Easy & simple learn book
Dance with techniques, spin and jump with style!
L I A
G R A C I A N T I
D J A P H A R
History ..............................................................................................................................................1 Type of Ballet ...................................................................................................................................3 Clothes ..............................................................................................................................................5 Shoes ................................................................................................................................................7 Hair-do ..............................................................................................................................................9 Feet Position ..................................................................................................................................11 Arm Position ..................................................................................................................................13 Barre Exercise ................................................................................................................................15 What do Ballet movement means? ..............................................................................................19 Glossary .........................................................................................................................................21
Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century. Noblemen and women were treated to lavish events, especially wedding celebrations, where dancing and music created an elaborate spectacle. Dancing masters taught the steps to the nobility, and the court participated in the performances. In the 16th century, Catherine de Medici, an Italian noblewoman, wife of King Henry II of France and a great patron of the arts, began to fund ballet in the French court. Her elaborate festivals encouraged the growth of ballet de cour, a program that included dance, decor, costume, song, music and poetry. A century later, King Louis XIV helped to popularize and standardize the art form. A passionate dancer, he danced many roles himself, including that of the Sun King in Ballet de la nuit. His love of ballet fostered its elevation from a pasttime for amateurs to an endeavor requiring professional training. By 1661, a dance academy had opened in Paris, and in 1681 ballet moved from the courts to the stage. The French opera Le Triomphe de l’Amour incorporated ballet elements in its performance, creating a longstanding opera-ballet tradition in France. By the mid-1700s French ballet master Jean Georges Noverre rebelled against the artifice of opera-ballet, believing that ballet could stand on its own as an art form. His notions — that ballet should contain expressive, dramatic movement, and that movement should reveal the relationships between characters—introduced the ballet d’action, a dramatic style of ballet that conveys a narrative. Noverre’s work is considered the precursor to the narrative ballets of the 19th century. Early classical ballets such as Giselle and La Sylphide were created during the Romantic Movement in the first half of the 19th century. This movement influenced art, music and ballet. It was concerned with the supernatural world of spirits and magic and often showed women as passive and fragile. These themes are reflected in the ballets of the time and are called romantic ballets. This is also the period of time when dancing on the tips of the toes, known as pointe work, became the norm for the ballerina. The romantic tutu, a calf-length, full skirt made of tulle, was introduced. The popularity of ballet soared in Russia, and, during the latter half of the 19th century, Russian choreographers and composers took it to new heights. Marius Petipa’s The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, by Petipa and Lev Ivanov, represent classical ballet in its grandest form. The main purpose was to display classical techique — pointe work, high extensions, precision of movement and turn-out (the outward rotation of the legs from the hip)—to the fullest. Complicated sequences that show off demanding steps, leaps and turns were choreographed into the story. The classical tutu, much shorter and stiffer than the romantic tutu, was introduced at this time to reveal a ballerina’s legs and the difficulty of her movements and footwork. In the early part of the 20th century, Russian choreographers Sergei Diaghilev and Michel Fokine began to experiment with movement and costume, moving beyond the confines of classical ballet form and story. Diaghilev collaborated with composer Igor Stravinsky on the ballet The Rite of Spring, a work so different —with its dissonant music, its story of human sacrifice and its unfamiliar movements — that it caused the audience to riot. Choreographer and New York City Ballet founder George Balanchine, a Russian who emigrated to America, would change ballet even further. He introduced what is now known as neo-classical ballet, a form that expands the classical form. He also is considered by many to be the greatest innovator of the contemporary “plotless” ballet. With no definite story line, its purpose is to use movement to express the music and to illuminate human emotion and endeavor. Today, ballet is multi-faceted. Classical forms, traditional stories and contemporary choreographic innovations intertwine to produce the character of modern ballet.
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There are variant type and style such as The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Don Quixote, La Sylphide & Swan Lake
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Women and girls:
A simple leotard and a pair of tights is the best thing to wear to class. Leotards are available in several colors and designs, including sleeveless, short sleeved and long sleeved. Young dancers delight in wearing small skirts and tutus over their leotards, but most teachers discourage them in older classes.
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Men and boys:
A simple dance outfit is tight sweat pants or shorts paired with a tank top or t-shirt tucked in at the waist. Some prefer traditional leotards and tights, but with the tights worn on the outside. All male dancers traditionally wear dance belts.
Do not wear anything too tight or too loose and just wear whatever you feel
comfortable in.
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A ballet shoe, or ballet slipper, is a lightweight shoe designed specifically for ballet dancing. It may be made from soft leather, canvas, or satin, and has flexible, thin soles. Traditionally, women wear pink shoes and men wear white or black shoes. However tan colored slippers, which are unobtrusive and thus give the appearance of dancing barefoot and are worn in modern ballets and sometimes modern dancing by both men and women. All ballet dancers wear soft ballet slippers for the main part of the ballet class. More advanced female dancers may change into pointe shoes/ toe shoes for centre work and performance.
Sew the ends of the elastic on the outside of the shoe. This will mean that it is less likely to rub the side of your foot and cause irritation when you are dancing.
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The point on dressing up the hair for ballet people is stay neat and tidy. Males needed to stay short in hair while girl have a style of hair called bun to do. 1. To start the process, wet your hands and the hair with water.
This will give you better control over the hair. Gather the hair and pull it back. Apply hair gel if you need more control over the hair.
2. Use a hair brush to smooth out rough or uneven areas. Form
a pony tail by brushing the hair up from the jaw line to the top part of the back of the head. This will form a high bun. The placement of the pony tail determines the placement of the bun. Mid and low buns are sometimes used with short hair. Very short hair can be done in two low side buns, or use hair clips to fasten the hair down without a bun.
3. Use an elastic hair band to secure the pony tail. A tidy pony tail with hair drawn snugly back is the key to making a good ballet bun.
4. Apply more water or gel to keep the hair neat, and twist the pony tail. 5. Coil the pony tail into a tight circle. 6. Use hair pins all around the coil to secure it to the rest of the hair. Slide each pin through the outer part of the coil, then into the base of the bun.
7. Wrap a fine hair net around the bun. Keep twisting and wrapping so that the hair net tightly secures the bun. Add a few more pins.
8. With long thick hair, you may end up with a bun that will protrude too much. A flatter bun is preferable. To flatten, remove all pins; the hair net will hold the bun. Then flatten the bun and re-pin all around the bun. 9. For extra hold, when the bun and hair are all secure, use hairspray.
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The positions of the feet in ballet is a fundamental part of classical ballet technique that defines proper placement of feet on the floor. There are five basic positions of the feet in modern-day classical ballet, known as the first through fifth positions.
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First
The feet are aligned and touching heel to heel, making as nearly a straight alignment as possible.
Third One foot is placed in front of the other so that the heel of the front foot is near the arch of the back foot. There are two third positions, depending on which foot is in front.
Fourth Croise one foot is placed approximately twelve inches in front of the other and the heel of the front foot is aligned with the toe of the back foot
Second
The feet are aligned as in first position, but with heels spaced approximately twelve inches apart.
Fourth Ouverte one foot is placed approximately twelve inches in front of the other and the heels are aligned
Fifth One foot is placed in front with the heel of one foot aligned with the toe of the other foot.
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Both arms are down and rounded with both hands just in front of the hips, fingers almost touching.
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Maintaining the curved shave, arms are brought up so that the tips of the fingers are in line with the navel or higher that the sternum.
Arms are out to the sides, angled down and forward, with palms facing forward. Elbows are slightly power than the shoulders, and wrists are level with the elbow.
Raise your left arm over your head, slightly forward and round your right arm to the side at belly button height, then keep the palm of your hand turned forward.
Repeating, the difference is now bring your left arm forward, slightly rounded at the height of your chest then raise your right arm above your head, slightly rounded.
Starting with arms in first position, raise the arms over the head., now you should be able to see your hands without moving your head.Round your arms with your elbows slightly bent. and make your hands should be about 6 inches apart. Make sure your palms are facing inward.
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Ballet Barre Exercise - Tendu Tendu Front
Tendu Side
Tendu Back
Slowly slide your foot out from 3rd position until just your pointed toes are in contact with the floor. Then return your foot to 3rd.
Next, slide your foot out to the side, pointing so that your toes are touching the floor. When you return your foot to 3rd position, close it at the back of your supporting leg.
Now, with your working leg at the back of your supporting leg, slide your leg out directly behind you and point.
Ballet Barre Exercises - Dégagé Degage Front
Degage Back
Degage Side
This is rather like the Tendu. The difference is that, this time lift your pointed foot off the floor by a few inches.
Finally, with your working leg at the back of your supporting leg, slide your leg out directly behind you, point and raise off the floor.
Try the same movement out to the side, and point off the floor. When you return your foot to 3rd position, close it at the back of your supporting leg.
Ballet Barre Exercises - Grande Battements Grande Battement Front
Grande Battement Side
Grande Battement Back
You’re going to be doing a slow kick up to roughly hip height, keeping your leg perfectly straight out in front of you. Keep everything apart from your working leg perfectly still and your back straight.
Try the same movement out to the side. Again, keep your hips squarely facing the front, your back straight and everything still and balanced. Kick to the side slowly.
The last one is to the back. It’s very important to keep your upper body still for this one – the overwhelming desire will be to tip forwards. But try to keep your back as upright as possible and kick up slowly to the back.
Ballet Barre Exercises - Plié Demi Plie in 2nd
Full Plie in 2nd
Full Plie in 1st
Start with the 2nd position. So with feet and your arm in 2nd, and a beautifully straight back, bend your knees out to the side. As for the 1st position version, keep your knees over your feet.
Continuing your bend, you should aim to get your thighs parallel with the floor – but don’t worry if you can’t quite reach this just yet. Your arm down in 1st will complete the look.
Now, continue bending your knees until your heels come off the floor and you can't bend any further. To complete the look, bring your arm down to 1st. Don't forget to keep your back perfectly straight.
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A movement in ballet gives out three things in life Expression such as dull, foolish, sympathetic, purposeful, mysterious, obnoxious, fresh, cheerful, secretive, bold, liberal, secular, sarcastic, hurtful & in loved. Feelings such as anger, happiness, sadness, guilty, annoyed, irritated, loving, hating, enlightened, horrified, sick, excitement, embarrassed, empower, nervous, hope, proud, pessimistic, optimistic, gentle, calming, moody, powerful & broken hearted. And message that people are trying to tell through their chosen dance and music.
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Here are some ballerina terms, a dictionary you can refer to in order to know some words that would be use by the teacher in joining a each level of class.
GRADE 1 Plie
= The bending of both knees
Demi
= Half
Degage
= To release the foot from closed to an open position
Tendu
= Stretched
Devant
= Infront
Derriere
= Behind
Grand
= Large
A la second
= To the second position
Petit
= Small
Jete
= To throw the weight of the body from one foot on to the other
Saute
= To spring
Echappe
= To escape
Curtsey/Bow
= To say thank you
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GRADE 2 Fondu
= A bending of one knee
En croix
= In the shape of a cross
Retire
= To draw up
Bras
= Arms
Bas
= Down
Changement
= To change
Temps leve
= To hop
Coupe
= To cut the body weight from one foot to other
Chasse
= A sliding movement
En avant
= Forward
Pose
= A step
Enchainements
= The amalgamation of steps
Glissade
= A gliding movement
GRADE 3 Battement
= Beating movement of the leg
Rond de jambe = Circle of the leg A terre
= On the ground
En dehors
= Outwards
Assemble
= Joined together
Alignment
= Directions of the body
En face
= Facing front
Croise
= Crossed
Ouverte
= Open
De cote
= to the side 22
En arriere
= Backwards
Attitude
= A position on one leg the other crossed 4th a terre or en l’air
Ordinaire
= Ordinary
Arabesque
= A position on one leg, the other in open 4th, a terre or en l’air
Pas de chat
= Step of a cat
Soubresaut
= A spring commencing and ending in 3rd without changing the feet
Pirouette
= A spin on one foot
GRADE 4 En dedans
= Inwardly
Frappe
= To strike
Sur le cou-depieds
= On the ankle
Releve
= To snatch
Releve passé derriere
= Raising the front foot under the knee and closing the foot at the back
Develope
= To unfold
Ports de bras
= Carriage of the arms
En l’air
= In the air
Chasse passé
= A sliding movement with the back/ front foot passing the opposite
Demi-pointe
= Half pointe
Passe
= Passing
Pas de bourree = A compound step consisting of three small steps Pas de basque = A movement derived from the swaying of the skirt Balance
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= A graceful transferring of weight from foot to foot
GRADE 5 Petits battment sur le = Small beats on the ankle cou-de-pieds Soutenus
= To sustain
Adage
= Slow movement
Sissonne ouverte
= A spring from two feet to one foot,
Glisse
= Gliding
Echappe battu fermee = A beaten echappe commencing in 2nd and ending in 5th
GRADE 6 A deux bras
= with two arms
En cloche
= the foot passes from 4th devant to derriere through 1st position
Demi-grands ronds de = A large circling movement of the leg from derriere through to 2nd jambe en l’air Foutte
= A whipping movement
Demi-contretemps
= Temps leve and a chasse passĂŠ
Sissonne ordinaire
= A spring from two feet alighting on one foot
Sissonne fermee
= A sissonne finished in 5th position
Sissonne ouverte change
= A sissonne ouverte with a change of feet before landing
Petit Assemble
= A small jump from 1 foot to 2 feet
Ballonne
= A bouncing step
Ballonne compose
= A compound ballonne with the accent on the second extension
Petit Batterie
= Small beating steps (i.e. changement battu)
Changements battu
= A beaten changement
Echappe battu ouverte = A beaten echappe commencing in 5th and ending in 2nd
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Ballet is one type of dance and this book content a brief explanation and tutorials on basic ballet that introduce people to a ballet world. The answer of how and what does ballet life looks like. An easy & simple learn book with information and reference copyright from internet sources and the New York City Ballet Academy