Sunday Snapshot: Port de Danseuse

Hannah is a young photographer and dancer who has been featured on the Dance Advantage Sunday Snapshot before. She has a knack for finding unique locations and using them to feature her favorite subject, dancers. “Dance is what I love to do so naturally, I am most inspired to photograph dancers,” she says. And in case you are doubting, yes, the boat really is named the Dancer.

New Continents — From Royal Ballet School To Boston Ballet

Duncan Lyle, fresh out of the Royal Ballet School has been offered a contract with Boston Ballet. In 2009 the young Australian was awarded a prize for Choreographic Development by the NJL Foundation and has performed Liam Scarlett’s Toccata at the Assemblée Internationale in Toronto, and in the RBS Matinee, an annual Covent Garden presentation that marks the shift of graduating student to performing artist. Before his training in London, he was a young ballet student in Victoria, Australia’s Camberwell District Ballet School (now the Russian Choreographic Academy).

Graciously sharing helpful tips for auditioning and jumps with Dance Advantage readers, Duncan took a moment to talk with me about his transition from student to professional.

Dance Advantage: You were young when you began begging your mom for ballet classes and eight years old when she finally relented. Do you recall what you liked most about training in ballet?

Duncan Lyle: I honestly can’t remember. I think it’s always just felt right. The ballet studio is always a place I have felt comfortable and felt like I belonged.

DA: You began with respected instructors in a pretty rigorous program, dancing after school for a couple of hours, four days a week. Was there ever a time you contemplated quitting or pursuing a less demanding track?

DL: Yes. I once took six months off from ballet when I was 14. My school commitments were growing and it was becoming seriously difficult to juggle everything. It reaffirmed for me, however, that ballet was my one love and out of everything what I should have been doing.

DA: Allegro dancing comes naturally to you but I am sure you have had instruction that has helped you develop that talent. Any advice you could pass along to a student hoping to improve their agility in beats or jumps?

DL: I think the best advice I could give is two things: develop the height of your jump by doing very slow static allegro and; always work every movement, no matter how quick, to the fullest. Always fully stretch your legs and feet in the air and think about the movements you are making in the air. Be very precise with your movements in the air and gradually they will become clean and crisp.

DA: At age 17, when most teens here in the U.S. are contemplating the move to college, you traveled continents away from your home in Australia to London to study at the Royal Ballet School. What was most difficult about the transition?

DL: I think the hardest thing about moving away was just the unknown. I had no idea what my new life was going to be like and I think that was the scariest thing. Once I was actually in London, of course I missed my family, friends and Melbourne but it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. I made great friends with almost everybody in my year who provided a wonderful support network.

DA: I know it might be hard to imagine, but what what kind of career do you think you’d be interested in if you did not dance?

DL: I would definitely pursue a career in music. I have been composing and arranging music since I was fourteen and it’s something I really love. I would apply for a university course in music and see where it would take me.

DA: Tell us a bit about the audition process that leads graduates of the RBS to employment.

DL: Firstly, we submitted a list to our director of the companies that we wanted to join and audition for. Our director then helped us by suggesting other companies that might suit us and removing companies that wouldn’t. From then on it was up to us to arrange our auditions, whether they be open or private, book our flights and make our way to our auditions. Every audition I participated in was just a ballet class watched by the director with a panel of ballet staff. Candidates get eliminated at certain points throughout the class so that the panel can see the people they are interested in better. I was lucky enough to make it through all of my classes without being cut. You then mostly find out the result of the audition on the day but of course this varies from company to company. If they’re definitely not interested in you then you’ll know that on the day, but if they might be interested in you then you may have to wait to find out.

DA: Do you find auditioning stressful? What is most challenging for you?

DL: I think the only aspect of auditioning I find really stressful is the travelling to the destination! It’s very hard trying to book a flight that will get you to your destination in enough time to get to the studio and warm-up! Plus I hate airports! I’m pretty good under stressful circumstances like auditions or appraisals.

DA: What advice or tips for auditioning you could you give to students or young professionals like yourself?

DL: I think most importantly, stay calm and confident. If you’re overly nervous, you won’t be able to show the people that matter what you’re capable of. Presentation!! Remember that what most directors are looking for are dancers and not just technicians so perform everything in the class! And I believe that a lot of directors are looking for a clean canvas that they can work with and adapt to suit their company so make sure your technique doesn’t get affected.

DA: You’ve been to the U.S. before, and I’m sure you’ve been doing some reading up on Boston. What excites you most about dancing in America?

DL: I think what I’m most looking forward to in the U.S. is the positive atmosphere and the fact that there’s so many exciting things. Everything is happening there and I’m very excited to be a part of that.

We are excited to follow your career, Duncan, and welcome you to a new continent! May you have many thrilling adventures in Boston and beyond.

For more on Duncan, his background and training visit Ballet News and Oberon’s Grove and Blast Magazine.

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How do YOU feel about auditioning? Do you get nervous?

What do you enjoy about training in ballet?

Do you like to travel? How far would you go to study dance?

Sunday Snapshot: Ballet Zaida

This Sunday Snapshot is a little different. Rather than pulling from our Flickr Photo Pool, I wanted to share an entire website with simply gorgeous photos. Find more like the one below at the Ballet Zaida website:

According to Oliver Endahl, the photographer, the purpose of the Ballet Zaida photography project is to “educate and expose the public to ballet, as well as inspire the world through pictures.” A former ballet dancer himself, his work is definitely inspiring as well as inspired, featuring incredibly talented dancers in stunning locations. And there is just gallery after gallery of images – a visual feast.

The website offers downloads for your desktop or iPhone background and you can also schedule a shoot with Oliver.

Be sure to check out and LIKE Ballet Zaida on Facebook to keep up with the latest blog posts and gallery photos.

Sunday Snapshot: Foot Phrase

Foot Phrase is a section in the ballet A Pulse Stolen by Ted Seymour (see more in an interview and clips from A Pulse Stolen on YouTube), which had its world premiere on May 21, 2010. This section of the ballet is done in total darkness except for three sets of illuminated, moving feet. The two shown are the feet of Ashley J.( in sous-sus) and Brittany H. (in tendu derriere).

About the photographer: Allanah C. is a dance and college student currently living in Indianapolis, IN and spending the summer as an extra dancer for Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. She started taking pictures of her friends at her home studio for fun and it has since developed into a hobby of sorts. Of capturing the shot, she says, “I love the challenge photographing dance presents because my subject is almost always in motion, even on my digital camera without a delay the picture can easily become blurred by the motion of the dancer or the lighting.”

Sunday Snapshot: Father’s Way

Okay, I’m cheating a little this week.

I wanted to do something interesting for Father’s Day so I’m changing it up a bit just for today. Below are two videos of a father and son, both spectacular dancers. You don’t get images of that very often, I’m sad to say!

The pair are Dimitrij and Daniil Simkin. Daniil joined ABT as a solist in 2008. He’s been featured as Lankendem in Le Corsaire, the Son in Prodigal Son, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, and danced leading roles in Allegro Brillante and One of Three. He’s won numerous international awards, and I might mention he’s a premiere member of the ballet world’s Twitter etoile (you can follow him here). His father, Dimitrij danced with Novosibirsk State Theatre and later toured with the Bolshoi Ballet. He received first prize in both the National Ballet Competition and, in 1988, the Ballet Competition in Varna. In 1990 he moved to Germany where he performed as a Principal in the Deutsch Oper in Düsseldorf and later the Wiesbaden StaatTheater.

The following is a pretty adorable film created in 2001 when Daniil was just 13.

Simkin vs. Simkin

This one is a 2006 performance in Prague.

My Way

Happy Father’s Day

to dancing dads and the dads that support dancers!

More dance dad moments:

• Team up for ballet
• Dance Dad Joy
• Dancing With Daughters

Blog Spotlight: Start Your Morning With Dancing Branflakes

“I am a professional dancer who loves all things edible and pretty.”

Tiffany Braniff sums up her blog, Dancing Branflakes with one statement. But don’t mistake this sunny outlook for superficiality.

I’ve appeared on Dancing Branflakes in a new series that shares reader’s old dance photos. Jump over there now to see me in all my first-grade glory. The awesome part about the submissions is that they’ve come from those who’ve gone on to be dancers, and those who haven’t. It’s a wonderful reminder that we all begin somewhere and a great example of the elegant way Tiffany has of bringing people together online. She connects with readers with an open enthusiasm for life, for dance, for food, and yes, pretty things that is unifying, refreshingly honest, and therefore meaningful.

I really enjoy Dancing Branflakes, and I think you will too, so I caught up with Tiffany to ask her a few questions about dance and blogging.

Dance Advantage: Tell us a bit about your background in dance, Tiffany.

Tiffany Braniff: I started dancing at 10, later in life in dancing terms. Because of that I worked harder to retrain my muscles. I think that work ethic is what set the tone for the rest of my dancing career. I had to always work harder, smarter, and more than everyone else.

I studied the RAD method with Pamela Hayes in Sacramento. I went on to BYU to study dance and actually really struggled there, not with grades but with my identity. I had one ballet teacher tell me “You are a beautiful dancer, just not in ballet.” The modern teachers told me I looked “too ballet.” It was after I left BYU that my technique flourished and I began to understand who I was as a dancer. I am still learning and growing but I finally feel confident in my abilities for the first time in my life.

(For the record, BYU has an amazing modern dance program and introduced me to the Bartenieff method. I adopted this method into my training and it has changed my dancing dramatically for the better.)

Right now I am a company member of Dangerous Lorraines Dance Theater in Sacramento. I take ballet and modern dance classes as often as I can. I am also a teacher at Northern California Dance Conservatory where I teach ballet and little kids.

DA: Where did your supercute blog title come from?

The name is a play on my last name, Braniff.

DA: Why did you start blogging?

TB: I started blogging as a way to keep in touch with my family. Then I realized my family never read my blog so I changed the format to blog about a dancer’s life. I figured it would be a way to share my love for dance and the dance world in general to a broader audience. It’s important for me to promote dance any way I can.

DA: How long have you been blogging?

TB: I started blogging two years ago, but this dancing blog started nine months ago. The support from the blogging community is great. Within my own community of blogging friends we’ve opened up to each other in a way that feels so close and comfortable that everyday I look forward to their posts. If done right, a blog can be a beautiful look into one’s soul. Good bloggers appreciate that and build wonderful relationships from that intimate glimpse.

DA: Dancing Branflakes covers a whole range of topics. You are a dancer who blogs but not always a dancer blogging about dancing. Did you consciously decide to do things this way?

TB: Great question and I’m glad you like the variety! My goal was to blog everyday but to blog about dance everyday can get boring, even if you love dance. As someone who’s life revolves around dance, sometimes you just need a break. So posting things about food, fashion, and life’s beauties was just an organic occurrence. And maybe a little symbolic of a dancer’s life.

DA: As a result of your diverse focus, you also have a diverse readership. What has most surprised you about your community of readers?

TB: They love dance! I love it because I think this blog has helped them rekindle their love for dance or has given them a forum to express their excitement for dance even if they aren’t dancers themselves. It’s such a beautiful art form- who wouldn’t love it?

DA: What has blogging done for your dancing?

TB: It has helped me stay motivated and excited about it. I find myself thinking about life lessons and funny stories within the classes I teach or performances I am in and wanting to share it with my readers. Their enthusiasm for dance is so infectious and supportive that I can’t help but always feel inspired and blessed to have chosen this profession.

DA: Name one non-dance blog that you think every dancer should read?

TB: This is the hardest question! Cup of Jo is probably the most refreshing and hugely popular blog. She’s the guru of all bloggers, knows how to captivate an audience in a single phrase, and blogs about everything that everyone loves. She’s a professional with over ten thousand followers but has a real homey feeling.

DA: What is coming up for you in the future that you are really excited about?

TB: This summer I am going to Repertory Dance Theater’s Workshop in Utah. For the first time since college I will be able to dance every day from morning until night. I feel like my body is at it’s peak and the desire to dance has never been greater. Right now I’m always looking for more so I’m on the look out for auditions, performance opportunities, and collaborations. As for my blog, more giveaways! I love them and I love giving gifts to people.

Dancers, teachers, and parents,

do you have a favorite non-dance blog that you read regularly?

Pas de Deux: Two Career Dancers On Pregnancy

Can a professional dancer maintain her career and be a mom, too?

For a long time women in dance were discouraged from becoming mothers and having a child would have ended a performing career. As gender inequality issues rose to the surface of public consciousness in the 1960′s, ballerinas like Allegra Kent began to challenge the notion that a professional performance career and motherhood were mutually exclusive pursuits. However, it is within only the last 10 to 15 years that support from dance companies and organizations has made it possible for more mothers to continue and pursue their careers in dance.

Balancing any career with motherhood has its challenges but mother/dancers certainly face some unique concerns and questions. To produce a picture of what it is like for mothers who are also professional dancers, I spoke with two dancing moms, one a ballet dancer, one a contemporary dance artist and choreographer. In this first installment, we discuss pregnancy and what it is like to dance and perform while expecting.

Mother/Dancer

Born in Dallas, Texas, Sara Webb trained at the Academy of Nevada Dance Theatre and the Harid Conservatory. She joined Houston Ballet in 1997 and was made a principal in 2003. She has performed leading roles in the company’s classical and repertory works, including her favorites, the title roles in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella and Glen Tetley’s Voluntaries. In 2007, following a c-section for the birth of her son Joshua, Sara was able to return to class after 4 weeks and was back to work full-time after 7 weeks. She is now 16 weeks (4 months) pregnant with her second child and will perform this Mother’s Day weekend in a three free performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre. For Sara, motherhood was always part of the plan. “Ever since I was a little girl I had two dreams. One was to become a ballerina and the other was to be a mom.”

Toni Leago Valle received a B.A. in Theatre, specializing in dance, from University of Houston in 2000 and at 30 embarked on a professional dance career. As can be typical for a contemporary dance artist, her occupational resumé is diverse. She performs with many of Houston’s top contemporary dance companies and teaches at University of Houston (UH). As an independent choreographer, Toni has staged three evening-length works and, entering into a new phase, her dance company, 6 Degrees, will debut on May 13 on a split bill concert alongside Amy Ell’s company Vault. Toni is also Project Coordinator for Dance Source Houston, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting dance and, in addition, handles administrative, production and promotional services for several local art organizations.  In 2005, just two weeks before she delivered her son, Dante, Toni premiered a solo, inspired by Japanese Butoh dance, titled I Am Mother. She too was back to rehearsal after 7 weeks. “I was amazed how fast my body remembered how to go upside down.  It was like welcoming an old friend.”

All In The Timing? Deciding To Start A Family

“You’ll be able to dance a lot longer than you’ll be able to have babies,” Toni was once told by choreographer, Karen Stokes. Though she has now found this to be true, (“I’m 41, still going strong.”), Toni had a late start in her professional career and thought she had to get in as much dance as possible before having a child. “I didn’t believe I would be able to dance after having a baby; that having both a child and an active dance career would be too demanding.”

Sara and Toni acknowledge that many professional dancers choose to retire from performance before having children. “It takes an amazing amount of energy to maintain a home and family when children are small. It’s a 24 -hour job.” Reflecting on what she has witnessed in contemporary dance, Toni says, “I think most mothers choose their families with the idea that they will return to performing as their child gets older. Then they find it hard to make their way back.” In ballet, a return after long absence is even less likely. Says Sara, “You have to want both. Not everyone wants to have kids while they are dancing.”

Sara feels supported in her decision to become a parent and attributes much of this to the Artistic Director of Houston Ballet, Stanton Welch. “Stanton comes from a family of dancers. He watched his own mother have children and then return to the stage. He understands, supports, and encourages dancers to have families and return to dancing. ”

Staying Healthy

The guidelines for maintaining a healthy pregnancy are generally the same whether a mother is dancing or not — plenty of rest, awareness in terms of over-doing it, pack healthy snacks and drink lots of water. Sara also suggests that a dancer must “be smart in how you rehearse and communicate with those that you are working with.” Toni adds that continuing to dance during pregnancy was important for her mental health as well. “Without dance, I might have killed my husband, then gone on a shooting spree,” she jokes.

When asked if performing while pregnant requires any special precautions, Sara cites only the safety measures one would normally uphold in dance. In fact, for her it’s about making sure her partner is comfortable with “partnering a pregnant lady.”

Both during and after pregnancy, mothers deal with monumental changes in the body. Sara returned to dance even after her c-section.”I wasn’t expecting one and I had to work really hard to find and strengthen my core muscles again.” In a blog post for En Pointe with Houston Ballet, Sara writes, “I started walking around my neighborhood, Joshua in tow, every day.  After two weeks, and having a little more bounce in my stride, I went to the gym.  I tried to do some crunches and pilates moves – unbeknownst to my doctor who would have killed me—without much success. Yes, I was crazy! But by week four I was feeling stronger (thanks to Amy Ell at Houston Gyrotonics for helping me find my core again).”

A Unique Pas de Deux

I have offered my own pregnancy tips and touched on how it felt for me to dance and teach while pregnant in an earlier article, Baby On Board. However, every pregnancy is different, as Sara corroborates, “I am sicker, more tired, and carrying this baby a lot lower. While I am calmer this second time around, there are always those concerns that never go away with pregnancy.”

Every mother is different also and dancing while pregnant is a singular experience.”I found pregnancy itself to be a bit alien and not at all normal. However, performing live while pregnant has been a memorable experience,” Toni explains. Naturally, she channeled her experiences into her work as a choreographer. “Knowing nothing on real mothering, I researched Mother and Fertility Goddesses from various cultures. I wanted to give an essence of mothers- not the kind, loving, care-giver we normally associate with mothers, but the strength behind the mother- the person who would kill you if you threaten her child, the mother who will starve so that her baby will live. This was the mother image I understood and related to.”

Sara embraces dancing while pregnant in a contrasting, but equally poetic and meaningful way. “When you dance it is always just you, one person, alone in your art. Sure, there are partners and other dancers that could be with you, but you are still one dancer. Dancing pregnant I am two. I always feel that little spirit with me, whether kicking, pushing, or just being. It is a unique experience that is hard to put into words. I also find that little one gives you extra strength, pushing you forward when the fatigue wants to pull you back. You become a team. I look forward to telling each of my kids someday what it was like to dance with them, a unique pas de deux that not all dancers get to experience.”

Part Two of mothers in dance (on managing a career and family) tomorrow on Dance Advantage!

On May 7, 8, and 9, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. Sara Webb will perform with Houston Ballet at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park. The free performances will feature three diverse works by three of today’s most sought-after choreographers. Call 281.FREE.FUN (281-373-3386) for further ticket information or visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com.

On May 13-15 and 20-22 at 8:00 p.m. Toni Leago Valle will premiere her company 6º in a joint performance with Amy Ell’s Vault at DiverseWorks, 1117 East Freeway, Houston, TX, 77002. For more information, visit www.amyell.com or www.6degreesdance.org.

Confessions of a 28-year-old Grade I Grad: A Look At Cecchetti’s Method

As mentioned yesterday on the blog, Dance Advantage welcomes Lauren Warnecke as a new contributor to this site. Her column Art Intercepts will provide tips for teaching ballet and modern dance technique, discuss injury prevention and dancer wellness, help you sift through current dance research about the body, motor-learning, and developmental psychology, and (as in the post below) cover Lauren’s journey through the Cecchetti method certification process.

Wendy is my friend, former college roommate and fellow dance major, and the quintessential ballet teacher. I’m not exactly sure how she roped me into the teacher’s certification program through the Cecchetti Council of America. I’m not teaching. I’m not dancing. Shucks, I had a ceremonial burning of my leotards a couple of years ago.*  I’m a barefoot dancer who got injured and can’t dance barefoot anymore. By whatever means, my deeply buried inner bunhead was revealed and after nearly 5 years away from dancing and a brief hiatus from teaching while I went to graduate school, last Friday morning I found myself standing in front of a committee of fierce ex-ballerinas in a black leotard, pink tights, and a hairnet.

What Wendy probably knew, but didn’t bother to tell me, is that this was actually the perfect move for me. I had been working on Art Intercepts throughout graduate school, but was otherwise so far removed from dance that everything I was thinking and writing about was, kinesthetically, in my head. Maybe this sounds a bit dramatic, but when I did that first plié it was like every plié I had ever done flashed before my eyes. I was back. Moreover, I was plié-ing with a fresh perspective and a newfound respect for ballet.

What is the Cecchetti Method?

Enrico Cecchetti is among the most influential historical figures in ballet. His method is analytical, systematic, and anatomically sound (given the knowledge of the time). He was Marius Petipa’s right-hand man at the Imperial Ballet and served as Ballet Master at Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. During his time at the Ballets Russes, Cecchetti established seven lesson plans (one for each day of the week) and by the end of the week the Cecchetti dancer had spanned the entire breadth of the ballet vocabulary.

Inspired by these lesson plans are seven graded syllabi created by the Cecchetti Council of America for students training in the Method in the United States. Each student must test out of his/her grade before moving on to the next one and each grade also has a corresponding teacher’s grade. The teachers must go through the same process as the students, standing in front of two tough broads from the Council, demonstrating the exercises in the syllabus and passing each grade before moving on to the next. The teachers’ exam is more comprehensive in the fact that you have to be able to demonstrate physically and verbally that you also can effectively teach the syllabus to students of the particular age range for that grade. I thought I knew ballet until I was standing in front of the examiners rambling on like a bubbling idiot searching for that one word they are looking for (like salient, or render, or rotation…).

What I’ve Learned:

I probably learned the most from the teachers around me. It’s great to have fresh energy, new analogies, and alternative approaches thrown at you. The two other teachers in my class are actively teaching beginners and so they see first-hand the common mistakes that students in this age group tend to make. I can benefit from the incredible attention to detail paid by the Cecchetti Method and from the meticulous nature of the placement of every centimeter of the body from the tip of the index finger to the pinky toe. It’s tempting to throw out the details and simply say “So what? Who cares if the toe or the heel leads down the back of the leg when closing from a retiré?” Apparently my examiners cared because I bombed this question big time.**

I learned the ins and outs of so many positions and movements and analyzed them in ways I’ve never thought of before. I’ve never paid much attention to the working foot in a frappé or thought about which way works better or how it impacts other steps. I mean, I consider myself a thoughtful teacher, but this program is really hitting it home that the whole of ballet is interconnected. All steps and positions are preparation for bigger steps and more advanced positions. I now more carefully consider the through-line of a class and the importance of carrying certain objectives consistently through the lesson plan–and this is a lesson that applies not just to ballet but to all forms of dance.

I learned that ballet is pretty much awesome. Don’t knock it. It IS possible for ballet, contemporary (whatever that is), and modern dance to co-exist harmoniously. I don’t have to disregard all of my ballet training to be a modern dancer, and vice-versa. They are mutually beneficial in creating a whole dancer–and to advancing and evolving concert dance. I’d like to see a modern dance with a story, and I’d like to see ballet have more emotional content and more body types dancing together. But those changes will never happen if the two forms don’t collaborate. I don’t believe that Isadora Duncan’s objective was to entirely abandon pointed toes and épaulment and nice lines–I think she just didn’t like tights and pointe shoes….I digress.

What I Already Knew:

Training in ballet makes you part of a rich history that includes direct and indirect lines back to the greatest of ballet masters, including Enrico Cecchetti. His Method is one of the most prevalent and perhaps misunderstood styles in classical ballet. Much like Graham technique in modern dance, most of what you find is really “Graham-based” training or “Cecchetti-based” training. By going through this program, the method and syllabus are coming straight from the horse’s mouth–that is–the Cecchetti Council of America. Most dancers (especially American dancers) are trained in ambiguous combinations of techniques that generally come from whatever their teachers learned from their teachers. The fabulous thing about this program is that there is no ambiguity. There are answers for everything, no shades of gray, and very little room for interpretation. Since some of the greatest dancers in history passed through Cecchetti’s own hands, he was obviously doing something right. So from my perspective, if you’re going to train your students in the Cecchetti Method, why not go all the way, teach the syllabus, and send your dancers for examinations to be recognized and endorsed by the Council?

What I’ll Take and What I’ll Discard:

For my own purposes, I am not in a position to teach syllabus classes, nor do I have any direct say over the curriculum of other teachers in my program. That said, there are things that I can take from this experience that benefit me as a teacher and choreographer, such as the phenomenal attention to detail and anatomical harmony of the Method. I’m not sure that Enrico Cecchetti exactly knew how the femur rotates in the acetabulum, but he studied the movement of the body and made very deliberate technical choices based on his observations. What I love about this method is that the exercises are perfectly tailored to be sequential in both warming the body and as a preparation for future steps. I get so nervous that my class isn’t going to warm someone up properly and put them at risk for injury, and this program has given me a lot more consciousness and confidence with regard to sequence and selection of exercises.

The unfortunate truth about the graded syllabi is that Cecchetti himself didn’t make them up. In fact, he never taught student-aged dancers. The meat and potatoes of his work are contained in the seven advanced lesson plans he established at the Ballet Russes. The seven grades were devised by the Cecchetti Council of America who make up the presiding body over the content and preservation of the Method. I was a bit disappointed to hear this and curious to know if syllabi are different in other countries that participate in training students in the Cecchetti Method and have Councils of their own.

Continuing Education For Dance Teachers

There aren’t a lot of options for continuing education in dance. Dance teachers, in particular, have limited choices in graduate school programs, and there is no overriding governing body in charge of training teachers to ensure the highest quality in dance education. For teachers especially interested in ballet, this program has a lot to offer. Whether you are searching for some guiding principles and a fundamental technique to draw from or looking to validate and supplement your own ideas and teaching practices, this program is a relatively affordable and beneficial process.

More than anything else, it is a humbling and emotional experience to perform the same exercises to the same music that were being performed 150 years ago in the greatest of theatres by the greatest of dancers of all time. That feeling is the essence of my love for dance and why dance matters to me most–not the costumes, or the stage, or the accolades and applause, but the simple act of bringing music to life through movement and playing a minuscule part of the rich and glorious lineage of dancers. Thanks, Wendy.

* True story, not just for literary effect.
** For those of you who DO care, the toe leads both up and down the supporting leg and draws a diagonal line from fifth position to the notch at the side of the knee. The foot does not stop in cou de pied because doing so causes the foot to sickle as it closes to fifth.

Interested in the Cecchetti Method? Check out their website and search for the committee in your specific region. Communication tends to be a bit antiquated, so you are best off making phone calls to the members in your region to seek out a coach to train you.  Examiners visit each region approximately twice per year.

What You Can Do To Improve Tendu (and why it is crucial)

It seems like such a small thing, really, that little second-place movement done at barre or in center. But, no matter what type of concert dance technique you are studying (ballet, jazz, modern/contemporary), battement tendu — that’s the full name — is sure to make an appearance and with good reason!

A World Without Tendu

It is through tendu that dancers become conscious of directing and eventually expelling energy through a stretched (or pointed) foot. It is also where strength is developed in the foot for taking off and landing with cushion in jumps. Without tendu (and its partner tendu jeté or dégagé) there would be no no assemblé or grand jeté or entrechat quatre. Movements would lack the finish of a pointed foot and jumps would land awfully hard. But that’s not all that would be missing from classical or contemporary dance technique without tendu.

Though it may seem the working leg is the most important part of practicing tendu, you might be surprised to learn that the standing leg is equally critical. Tendu is a dancer’s first experience standing on one leg (at least in a technical and conscientious way). It may not be instantly recognizable, but this is where preparation begins for poses like arabesque. Jazz and modern dancers practice tendu with both turned out and parallel rotation because they balance (or center themselves over a leg) in both turned out and parallel positions.

Tendu means stretched. The leg stretches to a point and then closes (that is the battement, or beating portion of the movement). In ballet and other dance forms, this stretched action (and the way the body reacts to it) is important preparation for just about everything, including rising to pointe, lifting, throwing, or balancing on a leg.

Who knew tendu was so important?

Your teachers. Maybe they haven’t always explained it this way but all those reasons above (and more) are why this little movement shows up in plenty of your barre and center exercises. So now that you are aware of its significance, let’s talk about…

What you can do to improve tendu.

Weight Shift – Standing Leg

Do This: As the working leg leaves its home base (1st or 5th position) there is a subtle, nearly undetectable shift of weight to one leg. During this shift…

1. Maintain the turnout of your leg. If you feel strain and the need to decrease turnout in the standing leg as you shift your weight, reevaluate your turnout while standing on both legs, you may be over-rotating or forcing turnout.
2. Balance your weight equally over the three points of the foot.
3. Keep all 5 toes on the floor and be careful not to pronate or roll-in.
4. When closing the tendu (especially when repeating), be aware of your weight. If you are lingering or leaning over the standing leg, you may be lifting your working hip and/or not properly creating resistance between the foot and floor in your tendu (more on that in a moment).

Imagine This: Imagine pouring your weight like sand into the standing leg, rather than dumping it all at once. Imagine your standing leg as a barbershop pole with stripes moving upward and wrapping outward to keep the rotation in your leg.  And I like this one, courtesy Eric Franklin’s Dance Imagery for Technique and Performance — Imagine having a third “ghost leg” that remains in its standing position even while your working leg moves away.

Weight Shift – Disengaging the Working Leg

Do This: Create resistance between the foot and the floor. This is less forceful than a press but does require some directed energy through the leg and foot. Articulate (or “work through”) the foot – peeling off the heel, ball, and finally stretching through the toes (also articulating in the reverse). Keep the toes long, there is no weight on the toe and you should be able to lift the leg from here without further shifting onto the standing leg.

Imagine This: Imagine the relatively light/easy press and bend of a paint brush that allows the painter to evenly distribute paint but still glide the brush smoothly. Imagine a layer of velvet or velour beneath your foot and enjoy the feeling of your foot moving through the plush carpet, leaving a trail in the fibers as the foot moves outward and returns. Imagine light or streaming air radiating from the hip and out through the toe, as well as upward and out through the top of the head.

The Hip Joint

Do This: Maintain rotation in both legs and keep the hips level and “quiet” with no extraneous movement.

Imagine This: Imagine a horizontal line between the sitz bones that stays level, as well as lines dangling from the sitz bones straight into the floor. Imagine that your flesh and muscles have disappeared and your skeleton is doing a tendu — picture the femur moving easily forward, back, or side in the acetabulum (socket). Imagine the ball joint of a pen holder – the holder portion (the leg) has freedom to move all over but the socket (the hip) is still.

For additional thoughts, check out Dianne’s blow-by-blow of battement tendu at Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes.

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In concert dance technique (ballet, jazz, modern) some of the most important movements are found at the start of the class or ballet barre. They help to warm up the body, yes, but these are also the base upon which all other movements are built. Tendu and plié are two movements we often take for granted as we learn them so early in our dancing life. The above suggestions are certainly not ALL of the things to be considered in battement tendu but they are more than enough to think about right now.

What corrections do you typically receive from your teacher during battement tendu?

Can you share any images or advice that have helped you master this important movement?

Sunday Snapshot: Apprentice

About the photograph: Peninsula Ballet Theatre performs in venues throughout the California Bay Area including East Bay. In addition to performances, they educate both pre-professional and recreational students of dance via the PBT Conservatory of Dance. This photo is from PBT’s 2008 Nutcracker. The dancer, playing The Rose in The Waltz of the Flowers, is a company apprentice.

About the photographer: Lance Huntley is a biochemist by degree, an actor by profession and a photographer by inclination. He picked up a Nikon point and shoot about seven years ago, got his first DSLR body about five years ago and that D70 is now converted to infra red. Some of his favorite work is travel photography. His D200 has traveled all over Asia (with Lance behind the lens of course).

Lance says, “My acting led me to performing in the Peninsula Ballet Theatre’s “Nutcracker” and I immediately took advantage of being present and started shooting. Available light performance dance photography is a cruel mistress and at first my good shot/bad/shot ratio was awful, but over the last five years I’ve made some decent progress. My high ISO D700 is the tool of choice for this kind of photography.”

More of Lance’s work can be viewed at his flicker site: www.flickr.com/photos/lance36. Check out the Performers collection for more dance photos. His most recent photos can also be found at www.PeninsulaBallet.org

Get your photo featured! Add your flickr photo to the Dance Advantage Sunday Snapshot pool.

Professional and amateur photographs welcome.

Film Review: Dancing Across Borders

Could a young man of 16 who does not speak any English, who has never seen western ballet let alone trained in it, be ready to study at the School of American Ballet with only a few months of preparation? Could he be ready to perform with one of America’s top ballet companies only six years after his introduction to the ballet barre?

Ready or not, this is exactly what Sokvannara Sar accomplished, with more than a little help from a few tireless supporters. The wholly unique circumstances of his still-unfolding life illustrates the universal hope, struggle, and sacrifice of all dancers.

Singled out in Cambodia, where he was a poor boy with a hunger for his homeland’s traditional Khmer dance, Sar’s strenuous metamorphosis as he is whisked into American culture and the world of ballet is documented in the new film Dancing Across Borders. Known as Sy (pronounced like ‘see’), the documentary’s subject overcomes nearly impossible odds. Yet, unlike many dance stories, Sy himself is not the dreamer. He did not choose ballet. In a way it chose him via longtime ballet devotee and philanthropist, Anne Bass.

Bass is in fact the director of this film, though like Sy this is a role she never really intended to play. Her entwinement in Sy’s development is so great, however, that it is perhaps only fitting that she be the one to tell his story. While visiting Cambodia with the World Movements Fund in 2000, Bass discovered Sy at a dance recital at Preah Khan temple. Enthralled with Sy’s presence and raw talent for performance, Bass made a naively bold move and invited Sy to come to America, where she would be the benefactor for his study in ballet at the prestigious SAB school. Not bargained for was the uphill battle of this endeavor. That classical Cambodian dance bears little technical resemblance to classical ballet, that Sy would require intense and grueling coaching by an unshakable and steadfast believer in his abilities (found in Olga Kostritzky) before SAB would accept him as teachable, that isolated by barriers of language and culture Sy’s exuberant personality would wane for a while, and that he would remain uncertain of his future in ballet even beyond the film’s frame, were unexpected challenges.

Dancing Across Borders isn’t without some clunky moments of exposition and may dwell too long on achievements that mean little to anyone unfamiliar with ballet. However, Bass earns respect as a first-time filmmaker in taking on this open-ended narrative. Able to shape the documentary herself, she might have painted a triumphal picture of the American dream personified and, I suppose, some may still interpret it this way. Amazingly, however, Bass resists a Cinderella telling and provides, with ample footage of Sy’s progress, an unflinching glance into the rigorous training and hard-won rewards of ballet. She also does not shy away from Sy’s inner conflict as a young man trying to reconcile two worlds, two cultures, and find his place within each. She underlines this at one point in the film with Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” poignant as ever in the language of the Khmer people. Ultimately Bass’s ability to place Sy’s heroism and the strength of the Cambodian people at the heart of the story effectively conveys that hope is boundless.

Shakespeare’s line, “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,” comes to mind when considering Sy. His achievements are a reflection of those who believed in him, and like a beam of light hitting this mirror, his trajectory was altered when Anne Bass recognized his inborn greatness, a combination of qualities shared by all true dancers: a buoyant spirit and irrepressible courage. That’s why Dancing Across Borders, the depiction of Sy’s journey across the frontier of ballet is a tale for and about dancers everywhere.

New York’s Quad Theatre has extended its screening of Dancing Across Borders through April 15. Additional screenings will take place throughout April and May in cities throughout the U.S. Details can be found on the Dancing Across Borders website.

Discussion Questions

Dancing Across Borders is scheduled for release on Amazon.

Click here to preorder

This documentary provides some interesting food for conversation on ballet and culture. Teachers, dancers and parents, whether you see the film or not, here are some questions and exercises for reflection…

1. What unique qualities must a person have to succeed as professional dancer? Are these qualities different for ballet versus other dance forms?
2. Performers are often said to have “it.” What is “it” and must you be born with this quality?
3. What are the risks and sacrifices of a career in ballet? What are the rewards?
4. Is it ever too late to begin a professional career in ballet?
5. Imagine what ballet looks like to someone who has never seen it before. Can you describe or write about what this person might see, hear, and feel?
6. Describe a time when you felt out of place and and homesick. What, if anything, helped you to overcome these feelings?
7. Intense one-on-one training, receiving instruction and speaking through interpreters, learning an entirely foreign and difficult movement discipline… Physically and emotionally, the first few months of Sy’s training must have been almost torturous. Why do you suppose he never gave up?
8. How important is it to have people in your life who believe in you? Is it more important than belief in yourself?

Pointe Readiness and What To Expect

There is something about these pink satin slippers that entices all young dancers. Not only is there a certain mystique and a well-earned sense of accomplishment that goes along with getting a pair of pointe shoes, but it is often considered a symbol for the student, representing that one has graduated into something “bigger and better.” Despite that the path is sometimes painful and frustrating with prolonged and hard-won rewards, young dancers spend much time and thought getting ready for pointe work. But how will your teacher decide if you are ready? Why might she decide you are not? And what can you expect if you are prepared to bear a pair of toe shoes?

What Determines Pointe Readiness?

As a teacher, it is not easy to tell an eager student that they are not yet ready for pointe shoes. There are many factors involved when considering each individual’s preparedness.

Number one, is safety.

Is the student ready to safely work at this level?

“The bones of the foot are not fully developed, strengthened and hardened until sometime in the teenage years. Naturally there is a great deal of individual variation. If a young dancer attempts pointe work without proper strength and technique, there is a chance that she will permanently damage those not fully developed bones. Body weight times momentum creates a great deal of force.” – When To Start Pointework? via Gaynor Minden FAQ

“Students attempting pointe work before being ready risk, at the very least, building bad habits which may take years to correct. More serious is the potential for injury or permanent damage to the bone or muscle structure of the foot, which far outweighs the risk of disappointment.” — To The Pointe by Janet Parke

General Requirements:

Though teachers may have their own set of criteria, these requirements are widely accepted within the dance community

• At least 11 years of age.
• At least 2 years of ballet training.
• Taking at least 3 full hours of ballet per week.
• Responsible enough to bring all ballet equipment needed.
• Dresses appropriately for class.
• Attentive in class and applies corrections well.

Physical Criteria:

A general (not necessarily complete) list of what you need to be able to DO.

• Maintains turnout while dancing
• Demonstrates correct posture and alignment in positions and while moving
• Shows awareness of proper ankle and foot alignment, avoiding supination (sickling) or pronation (rolling-in)
• Effectively uses plié while dancing
• Stretches or points the foot while dancing
• Can piqué passé with a straight leg
• Can perform repeated relevé in the center without tiring & while maintaining alignment
• Can balance on one foot with the body correctly positioned over the supporting leg
• Coordinates movement well, particularly in regard to varying approach to relevé (from plié, from straight leg, stepping or springing into, etc.)

Attitude and work ethic play a large role in dancing at an advanced level. Students must display dedication during class and a strong commitment to the art form at all times.

What a Beginning Pointe Student Can Expect

Most teachers will take time from class to show students how to properly break-in and care for their shoes.

Some preparatory work involving the increased articulation and strength of the feet is often added to the end of a full ballet class. If students wear pointe shoes at all during this time, it is usually under 10 to 15 minutes.

Pointe work begins at a slow, steady pace with exercises performed only with the aid of a barre.

Even standing in the pointe shoes requires ankle strength and can take some getting used to because of the uneven feel of the sole.

Eventually dancers will exhibit enough strength to complete some steps in the centre, however expect progress to be gradual.

What Pointe Is… And Is Not

Advancing to pointe work is a serious step and should be treated as such by students, teachers, and parents. I have unfortunately worked for studios in which the requirement for pointe work is much less than 3 hours per week and in fact, students were sometimes advanced simply because it was “their turn” to move up. The result of this method is always frustration for everyone involved. At best, students end up “spinning their wheels” in regard to progressing and eventually leaving the barre for centre. At worst, they form bad habits and develop injuries. Pointe work builds upon ballet technique and every struggle, problem, weakness, and deficiency is amplified with this new layer of difficulty. With this in mind, I must state the following:

• Pointe work is an evolution and extension of dedicated and effective ballet training. It is not the culmination of a particular number of years in ballet class, seniority among peers, or even of intense desire.
• Progession to pointe work is not a right.
• Pointe is not for everyone.
• Pointe is not necessary for anyone save those focusing on pre-professional or professional ballet.
• Pointe work is often a positive experience for those ready to devote themselves to ballet.

Responding to a “No”

As parents and students, you should expect no less of a teacher than to instruct logically, carefully, and thoughtfully. Should a teacher’s criteria be unclear, should you have question about what is required or how you might improve, arrange a meeting with your teacher to discuss this. However, make a commitment to respecting your instructor’s judgment and knowledge if she feels you are not yet ready for pointe work. A teacher willing to say no to you has likely put much thought behind the decision, in contrast to a teacher who tells everyone yes.

What criteria do you or your teachers use to determine pointe readiness?

What else might a beginner expect?

Were you ready for pointe when you started?

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