shoe that provides support for your toes and stops your foot from ‘going over’ when en pointe. Scoring the sole with scissors or a knife adds extra grip to the bottom of the shoes, and this can also be done on the platform. Professional dancers darn the satin on the platform, or cut the satin off all together and darn the underneath hardened material, or glue other material to the platform to improve the grip.

Once the shoes are broken in, attaching the ribbons is the next stage. Some dancers add an extra piece of thick elastic over the top arch to provide extra security and make sure that the heel doesn’t slip down when dancing, but ribbons around the ankle provide the confidence needed to ensure the foot is secure in the shoe. They have to be tied in a specific way in order to reduce the risk of injury. A step-by-step guide to correctly tying ribbons can be found on page 94.

Wardrobe Pointe Shoes

Tying Pointe Shoes

Tying the ribbons correctly is vital to support the ankles. To begin, take the inside ribbon. Pull across the front of the foot.

Wrap around the back of the ankle.

Take it back to the front, and wrap around the ankle again.

Wardrobe Pointe Shoes

Take up the outside ribbon. Pull across the front of the ankle, whilst keeping hold of the other ribbon.

Wrap the outside ribbon around the back of the ankle, twice, in the same way as the other ribbon.

Knot the ribbons behind the ankle bone, and tuck in to hide the ends.

Tutus Introduction Anatomy

Wardrobe Tutu

Introduction The tutu is instantly recognisable. Ask anyone in the street what a ballerina wears, and they would answer straight away, ‘a tutu’. Along with pointe shoes, they are symbolic items of the classical dance. Tutus connote the idea of beauty, and the wearing of a tutu for a performance can help greatly in getting a dancer into character. A standard tutu is made up of two (sometimes three) key sections: the bodice, the skirt and sometimes a basque is needed. The bodice is made up of six to fifteen pieces of fabric. The basque is a v shaped piece of material that sits on the hip, and joins the bodice to the skirt. It is not always required, and depends on the style of tutu, as well as the dancer’s preference, as it helps to aid movement. There are, in classical ballet, three different styles of tutu: romantic, bell and classical. The romantic tutu is what some would class as the ‘original‘ tutu, although it is not the one that most people picture when you say the word ‘tutu’. It was the first type 98

of tutu to be worn in classical ballet, and was first worn in Paris in 1832, by Marie Taglioni in La Sylphide. The Romantic tutu is made up of three to five layers of net or toulle, and is cut just above the ankle in order to show the footwork. In today’s age, they are generally cut to mid calf length. The length of the skirt is long in order to produce floating and ethereal qualities. There are two different variations within the romantic style, and they focus on the waist of the tutu. For one, the skirt begins at the waist. For the other, the skirt begins at the high hip, so has a dropped waist. Because this second style begins at the hip, a basque insert is required between the bodice and the skirt. The classical tutu is the most widely recognised of the three styles. It was born out of viewers’ demands to see more of the intricate footwork and movements of the legs. It was first worn in Italy in the 1880s by Virginia Zucci. Similar to the romantic tutu, there are two styles within the ‘classical’ bracket - there is the very

flat ‘pancake‘ or plate tutu, and the softer powderpuff or ‘Balanchine‘ tutu. Both are created using netting that is placed on top of wire hoops and lightly tacked in place. A standard classical tutu consists of up to thirteen layers of toulle. The bell tutu is somewhere in between the romantic and classical. The length stops just before the knee, and is made up of eight layers. It isn’t as well known as the other two, and is less commonly used in performances. The number of layers in a tutu varies between countries. In England, a seamstress would use ten to twelve layers to create the skirt; in France (Paris specifically) they use the most layers, with thirteen being the optimum amount, and Italy uses the least amount of layers, only using seven to ten. A single tutu can take anything from sixty to ninety hours of work to make it to the high standard required. It can require up to a hundred yards of toulle to make the skirt.

These two facts (the amount of time and material needed) might explain why tutus are so expensive - the English National Ballet spends upwards of a thousand pounds on Odetteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tutu in Swan Lake; Odileâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is even more costly. The Royal Ballet features eighty five tutus throughout one production of The Nutcracker, and a hundred and fifty in The Sleeping Beauty. Keeping in mind the adornments of sequins and decoration added to the bodice and skirt, it is hardly surprising the level of skill required to create such a beautiful costume. However expensive, however many metres of material are used, and regardless of how many hours are put in in order to produce the finished piece, tutus will always be instrumental in creating some of the magic associated with the theatre.

Wardrobe Tutu

1 bodice 2 skirt This tutu is made without a basque. 100

101

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A DANCER’S LIFE

103

104

A Dancer’s Life

The Life of a Dancer

It would be safe to say that the vast majority of little girls are taken to ballet classes from a young age. However, there comes a point in every dancer’s life where they have to make the decision of whether ballet is to continue as a hobby (all be it a time consuming one) or whether it will become their career. The dedication to the art form is crucial. To become one of the country’s top dancers, children (both girls and boys) are advised to join ‘professional’ dance schools at the age of 11. The Royal Ballet School - White Lodge - accepts students to board from the age of 11. This seems like an incredibly young age at which you have to decide your future, but it is necessary due to the short career span of a ballet dancer - even if you make it into the Corps de Ballet by eighteen, you will only dance for maybe twenty years. Many retire by forty, due to physical restraints and injury. The body just can’t cope with the amount of stress and pressure it is put under to achieve many balletic positions.

Ballet dancers make the steps look effortless. What the audience sometimes doesn’t fully appreciate is the time that has gone into getting that dancer to the highest level of technique and performance that he or she can achieve. To put this into context, one minute on stage is equivalent to two hours rehearsal. Bearing in mind that most performances are at least an hour and a half, that’s one hundred and eighty hours minimum, most likely a whole lot more, just on one production. A dancer with The Royal Ballet has a hectic, tiring schedule. They can sometimes work fourteen hour days if there is a great of amount of rehearsing to do. To give an idea of a typical day as a ballet dancer, Yuhui Choe, First Soloist at The Royal Ballet, takes us through a standard November day. Her working day begins at 8:30am, in Covent Garden, London at the Royal Opera House. She has a costume fitting and stage call for an hour, before an hour and a quarter warm up class from 9:30am. The class begins with exercises at the barre, which aim to stretch out the dancer’s muscles 105

A Dancer’s Life

and warm them up in preparation for work in the centre. This will involve a mixture of adage, alegro and pirouettes. Dancers at The Royal Ballet have classes every morning; it is said that if a dancer ‘misses one class, you notice. Miss it for two days, your colleagues notice, and miss it for three, your audience notices.’ It is crucial to stay in shape in order to keep their fitness and muscles in peak condition. Stamina is also vitally important - a three hour ballet performance is equivalent to running eighteen miles. The slightest lapse in dedication can result in the loss of a much wanted role in the next production. During these classes, the individual decides whether to practice en pointe or not, but most begin warming up in flat shoes and change to pointes for centre work. This provides the opportunity to break in new pointe shoes prior to performances, and to maintain the strength needed to dance en pointe. The warm up class is normally followed by five or six hours worth 106

(sometimes more) of rehearsals. At 11:00am, Choe has a stage rehearsal with the orchestra. It is important to rehearse with a live orchestra as the tiny details in the music change depending on the conductor. Knowing these little nuances inside out means the dancers can highlight these moments in the dances, and the performances gain a little extra magic. Midday signifies another rehearsal, this time for the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. Choe will rehearse this role for five weeks prior to opening night, and this is the first time she has danced this role. For more experienced dancers, it would be more than likely that they would have less time for rehearsal. As well as this part, she is also rehearsing the role of Columbine (it is not unusual for dancers to have two, three or even four different roles within a production). Although it is classed as a ‘rehearsal’, the dancers are instructed to perform the steps to the highest quality all the time, as it gets you used to acting and dancing to the best of your ability.

A Dancer’s Life

An appointment with the physiotherapist at 4:30pm is crucial for Choe, who has a problem with her ankle that is aggravated by dancing. Almost all of the dancers with The Royal Ballet will have some form of physical ailment or injury that requires work from a physiotherapist on a regular basis, due to the huge amount of strain that the body is put under to dance the steps required. Evening draws in, and 8:00pm means show time. Choe prepares herself backstage, putting on stage make-up and her costume, before warming up in preparation for taking to the stage. Stage make-up is far heavier than every day cosmetics. Because of the bright lights, ‘pancake’ foundation must be worn. Up close the dancers’ faces look orange, but this is necessary to combat how washed out they look under stage lighting. Heavy eye liner and false lashes are applied to emphasise the eyes and to prevent them being lost on stage, and red lipstick ensures the mouth does not blend in. Wigs are sometimes worn if it is necessary for a particular character, for example the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella.

Evening performances finish between 10:00 and 10:30pm. The same thing happens all over again the next day. The Royal Ballet stages up to eight performances a week, including matineés. The Royal Ballet works in seasons, and several ballets are performed in sets during this period of time. Although the days are long and involve a lot of physical exertion, this is the level of commitment required in order to reach the top of the dance world. And if you asked any dancer who is a member of the country’s top dance companies, each one would say that although they work hard, they wouldn’t have it any other way. After all, practice makes perfect, and never has a truer word been said in the ballet world.

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Ballet: A Rite of Passage?

For many little girls, ballet is a rite of passage. They harbour the dream of becoming a ballerina from a very young age. Perhaps this is because of the perfect but stereotypical image portrayed of a ballerina twirling around on her toes in a tutu. That is about as far removed from a ‘normal job’ as you could think of, after all. It could be the magic and excitement that can be felt as soon as you put on a pair of ballet shoes, or it could simply be a love for dancing. However, those who have the ambition to reach the ultimate goal of becoming a ballerina would be the first to tell you that it is not as easy as the dancers make it look. Having grown up with ballet always being part of my life, I know first hand the key moments that make you feel like you are on the path to success, and that you are moving a little further towards the dream of being a ballerina. I don’t remember my first ballet class - I was only three years old, in my defense. According to my mum, there was a lot of skipping

about, twirling around and generally mimicking what I believed ballerinas did. I still have my first pair of ballet shoes tucked away in the top of my wardrobe. I don’t know whether my mum foresaw how important ballet would end up being in my life, or whether it was just one of those keepsakes that she felt were important to keep, but I’m glad she saved them. They are well worn, faded and crinkled, but look as well loved as my current pair of pointe shoes do now. I vividly remember buying my first pair of pointe shoes. I’d been taking pointe work classes for about a year, as a way of preparing my body for going en pointe. I was fourteen, and deemed ‘mature’ enough in my dancing to be ready for my pointe shoes. I still get excited whenever I buy a new pair of pointes - I place a perhaps unhealthy love into an inanimate object, and each pair is special to me - but the excitement I felt that first time was huge. I may have been a little naive about how much determination it 109

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would take to become good at dancing en pointe. It is a difficult process for your body to grasp - your centre of balance has to change, your posture is of course altered, and your leg muscles need to strengthen and adapt in order to keep you on your toes. I was close to breaking point, close to giving up on the dream of ever being a ‘proper ballerina’ doing pirouettes en pointe, as I wasn’t getting any better after three years of determined training. Luckily a change of pointe shoe brand was the thing needed to keep me dancing, and my confidence rapidly grew. Another rite of passage for a dancer is dancing your first solo on stage in front of an audience. It is such a difficult series of emotions to pin point and describe; before you make your entrance, you feel excitement, anticipation, as well as nervous (to be expected). The butterflies in your stomach start fluttering, and I personally suddenly feel cold. I have to tell myself to take a deep breath, calm your thoughts, and trust your body to take you through the dance you’ve practiced the steps so many times that muscle memory kicks 110

in - your feet move without you having to even think about what you should be doing. There is a split second moment just before you go onstage where everything seems to freeze. Your senses are on edge, and you suddenly take in every tiny detail in that moment - the heat from the lights on your cold body, the smell of make up, hair spray and dry ice in the air, the awareness of your tutu sticking out from your body. People even seem to freeze mid movement. It’s literally like someone has pressed pause, and it only lasts for a nano second, but you feel like it goes on forever. Then the moment is over, and you gather yourself together, and make your entrance. During the performance you feel elation, but you pray that you will get through without many mistakes. At the end of the solo, as you take a bow and the audience applauds, you do feel a real sense of pride. And suddenly it’s all over, and you either look to the next dance with anticipation, or, if it’s the last performance, you actually feel a real sadness that you won’t dance it again. You get really attached to

A Dancer’s Life

your dances, and to the characters you are portraying on stage. Because the production becomes your life for so long, it leaves a gap when you no longer need to rehearse it. The saying ‘you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone’ is true of ballet in my life. I didn’t realise how much I love it until I was unable to continue classes. It wasn’t because of an injury thankfully, and I planning to rejoin classes again once I have graduated from university. Even though I’ve made choices that have meant I will never reach the level of becoming a professional ballerina, there is still a little part of me that believes she could still be a ballerina, but I know that ship has sailed. However, as long as ballet is still in my life in some way or another, I can live with this reality.

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Curtain Call

First Time at the Ballet Going to the ballet for the first time can be a bit of a daunting experience. You don’t know what to expect from the performance, even though you may be going with someone who has been before. So, with this in mind, here are some pointers of how to prepare yourself for a night out (or afternoon if you are seeing a matineé performance) at the ballet. It may be stating the obvious, but the first thing you need is a ticket! Tickets are available online or from the box office either in person or by phone. If you go in person, the box office assistants will show you a seating chart whereas online you can select your seats from a virtual one. Quite often the box office will, by default, offer you tickets located in the centre and with 100% unrestricted view, regardless that these may be in row Z. If you are wanting cheaper tickets and are not adamant on sitting in the stalls, there are good seats available in the Circle, even if they are advertised as having a ‘restricted view’, but the closer to the middle, the better the seats. 114

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Knowing what the story of the ballet is can make it far easier to follow the action on stage. There is nothing worse than watching an hour and a half performance and not being able to appreciate it fully due to sitting there thinking ‘I don’t have a clue what’s going on.’ So, before you go, read a synopsis of the ballet (you can find all of the major classical ballets in ‘The Essentials’ chapter) and try to understand the background of the story, the main characters, and the relationships between each other. It may also help to look up any key scenes so that you know when the key moments of the ballet are happening. A lot of the story telling in ballet is done through mime as there is no speech, so knowing a few basic ‘phrases’ would help with unraveling the plot even more. (A guide to mime is also in ‘The Essentials’ chapter.) Although there is no official dress code for attending the ballet, it is advisable to adopt a smart/casual approach, with emphasis on the smart side. Jeans would not be 115

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appropriate dress, but neither would a full evening gown, so try to find the happy medium in between the two. Perhaps see it as an exciting night out, so dress as you would for a fancy restaurant. You should aim to arrive at the theatre at least half an hour before the performance (one hour before if your tickets are held at the box office). If you are going to a performance in London, be sure to leave ample time to get there; trains and the tube are always busy, so be prepared and leave enough time to get to the theatre. On arriving, having shown your ticket to the theatre attendant, it is a good time to visit the merchandise stand, where you can buy a programme - a must if you want to know more about the cast and the performance you are about to watch. Any last minute changes to the casting is normally inserted as a list into the programme as well, so it means youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be up to speed on last minute adjustments that may have occurred due to injury or for other reasons. 116

Having bought your programme, there may well be time to grab a drink from the bar before the performance begins. It might also be advisable to order any drinks for the interval at this time if you can, to avoid queueing during the interval. When the conductor enters, it is traditional to applaud. The audience also claps when the performance begins. The critic Clement Crisp believes that you will know if you like a ballet after two minutes. I think it takes longer than this personally, as some ballets take a little while to get going, as it were, but within the first twenty minutes you are probably able to judge whether it is for you or not. Even if you think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to enjoy it, stay til the end; you never know, you might be surprised by what you see. Keep an eye out for technical aspects such as pirouettes, jumps and lifts, as well as intricate footwork. Draw on your pre-show research in order to understand the story being told through the dance and mime. If you are impressed by a particular solo, it is

acceptable for the audience to show their appreciation through applause; you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to wait til the end of the performance to show that you enjoyed it. Most ballets have at least one interval between the acts, with longer ballets possibly having two. Intervals are typically 20-25 minutes, and allows the audience members to buy drinks at the bar, and ice cream from the theatre attendants. When the ballet ends, the company takes their bows (reverence), and then there is normally a series of curtain calls, where the principal dancers come forward to receive further applause. The length of the applause will depend on how the public gauged that performance. Once the protective curtains have closed, the performance is over and you may leave the theatre. Bear in mind that everyone will be vacating the theatre at the same time, so it will be busy in the surrounding area and on public transport.

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Theatrical Superstitions

The theatre is somewhere that has always been steeped in superstitions, and ballet dancers observe these traditions as a matter of principal. If these rules are broken, some believe that a serious faux pas has occurred. Others are taken less seriously, but whether it is a large or small incident, they are all observed, almost religiously. Dancers are greatly superstitious - even the wishing of ‘good luck!’ is regarded as a wrong doing. If you are wanting to wish a dancer good luck before a performance, you should express this by saying the phrase “break a leg!” or simply “merde!” This second saying originates from when the audience members would arrive by horse-drawn carriage, and the success of the performance was judged on the amount of horse manure that was left behind as a result. If a dancer is stretching backstage on the floor, you must never step over their legs, as it feared the leg will break.

It is tradition to leave the ‘ghost light’ on in an empty theatre. There are several views as to why this is. Some say it is in order to ward off ghostly visitors to the theatre, others argue that it gives ghosts an opportunity to perform onstage. The most practical reason is that it is unsafe to leave the theatre in total darkness. Either way, it is advisable to avoid leaving the theatre in the dark. Another tradition to be observed when in a theatre is that there is no whistling, particularly in the dressing rooms. It is feared that someone will lose their job if a person is caught whistling. Dancers are always told that if you have a bad dress rehearsal, it means you will have gotten the mistakes out of your system and the performances will go without a hitch. Perhaps it is the psychology behind a good dress rehearsal impacting on dancers, and making them aware that they could make mistakes in the first performances, but

it seems to be true! Many directors and choreographers believe that the reverence or bows at the end of the performance shouldn’t be practised until show day, and not before the dancers have ‘earnt the right’ to accept applause for their performance. If you are giving a dancer flowers, it is actually better to give them to them before, rather than after the show as seems to have become the norm in the present day. Every dancer has a ritual that they follow when preparing for a performance. This is due to believing that doing things in a certain order brings luck, and it becomes such a superstitious thing that it is feared that if the routine is broken, it could bring back luck upon the dancer or the performance. The order in which make up is applied, costumes are put on and pointe shoes tied are all factors that make up the pre-show ritual.

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Hierarchy Every ballet company has a set system for their dancers. Most dancers work their way up through the ranks from the Corps de Ballet, but only the most talented reach the highest level of Principal. This section outlines the various ranks within the company, and although The Royal Ballet is the example given, most other companies have the same hierarchy. Soloist

First Artist Artist (Corps De Ballet) The lowest rank in the company and dancers at Artist level form the corps de ballet. There are more dancers at Artist level than any other rank in the Royal Ballet and nearly all are trained at the Royal Ballet School, with most graduates of the school entering the company at this level. 118

A rank for the most senior members of the corps de ballet. Dancers at this level have the opportunity to perform some of the corps de balletâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more featured roles, such as the Dance of the Cygnets in Swan Lake. First Artists will occasionally be cast in minor Soloist roles if they are being considered for promotion.

There are normally 15-20 Soloists in the company. As the title suggests, dancers at this level perform the majority of the solo and minor roles in a ballet, such as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet or one of the Fairies in The Sleeping Beauty.

Principal

Principal character artist

First Soloist The rank where dancers are being considered for promotion to principal level. A dancer at this rank will dance a varied repertoire of the most featured soloist roles, whilst understudying and having the opportunity to perform leading roles when a Principal dancer is injured or unavailable.

The rank given to members of the company who perform important character roles in a ballet. These roles are normally very theatrical and often include character dance and ballet mime. Examples include Carabosse in The Sleeping Beauty or Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker. Most Principal Character Artists in the Royal Ballet are older dancers who have been high ranking members of the company.

The highest rank in the Royal Ballet. Dancers at this level generally perform the leading and most featured roles in a ballet. To be a Principal is to be recognised as one of the leading dancers in the company and some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most celebrated dancers have been Principals with the company.

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GLOSSARY

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Glossary

à la seconde adage allegro arabesque leg arms attitude barre battement fondú frappé glissé tendú bourreé changement chassé corps de ballet coupé couru croissé demi-pointe devant derrière 122

to the side. slow, unfolding movements that challenge a dancer’s control. fast and brisk dance movements, normally involves jumps and travelling across the stage. working leg extended in the air, generally to the back. 3 different arabesques - 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Corresponds to the leg. leg bent in arabesque, or 'through' movement for a developpé. warm-up for class is done holding onto a waist height horizontal barre for support. a slow, ‘melting’ plié, on one leg and fold the working leg out. a sharp, quick extension of the leg, with the foot striking the floor as it points. similar movement to a frappé, but it glides along the floor and the foot is then lifted. stretched extension straight out from closed position. quick little steps en pointe that makes it look as if the dancer is gliding. a jump vertically upwards from 3rd or 5th, swapping the feet in the air. a glide forwards from a plié, through 4th position. the large group of dancers that dance the less significant roles. exchange weight from one foot to another, picking up the working foot to the ankle. small ‘running’ steps performed en pointe. Calves normally kept together. ‘crossed’. Dancer is turned at forty five degrees from centre. dancer is on 3/4 pointe. Weight is on the balls of the feet. to the front. to the back.

Glossary

developpé échappé en avant en face en pointe fouetté en tournant grand battement en cloche grand jeté jeté lifts ouvert pas de bourreé pas de deux pirouette en dehors en dedans plié

unfolding movement of the working leg, usually held in the air. ‘escape’. Both feet shoot out quickly from closed 1st, 3rd or 5th out to 2nd or 4th position. working forwards. facing the front. dancers wear pointe shoes in order to dance on the tips of their toes. working foot extends to 4th position en l’air in plié, and is ‘whipped’ into retiré position as dancer turns in pirouette position. working leg kicks upwards and is controlled downwards. foot sweeps through past 1st position to follow through movement. ‘splits’ in the air. Front leg is straight when it extends into the jump. springy upwards jump, from two feet to one, with second foot tucked behind at petit retiré position. partnering allows for the male to lift the female in various lifts. These can be complicated and dangerous. literally ‘open’. The opposite to ‘croissé’. made up of three steps: feet start in 3rd or 5th. Front foot crosses behind, other foot steps to the side, and the first foot closes in front. ‘dance of two.’ Most classical ballets will feature a section where the lead male and female dancers partner each other. a turn on one leg. Spotting the head is crucial to avoid dizziness. turning ‘outwards’, towards back leg. Prepare to 2nd position, bring in foot at the back in 4th, plié with weight centred equally. Relevé onto supporting leg, bringing working leg into retiré devant. turning ‘inwards’, towards front leg. Lunge into 4th position lunge, weight on front foot. Back foot brought in to retiré devant as dancer relevés and turns in pirouette position. an equal bend of both legs. Demi or grand plié are the basis for many jumps and turns. 123

Glossary

port de bras pulling up relevé retiré rond de jambe à terre en l’air en dehors en dedans sauté sickling soubresaut spotting supporting leg temps levé turnout working leg

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moving the arms through a sequence of positions. body is ‘lifted’ from the ribcage, shoulders are relaxed and down, pelvis is tucked under, and the leg muscles are held. The stomach muscles are also important in pulling up. close both feet together quickly en pointe or demi-pointe. supporting leg is straight. Working foot is bought up to the knee, to side of the knee cap. Petit retiré is only to the ankle, rather than knee. dancer circles leg from front to back (or vice versa) in a circular movement, travelling through 1st position when closing. dancer ‘draws’ a semi circle on the floor with the working foot. literally ‘in the air’. semi circle is drawn from front to back. semi circle is drawn from back to front. simple jump, from 1st, 3rd or 5th. Jump straight up with feet staying in the same position to land. foot is not turned out. Ankle should face outwards, not in. similar to a sauté, but you spring forward. Feet do not switch. crucial for turning. Dancer picks a spot on the wall in front of them, and does not take their eyes off it as they turn. The aim is to whip your head round quickly by staring at the same spot. the leg that supports the body whilst the other leg executes the movement. a hop, normally from a closed position, to arabesque. the key aspect of classical ballet. Legs are turned out from the hip, and follows down to the knee and ankle - feet point at +45° to be turned out and ankles should face forwards. the leg that is performing the movement.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;This book finally opens up the ballet world to an adult audience.... A must read for any person wanting to emerse themselves in this mysterious dance form.â&#x20AC;? - Times Magazine

Ballet is sometimes a topic that seems daunting to those wanting to learn more. What with breathtaking but complicated steps intertwined with stories, amazing costume design feats and theatrical protocol, you may feel out of your depth with knowing where to begin when unraveling the many levels of this classical dance form. However, by the time you have finished reading this book, you will have an in depth knowledge of all things ballet related. From understanding how pointe shoes are made, through to what to expect from your first time at the ballet, To The Pointe of Perfection takes you on a magical journey through the backstage world of ballet.

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