ABSOLUTE BEGINNER BALLET
7 WEEK MINI COURSE
SYLLABUS
Location: MCC
Instructor: Liane Fisher, M.A.
E-Mail Address: [email protected]
Materials:
Required materials:
pink leather or canvas ballet slippers (no isotoners!)
Hair must be secured in bun or ponytail off face.
Students should wear comfortable stretchy clothing as if for yoga class. Acceptable clothing: leotard with ballet tights or yoga pants and a form fitting T-shirt. Please no baggy clothing (sweats, baggy t-shirts)
Course Description:
This course offers training in the basic skills of ballet technique with emphasis on proper placement and alignment.
Intended Learning Outcome:
Students will demonstrate knowledge of the theory of ballet technique covering the following topics:
THEORY:Articulation of the feet; 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions of the feet,
positions of the arms: 1st, 2nd, and 5th; demi-plies in 1st 2nd and 3rd; grands plies, tendus devant and a la seconde and derriere; divided dégagés, divided grands battements, en croix, cou de pied, retiré, ronds de jambe, frappé, fondu, cambré, sous-sus, positions of the head: inclined, erect, turned; intro to spotting, 1st and 3rd port de bras; 1st arabesque and Cecchetti 3rd arabesque; temps liés, sautés and echappés sautés; polonaise; chassé, balancé, mazurka, glissade, pas de bourée, assemblé, jetés ordinaires, intro to grands jetés, intro to pirouette, echappés relevés, petits battements
Students will be able to physically demonstrate the correct classical technique and dynamics of steps covered in this course to the best of their ability as a beginner.
Course Objectives:
1: To physically be able to correctly perform the steps covered in this course as appropriate for a beginner level.
2: To begin to develop the ability to assess own and others’ technique in the execution of particular steps and to then to implement the necessary corrections.
3: To identify ballet steps using the correct French terms see GLOSSARY here!
4: To have fun!
COURSE OUTLINE: (NB: schedule may be adjusted depending on class ability)
Lesson Topics Introduced
Week 1
Posture and alignment: “Center” and “Pull-up”: what does it mean?
discuss turn-out
Discuss: quality of movement in demi-plié and use of turn out; turn out exercise
1st and 2nd positions of the feet;
1st, 2nd, and 5th position of the arms
Discuss: use of the foot and parts of the foot and articulation of foot through tendu;
press 4th toe into floor to lift arches; foot exercise
FLOOR WORK
point and stretch feet
clamshells
stretch
FACING THE BARRE
demi pliés in 1st and 2nd,
tendus a la seconde,
dégagés a la seconde,
grands battements a la seconde (1 ct up, 2 counts to come down to tendu, close on 4)
SLOW relevés through 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 pointe,
INTRODUCTION TO CENTER
Adagio: tendu, releve lent a la seconde (8cts) and releve 1st balance (8cts) other side
triplet walk
chassés
divided relevés and sautés
Cecchetti 1st port de bras Discuss: coordination of head and arms in port de bras
reverence
Week 2
review of topics introduced in lesson one
addition of:
discuss articulation of the foot through cou de pied and retiré
add exercise in preparation for fondus
introduce exercise in preparation for developpés
cambré forward.
IN CENTER
Positions of the head
Discuss: neck and head, use of head in spotting;
introduction to spotting
introduction to balancés
classical walks
Week 3
Continued practice of all learned previously
Addition of:
3rd position of the feet
demi pliés in 3rd
Discuss: Use of turn-out in tendu devant
tendu devant
dégagé devant and side
grand battement devant (back to the barre, two hands holding barre)
introduction to demi ronde de jambe (through devant and to a la second only)
Cambré side (keeping hand over head in 5th and not distorting position)
frappé
echappé sauté at barre
Cecchetti 3rd port de bras (same as Vaganova 1st basically)
Adagio: add releve lent devant
Week 4
Continued practice of all learned previously
Addition of:
Discuss: Use of turn-out in tendu derriere
Addition of:
tendu derriere
dégagé derriere
grand battement derriere
add ronde de jambe through derriere position
introduction to fondu all directions (a terre)
developpé all directions a terre
in center:
arabesque
Adagio- releve lent in all directions
intro to grands jetés (divided):
polka
Week 5
Continued practice of all learned previously
sous-sus
relevé passé (at barre)
introduce cambré back
introduce changements at barre
transfer of weight- temps lié
glissade
polonnaise (add brush to down-up-ups)
Week 6
Continued practice of all learned previously
Addition of:
tendus from 3rd; introduce en croix
jetés ordinaires at barre
tendus a la seconde travelling in center
mazurka across floor
intro to chainee turns
intro to pas de bouree
introduction to pirouette (1/4)
Week 7
Review of everything learned previously