Inside Ballet Technique

Tendu from 1st and 5th
Begin in 1st position
1    Elevé
2    Plié in 1st
3    Tendu devant
4    Flex foot front
5    Point tendu front
6    RJ carry to á la seconde
7    Fondu supporting leg in point tendu side
8    Close 1st position
1-8    Repeat from back but close front in 5th
1-4    Tendu devant, temps lié thru 4th,  tendu inside leg back, and close 5th back
5-7    Tendu front, side, back closing 5th
8    Hold
1-8    Repeat last 8 counts from back
1-8    Cambré port de bras forward
1-8    Cambré port de bras back

Rond de Jambe á terre
5th position
1    Fondu at cou de pied devant
2    Retiré straighten supporting leg
3    Fondu in point tendu devant
4    Rond de jambe to á la seconde
5    Rond de jambe to back
6    Close 1st position
7-8    Elevé, lower to 1st
1-4    2 slow rond de jambe en dehors
5-7    3 quick rond de jambe en dehors
8    Lower foot into lunge back (inside leg front)
1-8    Cambré forward and back
1    Brush back leg to 45˚ devant
2    Fondu at cou de pied devant
3    Extend to 45˚ á la seconde
4    Fondu at cou de pied derrière
5-8    Extend to 45˚ arabesque, slowing lifting leg to 90˚ and closing 5th back
1-32    Repeat all en dedans

I’m taking a short break from the blog because I’ve just returned to work full-time.  Right now that’s taking a lot of my time and attention, so for a week or two I won’t be posting as often.  Hopefully there’s already many combinations you can choose from on the site.  It never hurts to repeat them, too!  Happy dancing!

Tammy

Rond de Jambe en l’air with Grand Battement
5th position
1    Brush to 90˚ á la seconde
2    Single rond de jambe en l’air en dehors
3-4    Double rond de jambe en l’air en dehors close 5th back
5-8    Repeat from back en dedans to finish 5th front
1-2    Elevé in 5th, lower to 5th plié
3-4    Relevé passé, close 5th plié front
5-8    Pirouette en dehors to close 5th front
1-2    Grand battement front, close 5th
&3    Grand battement front faster, close 5th
4    Petit passé at cou de pied height to close 5th back
5-8    Repeat last 4 counts to back
1-4    Repeat last 4 counts to side, finishing 5th back
5-6    Relevé passé to plié 5th front
7-8    Pirouette en dehors, finish in attitude derrière to balance

Tendu/Degagé
5th position
1-2    2 tendus front
3-3    2 tendus back with inside leg
5&6    Fondu front at cou de pied, point tendu devant, close 5th front
7&8    3 tendus side closing bfb
1-8    Repeat all from back
1-8    Cambré forward slowly
1-8    Cambré back slowly
1-32    Repeat all with degagé and cambré on half toe

Turns Across the Floor
Begin 5th position R foot front croisé in upstage L corner
1-4    Embôité turning 2X
5    Assemblé feet together R foot front 5th
6    Tour en l’air, finishing w/R foot cou de pied devant
7-8    Soutenu turn
1-4    2 pique turns en dedans
5-6    Chassé into chaine turns
7-8    Chassé into 1st arabesque balance

Petit Allegro
5th position R foot front en face
1-4    4 changements
5    Temps levé to cou de pied back with R foot
6    Relevé to attitude croisé derrière (R leg lifted)
7    Extend R leg allongée and extend arms
8    Plié in 5th L foot front
1-4    Echappé sauté to 2nd 2X
5-8    Echappé sauté to 4th, 2nd, 4th R foot front, close 5th
1-8    Repeat last 8 counts beginning with R foot front and ending L front
Can repeat entire combination starting with L foot front 5th en face

Pirouettes
Begin croisé devant R foot front 5th
1-2    Brush R leg 45˚ front en relevé, tombé to lunge
3-4    Soutenu turn to finish R foot croisé devant
5-6    Repeat 1-2
7-8    Pirouette en dedans to finish L foot 5th croisé devant
1-2    Chassé croisé devant to point tendu back, plié in 4th
3-4    Pirouette en dehors to lunge
5-6    Fouette pivot turn to point tendu R foot croisé devant, tombé to 3rd arabesque in fondu
    R arm 5th high and open to 2nd, L arm to arabesque
7-8    Pas de bourrée to 5th position L foot croisé devant
1-16    Repeat all on other side

First Center Combination
Begin 5th position en face R foot front
1-4    Piqué R foot front, side, back, close 5th back in plié
5-6    Relevé passé at cou de pied height, close 5th front
7-8    Relevé passé at cou de pied devant, extend to 45˚ side
1-4    Balancé R and L
5-6    Tombé pas de bourrée R to 5th L foot front
&7    Glissade R, closing L back
&8    Glissade R, closing L front
1-16    Repeat all on second side

I’m offering anyone who would like a download PDF version of my book, Classical Ballet: Combinations for Ten Complete Advanced Classes, a free copy!  All you have to do is agree to put a review of the book on Amazon.com!  The offer is good through Saturday, May 15.  Please send me an email to tammy (at) insideballet.com from the address you’d like your download sent to.  Happy teaching!

Classical Ballet book on Amazon

Dancers are always trying to extend the life of their pointe shoes.  It’s especially important for students who are buying their own shoes to get the most out of them, because we all know they aren’t cheap!  There are several things you can do to extend the life of your pointe shoes.  I would say the ideal way to go if you can afford it, would be to always have at least two pair on hand that you can switch between.  The longer your shoes can rest between wearings the better they are able to air out and harden back up.

Another important thing to do is to keep them in a net bag or something where air can get to the shoes, rather than dumping them into your dance bag with sweaty ballet slippers and leotards.  These bags are available at dancewear stores and online.  The Ballet Boutique sells them online here.  If you can wear tights I think that helps, too, although I remember liking to sometimes dance in my pointe shoes with bare feet—but if you’re trying to make them last longer that probably isn’t the smartest thing to do.

We always cut the satin off the tips of our shoes before wearing them as well.  The satin tends to rip up anyway.  I’m not sure it’s a good practice, but we also used shellac or floor cleaner like Mop & Glo floor cleaner and put a capful into the box of the shoe.  Set them up on the toes to dry overnight, first getting any excess out of the tip of the shoe with a paper towel.

Some of my friends used to put their shoes in the oven, but I never did this and am not sure how it made them last any longer.  Any other dancers have tips on extending the life of pointe shoes to share?  Please leave a comment!

The best thing about dancing ballet is that you can always do things better.  Your technique, extensions, flexibility, strength, balance, and artistry can always be improved.  Daily ballet class is a wonderful place to work on stepping your skills up a notch or two.  It’s also nice to get inspiration from others in class who maybe already have triple pirouettes down pat, or can actually complete an entrechat six.  There are several things you can do to focus on bettering your own technique, one day and one combination at a time.

1. Set small goals. If you have a hard time keeping your insteps lifted, focus on just that for several classes.  It may mean lowering your leg a little in grand battement or rond de jambe en l’air, but it’s okay to sacrifice height for alignment and proper use of the feet.  If you aren’t using your feet properly, nothing else is going to get better either.

2. Listen to corrections that are given to anyone in class. Just because the teacher may not have singled you out doesn’t mean that what they’re telling someone else doesn’t apply to you as well.

3. Write down corrections after class in a notebook, and refer to them often. The more you are able to concentrate on applying corrections to your dancing the faster you will improve.

4. Mark. When the teacher is showing a combination for the first time, it helps you remember it better if you mark it with her.  The same holds true when you are in the center and watching another group perform.  Mark the steps in time with the music to cement the combination more clearly in your head.  Don’t, however, focus so much on this that you are unable to observe the other dancers.  Watching others is a great way to learn and improve.

5. Pay attention to detail. The most technically gifted dancers are the ones who pick up on everything.  There’s a lot to learn while a teacher is showing a combination.  You have to learn the counts, any special rhythms, what the feet are doing and where they close, and what the arms are doing, too!  Dancing is a lot of mental work.  It might help you to first watch a combination as it’s being shown to get an overall understanding of it, then focus on the pattern the feet are making and the counts, and finally focus on the port de bras of the arms.

6. Be efficient. Know when to use a lot of power and when to hold back and rest up a bit.  Not every movement needs the same kind of attack.  This will add nuance to your dancing as well as keep you in top shape.

7. Push yourself a little harder. As long as the teacher doesn’t specify that this should be a single pirouette and if others in the class are pulling out doubles successfully, go ahead and push yourself to do more than you think you’re able to do.  The worst that can happen is you fall on your face.  Big deal!  If you never try to push beyond your comfort zone, you’ll never move ahead.

It’s important to know that you aren’t competing with anyone but yourself in the effort to improve your own dancing.  So think of observing others as a way of inspiring yourself to do better rather than a way of feeling defeated because you aren’t there yet.  Small steps, day by day, class by class, combination by combination, will lead to better technique.

Is the stage floor too slippery for your pointe shoes?  Is the stage crew opposed to using rosin on the stage and you are without the benefit of marley?  There are ways to make your pointe shoes slip proof!  If you know you are going to be dancing on a stage that matches this description, take your pointe shoes to a local shoe repair ahead of time.  They usually need a few days to do this, so don’t wait until the last minute.  All you need to do is ask them to put rubber on the platform and sole of your shoes.  Be sure to specify tan, because they may use black if you don’t!

Tell them to extend the rubber to the place on the sole where your shank needs to bend, so it will cover the platform and about 2/3 or 3/4 of the sole.  They can use the leather sole on your shoes as a guide, and have them bevel the edges so you don’t notice where the rubber ends and your shoe begins along the sides.  Then, have them put about a circle of beveled rubber on the very end of the sole where your heel is.  I used to tell them to make it the size of a quarter.

This works wonders when you must dance on treacherous, slippery surfaces.  Back when I was dancing, the shoe repairman would charge about $10 for a pair of shoes.  I have no idea if such establishments are even easy to find nowadays, or what kind of fee they would charge.  But it’s definitely worth looking into.  You’d be surprised at how normal the shoes feel, even with the rubber on them.

If the stage crew isn’t opposed to using rosin, in addition to having a rosin box backstage for dancers to step into, you can take small chunks of rock rosin and spread them around the stage.  Have several dancers or stage crew members help you step on them and spread the rosin around the stage to get the best coverage possible.  Then, take a broom and sweep away the excess.  This works pretty well if you aren’t able to put the rubber on your pointe shoes.  Good luck!

It’s interesting how dance can consume a person.  I wrote a post about how some people just have a passion for dancing that cannot be ignored, and how this passion drives us to push ourselves through trial and error and pain and suffering (sometimes, from injuries).  But at some point, our bodies age and we have to move on…if we’re lucky enough to continue working in the field we love, we become teachers or choreographers.  However, for some of us, we move into a completely different arena.  We become mothers and fathers, we work jobs with regular people…that is, people who don’t have flashbacks of Nutcracker performances when they hear Tchaikovsky’s score on the radio or in the mall.  We find dance career alternatives.

When I first stopped dancing it was because of achilles tendinitis.  I also had a husband and a new baby that naturally changed my priorities in life.  We lived in Lexington, Kentucky where I had performed a little with the ballet company, so when we went to performances I was watching all my old dance friends on stage.  I cried every single time we sat in the audience to watch a performance.  Deep inside I was grieving the loss of dance in my life.  Sure, I was teaching.  We started a dancewear store so I was in contact with dancers all the time.  But I knew that I would never again put on my pointe shoes and dance on stage.  It was like a part of me—a huge part—had died and would never come back.

We moved from Kentucky to North Carolina where my in-laws lived, and I took a job at a bank.  I thought about teaching ballet in my new town, but I was working a full-time job for the first time in my life and was pretty exhausted at the end of each day.  By then we had two little girls and I wanted to spend time with them in the evenings.  Years went by and I really lost my identity as a dancer.  No one knew me as a dancer.  I was just another coworker, my girls’ mom, a wife.  I wonder how other people deal with such drastic life changes.  Maybe because we moved to a new town where no one knew us it was easier to simply make a new identity for ourselves.  We enrolled our girls in ballet and I sat in the lobby with the other moms during class, viewing dance from a totally new perspective.

Then comes Facebook.  I am friends with my old dancing buddies again!  I’m being tagged in pictures and uploaded a few videos from my dancing days.  Now my new friends and coworkers begin making the connection that I was a dancer in what feels like a past life.  Now they really know me.  Because even though I’m not dancing and I’m not teaching, I am a dancer.  It is what makes me who I am.  I still make up combinations that I can post on this blog!  I can feel the rhythm and the muscle action and musicality like it was only yesterday I stood at that barre myself.  I can feel the adrenaline when I think about how it was to stand in the wings with side lights burning on my back before stepping on stage.  I remember how satisfying it was to dance grand allegro at the end of a great ballet class…the little high I’d be floating on when we did reverence.

I taught at a ballet school a few years ago.  I had my own class of middle school kids once a week and I stepped in to substitute occasionally for other teachers.  My feet would cramp up when I demonstrated and it was so very exhausting.  I later learned that my pain and fatigue were caused from Fibromyalgia.  Maybe I’ll start a blog about that one day.  It’s a new identity for which I’m learning the ropes.  I’m hopeful that I can get it under control enough I’ll be able to teach ballet again at some point.  But until then, I have this blog.  I can still create combinations and build an online community of dance friends.  Because after all, I was a dancer, and I always will be.

We also have three kids now.  Thomas just turned five in November!

Many children who start beginning ballet will be coming with a background in creative movement. I think it’s important to retain some of the aspects of creative movement in pre or beginning ballet, because the fact that they are continuing their ballet education means they’ve enjoyed dance up to this point. So for the first few lessons I’d say it would be good to begin in the center instead of at the barre, doing some stretching exercises for their legs and feet. You can also work on posture in the center before bringing them over to face the barre.

Use of the Feet

There are so many things for beginning students to learn about using the feet. Try not to overwhelm them in the beginning or they won’t be able to retain any of what you say. It’s all right if they don’t do everything right, as long as they are working on the aspects of what you’re trying to teach them that day. You can also work on some of the foot exercises while seated on the floor. You can begin with flex and point, stopping midway between so they can see what it looks like when their toes are flexed and their foot is pointed (you can show them that this is demi-pointe when standing). Holding their feet in a pointed position while they are seated on the floor, you can have them practice just lifting their toes and then pointing them repeatedly, and instill an understanding of the phrase “working through the metatarsal”. I don’t think they are too young to begin hearing such references to the anatomy of the foot, as long as you clearly explain to them what you mean when you say it.

Standing at the Barre

Once they are at the barre, it’s important to teach them the proper way to use it. This might take a good portion of the first few classes, just having them standing facing the barre with a light touch and elbows bent. Teaching them how to recognize if they are too close (elbows scrunched into the body) or too far away (hips pushing back) is an important lesson that they’ll use throughout all their years to come in ballet.

Using Good Posture

It’s hard for children to stand with their tummies in and their spines lengthened for any amount of time. Making a combination of this alone would be good a good exercise to include in each class, so that when you remind them to “pull up” and “lengthen your spine” during tendus or plies they will know exactly what you are wanting them to do. I think including breathing techniques would be an excellent thing to do when children are first learning ballet, so they do not equate pulling up with holding their breath.

Use of Turnout

I have a whole post about turnout, and if ever there’s a topic for disagreement among ballet teachers this is it! My point of view may not mesh with that of the directors at the school where you are teaching, so please understand that this is only my recommendation. I don’t believe in forcing turnout. Now that I’m over 40 and suffering the effects of forcing my own body into positions it wasn’t naturally inclined to make, I’m even more against it. I think it’s possible for someone to achieve a beautiful line and to dance with great technique and grace without having perfect turnout. To me, working with what you were given should be a top priority. If anyone tells you that you should consider buying fancy contraptions that stretch your limbs to an unnatural limit, or that you should even consider surgery, cover your ears and run in the other direction! This is not necessary, and it is definitely not healthy.

Again, sitting or lying on the floor is a great way to work on demonstrating turnout before involving the traction of the floor. Having the students lie on their backs and flex their feet, then slowly open their toes as far as their hips allow will show them where their natural turnout is. Of course, dancers work on increasing and improving their range of turnout, but I’m firmly against standing in a perfect 180 degree first position or working your leg directly to the side when à la seconde. At the barre, it’s good to teach the basics of plié and tendu and degagé from a parallel position before introducing the steps using turnout. This means mostly working to the front, but there are a lot of mechanics involved in using the feet properly, lifting the metatarsal and lowering it back down when closing. And for plié, keeping the body lifted as the legs bend and not letting the torso drop forward. After they have mastered tendu and degagé to the front from a parallel position, you can introduce the steps working to the side with their feet in a V (I wouldn’t necessarily call this first position right away, or they may begin trying to force their toes out too far).

Epaulement

In addition to working on plié, tendu, and degagé, you can begin working with epaulement in pre or beginning ballet. Teaching children all the ways to use the head is important, and will greatly aid them later when they are asked to use their head and arms along with their legs and feet. Just doing exercises that involve keeping the neck long when looking up, down, side to side, and inclining the head so the ear bends toward the shoulder is good for them. Slowly adding these head movements to plié or tendu facing the barre will help them to incorporate such techniques more quickly when they become more advanced. It’s a little like teaching someone to play the piano with two hands instead of just one. You don’t want to put this off for too long, or they’ll never feel comfortable with it.

Other Positions to Practice

Second position of the feet, Sur le cou de pied, sous sus, retire. Gradually add ¼ rond de jambe á terre en dehors after introducing tendu from 1^st position.

In the Center

Easy steps for beginning students to practice in the center include temps lié through second position, which is also a good preparation for glissade, which you can break down for them to learn slowly. Using port de bras with head is a good exercise to do in the center. Kids love to jump! Teaching sauté in 1^st and 2^nd positions usually goes over well, emphasizing the importance of keeping the arms still and the torso upright. In preparation for turns you can have them practice spotting the front of the room while shuffling their feet in a circle.

Across the floor

It’s pretty easy to transform gallops into chassé across the floor, and prancing into embôité in low attitude devant. I also enjoyed teaching this age how to do chainé turns. I usually did this with their hands either on their hips or on their shoulders so they don’t have to worry too much about what their arms are doing and so they don’t get twisted up. We would practice just stepping on the flat foot to the side with head looking over their shoulder, then flipping (like a playing card) so their body is facing the back of the room and they’re looking over the other shoulder. Getting them to continue turning in the same direction is the biggest trick!

In all, this is a very fun age to teach. I think being sure to make the transition from creative movement to the more structured ballet class slowly is what will keep them wanting to come back. If you make too drastic a change they might just lose interest in ballet. Good luck! And if you have other ideas that work well for pre-ballet or beginning ballet classes, please share them in the comments!

I ordered a theracane from Amazon.com and really like it!  It’s great because you can reach trigger points without the aid of another person.  It can reach every trigger point in your body!  I highly recommend them.  I got one for my brother-in-law and he loves it.  The other thing I ordered today and am eagerly waiting to receive in the mail is a pain relief neck wrap from www.relaxpack.com.  The owner of Relax Pack suffers from Fibromyalgia and created these hot or cold packs out of all organic materials and herbs.  It sounds really nice.

Tomorrow I meet with my nutritionist who is going to give me meal plans!  Because I have Fibromyalgia, she had me buy a water distiller (the $99 one that has stainless steel inside) and a nice blender so I can make smoothies, too.  Apparently this commercial blender will chop up avocado seeds and other seeds that hold a lot of nutrients.  Now I’ll be able to really start getting a handle on my nutrition and stop craving things I don’t need!  She said that eventually I will be able to go off some of the medication I take for chronic pain.  That would be wonderful!

Here are some nutrition tips she gave me:

• Water instead of Sodas, Kool Aid, etc.
• Eat at least 4 cups of cooked vegetables – include dark greens
• Eat 2-3 servings of fruit daily – don’t count juice
• Fish – 3 times a week (especially salmon and small fish)
• Good fats – olive, safflower, nuts & seeds, avocado
• Shop around the periphery of the grocery store
• Go natural – minimize salt, sugar, additives, preservatives
• Eat a variety of foods
• Nibble instead of gorge
• Stay away from foods that don’t rot or sprout
• Eat nutrient dense foods
• Choose high fiber foods
• Eat enough protein (100 grams if you weigh 150 lbs)
• Stay away from hard to digest foods
• Avoid grilling
• Keep bowels healthy – at least one bowel movement a day

At my first meeting with my nutitionist, she did say I should drink 2 cups of lukewarm distilled water first thing in the morning, before eating any food.  This gently awakens the digestive system.  She said to use skim milk instead of 2%, to eat two halves of a walnut everyday, to get Ezekiel bread, to drink water 15 minutes before a meal or 30 minutes after (but don’t drink during a meal!), to use coconut oil for stir frying, and that I should eat dates with grapefruit instead of alone as a snack.  Lastly, she said to eat two egg whites and one egg yolk for breakfast and that boiled or poached are best.  I didn’t know the protein was in the egg white and not the yolk!  I’ve been trying to do these things until I get my real meal plans from her on Thursday.

I hope everyone enjoys their holidays.  Maybe taking a look at my post about taking breaks would be helpful, since many dancers will be enjoying some needed time off this week and next!

Carolyn was a fellow dance major with me at the University of Arizona many years ago!  We were also roommates for a year.  Now she is dancing on Broadway and was willing to share some advice and inside information for my readers.  Thank you, Carolyn!  And congratulations on a wonderful career on Broadway!

Inside Ballet:  You are currently dancing on Broadway in Shrek.  What was the audition process like?

Carolyn Ockert-Haythe:  The audition process for Shrek was long.  They needed people who were very diverse.  I first went in and danced 3 combinations. About a week later I came back and danced those 3 plus another. Once I had passed all the dancing I had to sing for the Musical Director.  I sang both pop rock and a high soprano.  Once I passed him I then went in to read for the Director.  We were given sides for a few of the fairy tale creatures.  Once I passed him I had to come in one last time and dance, sing and act for the entire creative team and the producers. We started with about 180 women and at the last call there were 4 of us.

Inside Ballet:  How often do you perform?

Carolyn Ockert-Haythe:  I am what you call a swing/dance captain for the show.  We do 8 performances a week with one day off in that week.  I am usually on for at least half of those 8 shows. 

Inside Ballet:  Do you know several roles for Shrek and have to perform at the last minute?

Carolyn Ockert-Haythe:  I cover 9 women and 9 men.  I only go on for men in an emergency, but it does happen.  However since I am a dance captain I know everyone on the stage, 23 people.  I go on with a few hours notice or in the middle of the show with no notice at all, when an injury or illness happens. 

Inside Ballet:  What types of dance training do you think are most important to have under your belt going into a Broadway audition?

Carolyn Ockert-Haythe:  I think the most important dance training going into a Broadway audition is a combination of Ballet and Jazz.  If you are a really strong ballet dancer you will really do well. However, you need to be able to be funky as well. Now a days you also have to be able to sing and act.  You don’t have to be amazing at all things but you do need to be able to do all things.  A Jack of all trades.

Inside Ballet:  What other shows have you been in?

Carolyn Ockert-Haythe:  This is my 7th Broadway show.  I have been very fortunate and also worked very hard.  Some of the other shows that I have done are: CATS, Footloose, The Music Man, Annie Get Your Gun, Wonderful Town, Pajama Game and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

Inside Ballet:  What advice would you give to someone who was hoping to move to NYC to dance for a living?

Carolyn Ockert-Haythe:  Advice that I would give to someone who wants to come to NY and dance, don’t give up.  It takes about 100 auditions to get one job.  That number goes down the more you work.  Always strive not necessarily to get the job but to get kept so you get your picture and resume on file with casting agents.  If you get cut at an audition, and you will, don’t take it personally.  It is never about your talent.  Always come prepared to an audition.  And last but not least be nice to everyone that you encounter.  Treat everyone with respect.  You never know when that person is going to be sitting behind the table choosing who to hire for a show.

Inside Ballet:  Is there anything about dancing on Broadway that is different that you expected it to be?

Carolyn Ockert-Haythe:  You know I never knew I wanted to dance on Broadway so I had no expectations as to what it would be.  I wanted to be a ballerina but I just was never good enough.  I kind of fell into this and knew this was where I was meant to be the first time I hit the stage.  I always say it is like playtime for 2 1/2 hours every night.  I love what I do and I believe we are all capable of doing it.  

Can repeat en dedans as well, if desired.  Attitude derrière to balance.

We just completed a contest on Facebook for fans of Inside Ballet Technique, in which Laurie LeBlanc Rickaby won a downloaded copy of my book Classical Ballet: Combinations for Ten Complete Advanced Classes.  I’ve decided to make this a monthly contest on my web site!  All you have to do is make comments throughout the month, and the person with the most comments will win a download of my book.  All of the combinations in the book are new and have never been put on my site, so they are all fresh combinations in the easy to read format you’re accustomed to. 

The winner for February will be announced on March 1!  What I really like to hear if you’ve used a particular combination is how it worked out for you, for the level of class you’re teaching, and if you had to make any adjustments to make it work.  Comment on any of the articles, though!  Each one will count in your favor!

Enjoy!

I was teaching at a dance school that was located in a former church, and I also made little stuffed teddy bears with tutus and earrings that I sold for $10.  I guess the selling bug got to me, and over the summer I had the idea to use a room in the basement of the dance school to set up a trade of shoes.  Many kids outgrow their tap and ballet shoes before they are really worn out, so we painted the words Dance Exchange on a long board and attached it to the railing behind the building where steps led down to the basement.  We were blown away by how many people came from other dance schools, and how many people wanted to get brand new items from us.

So, being the enterprising people that we are, my husband and I found a few companies that would sell to us at wholesale prices!  All we really needed was a phone number, and we already had an address to use for shipments.  The studio owner said it would be okay, so we set up a real shop.  One day we were in downtown Lexington, KY where we passed this small space for rent right beside a guy who sold stained glass.  We started getting excited and called to learn more.  It was 600 square feet and we could have it for $350 a month!  This was in 1993 right before Christmas.  My mother-in-law and her sister came to help us set up, and we found an old (but nice looking) case to use for our cash register and several rounders and other types of things to hold our clothing on and attach to the walls to store our tights and some shoes.  There wasn’t a back room, so we had to have all our shoes and stock right out in the store, stacked clear to the ceiling.  My parents decided to invest some money into the store, so we were able to begin carrying brands like Capezio, Bloch, Danskin, etc.  For credibility, we asked all the professional dancers who shopped at our store to give us an 8X10 picture of themselves that they would sign.  We framed each one and hung them near the mirror at the shoe trying on area.

Shortly after starting our store, I became pregnant with our first child.  We moved into an apartment right next door to the store, which came in handy because we only had one car and Arthur was still in college.  The following year, after Deanna was born, my parents decided to move from Indiana to Kentucky to help us out with the store and the baby.  My father retired from teaching high school English, drama, and speech, and I was so grateful to have them nearby.  In addition to the store, I was teaching at two or three private ballet schools.  Our store took off!  The other store in town wasn’t very accommodating to the needs of dancers, and we had a professional company in town, as well as many schools of dance.  We got in canvas ballet slippers, pointe shoes from Freed, Grishko, Repetto, Sansha, Gaynor Minden (to name a few…we carried over 20 brands of pointe shoes!).  I got more classical leotards than the other store carried (they catered more to aerobics and cheerleader-types).

In 1996, we decided to move our store to a better location with parking and more space inside.  We also moved to an apartment close to that store.  It had a storage room for shoes (yay!) and for a desk to do our behind the scenes work.  We got more equipment from the outlet store in Mt. Sterling so we could display even more clothing and shoes and tights.  We gained quite a few more customers and it was going great guns.  My second child, Deborah, was born in 1997 and my mom and I worked at the store with her in her little carrier, while Deanna attended a daycare/preschool part time during the days.  My dad also watched Deanna quite a bit and read to her a lot, which I believe is why she loves to read to this very day.

A year or two later, the tenants in the small shop beside ours left, and we decided to rent that space and tear down some walls to make our store even bigger.  We moved our shoe section into that space, as well as all our children’s wear.  We also added a little table and chairs and a basket full of toys so that when shoppers came in with their young children they were occupied while they shopped.  We made laminated discount cards for all the teachers, and were generous about giving the low paid professional dancers 25% off their pointe shoes.  Many of those dancers also worked at our store part-time, and we didn’t pay a lot per hour but we gave them 40% off anything they wanted in the store.  It was wonderful, because it gave our store a lot of credibility, and teachers trusted our employees to fit their students into new pointe shoes properly.  We also knew the dress codes at schools that used them so we’d have those items in stock, and knew what types of pointe shoes teachers liked to start beginners out in.

It was such a wonderful time, working with my parents was the highlight, as well as being able to have my children there in the store.  In 2003 we sold the store and it continued to run for a few years.  The last time we drove through Kentucky we passed by the store and it was empty.  Now the dancers from Lexington go to Louisville to get their new pointe shoes.  It was a lot of work, and I doubt we’d have done it if we’d known what was involved!  But I’m so happy that we did this as a family.

This combination can be done with tendu first, then a little faster as degagé.

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It’s not surprising, really, that I wanted to dance.  My mom said when I was in the womb that I would either be a football player or a dancer, and she was right!  I still don’t understand football, so it’s a good thing I liked to dance.

My mom and dad are both pianists.  Mom also played violin and clarinet.  My sister is a very accomplished pianist herself, and she and my mom both teach at a Music and Arts store in North Carolina.  Lori and my dad are also singers, and my dad was the drama director at my high school and directed many community theater shows as well.  My sister also played the flute, my older brother the drums (still plays, too!), and my little brother played the saxophone.  I played the piano (a bit) and the flute for a few years.  By the time I finished my freshman year of band I was so into my dancing that I didn’t have time to consider another year of marching band, so I let that one go.

Growing up we always had music in our home.  People playing piano, drums, flute, sax, and singing filled the house from downstairs in the living room, downstairs in the music room, upstairs in the bedroom, and even out on the front porch steps and upstairs balcony.  I love piano music and could listen to it all day, especially when someone is sitting at a piano playing it live.  My parents played a duet on one piano using two octaves and four hands, my aunt Virginia would come and she and my mom would open the doors between the music room and living room and play two piano duets.  It was awesome!

My next door neighbor, Jennifer, took ballet and tap.  I took some gymnastics first, but was really taken by what Jennifer had to show me when we were about 9 or 10 years old.  I had a pair on black patent leather shoes that I would pretend were my tap shoes and she’d give me lessons on the front porch.  I loved it, and couldn’t wait until my parents said I could start taking lessons, too.  When I was ten years old and classes started in the fall, they let me begin, and I was in love.

I started out at Debbie Wilkerson’s Dance Studio in Greenfield, Indiana.  Her studio is still in business to this day and she will always hold a very dear place in my heart.  I began with tap and ballet, and my favorite at first was tap.  Eventually we added jazz, and then Debbie recommended I start taking classes at the Jordan Academy of Dance in Indianapolis.  So on Saturdays, my dad would take me to ballet where I had so many new steps to learn and had to adjust to taking class once a week with girls who took everyday together.  It was awkward and I really disliked it, but somehow I knew that by going there my chances of improving and making my dreams come true were brighter.

My dad found out about a special program at Butler University while talking with some of the other parents in the waiting area one day.  They had a program for high school students who attended college early, usually going half a day to high school and finishing out the day with dance classes at Butler.  My dad knew this had to happen, and he made sure it did happen.  He spoke to the principal at my high school and starting the second semester of my sophomore year, I began going to school early for independent study sessions, attended my other classes, ate lunch at noon, and then drove to Butler University for ballet class beginning at 2:00 until 3:20 Monday through Friday.  There were a few other high school students in my position, but none were from my school, so I drove alone 35 minutes on the interstate each day.  Twice a week we had pointe class from 3:30-4:30, and during Nutcracker season I stayed on for rehearsals for Snow or Waltz of the Flowers (or soldiers, my first year!) until even later.

Then, I’d go back home and get ready for play practice, because I wanted to be involved in drama club where my dad spent much of his time and where my best friends from school were every night.  Sometimes I would also teach classes for Debbie’s studio, but I think those were on days when I didn’t have rehearsals at Butler or the high school, or were on Saturdays.  My dad helped me put up a makeshift barre in our attic and clear out some space so I had my own little studio up there.  It was hot in the summer, but it felt so wonderful to be up there doing barre, practicing my pirouettes or tap, and choreographing for the school talent show.  I had a record player with lots of records and it felt so authentic.

By the time I finished high school a semester early, in January of 1986, I had 21 college credits and began my full time studies in ballet at Indiana University in Bloomington the same month.  I went back to high school for graduation with my friends and classmates in June of 1986, even though I’d already been living on campus and had completed my first semester of college.  It really was like a dream, and I continued dancing at the University of Arizona from 1989-1992 where I got my MFA degree in dance in Tucson.  I got to do some awesome roles in Arizona, and was prepared then to begin dancing professionally.

I’m just thankful that my family is so artistic and theatrical; otherwise I’m not sure I would have been given the opportunities I was given to succeed in my area of passion.

This can be a tough age for ballet, especially depending on how long the student has been taking ballet prior to this age.  When I was the director of the ballet program at Town and Village School of Dance in Paris, Kentucky, I had a dress code that seemed to get the kids excited about moving into the next level.  I can’t remember the basic colors anymore, but everyone wore pink tights and shoes (the girls anyway–boys wore black leggings and white shirts with white socks and shoes), and each level had a different color and style of leotard.  Some had short sleeved maroon leotards, others had camisole green, and the oldest group could wear any style of black.  You wouldn’t think a simple thing such as dress code could motivate students, but it really did.  And at the age of 10-12 was about the time they were allowed to start wearing camisole leotards instead of short sleeved or cap sleeves.  They couldn’t wait to get into that level so they could look more grown up and wear a completely new color (it was like a forest green).

As far as exercises go, this age group is looking forward to pointe as the next big step.  It may not happen for the next 2-3 years for them, but explaining how releves can be done by snatching the foot underneath or by going over to the toes (and telling them that this is important information for them to know when they go on pointe), also piques their interest, because they know right around the corner they will be looking forward to pointe shoes.  Sometimes at this age, if the students have been taking ballet previously, I would allow them to get the pre-pointe shoes that have a hard box and no shank, just so they can get the feeling of working in a pointe shoe without actually going up on the toes.

Some steps I remember this age group enjoying were waltz turns that sweep across the floor, varying the arm movements and allowing them to really travel and feel like they are dancing.  Also teaching them emboite turns is great at this age, and pirouettes.  I always started out with pirouettes from 5th position, working on 1/4 turns first, then 1/2 turns and single full turns.  They also enjoy learning jumps that have beats in them, such as royale, jete battu, as well as entrechat quatre and assemble battu.

At the barre, adding doubles to frappes is always a fun exercise, especially once they understand it and can do it.  Also adding some simple turns at the barre is good at this age.  It can be frustrating at first, but I think flic-flacs are great to teach to this age level, both en dehors and en dedans.  Rond de jambe en l’air is great, starting out at 45 degrees so they can keep their alignment squared off, and having them do stretching exercises with a partner can also be helpful.  The person holding the working dancer’s leg when it is 90 degrees side can learn how to tell if the person is using their turnout and letting go of the big muscles or not.  “Let me have the weight” is a good thing to have them communicate, so the working person can relax the muscles and settle into a very square, turned out position that is right for them, before the other person lets go and allows them to imprint the feeling in their muscles.

Using fun music is always a good way to perk up class if you feel they are losing interest.  Keeping them challenged is the most important thing you can do to make them feel that they are learning new things all the time and that they are getting ready for pointe work.  Doing lots of releves on one or two legs to strengthen their calves and ankles is important.  Working through the feet so they can articulate very clearly between a fully pointed foot and a foot pointed just at the metartarsal is good for strengthening their feet and toes.

Give them things that are too hard for them to do in the center, without the aid of the barre, such as entrechat quatre or even entrechat six, jete battu or assemble battu, sissone, etc.  Maybe even allow them to observe your most advanced students in a class where they can see them doing these steps with ease will also serve to keep them interested in continuing their ballet education so they can make it to that point too.

Good luck and let me know if any of these are helpful tips.  If you have more to add, please share them in the comments!

When I was teaching at a private dance school, there was a performance every year in May that included all the genres of dance.  At that school (Town and Village School of Dance in Paris, KY) the ballet program was a bit separate from the other classes.  For example, students in the ballet program were required to attend classes either twice, three times, or four times a week, whereas most other classes only met once weekly.  One of my favorite things about teaching there was that I was given full control over my part of the final performance of the year, which usually included about twenty minutes of stage time.

The most memorable ballets we created mini ballets from were Coppelia, The Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella.  We pulled wonderful moments from each ballet and made a story the audience could easily follow.  The classes blended together without necessarily stopping for applause between each class, and some characters came onstage for parts even outside of their participation in a class dance.  This way it flowed better, and at the end of the ballet segment we did a quick set of bows where each group or soloist came out for a bow in a finale with music, which normally only took about two minutes to insert.

Dubbing the music was really fun, as was making sure each student got ample amount of time on stage.  Looking for or making appropriate costumes, making earrings to match for all the ballroom dancers, figuring out how to velcro diamond studs on a piece of fabric to a pointe shoe so the dancer wouldn’t have to change her shoes between appearances, and dressing up two fathers to play the parts of the step-sisters were all big highlights.  But of course, doing the choreography was the most challenging and rewarding part of all.  I tried to keep some of the original, traditional movements where possible, and we had a movie night at my house for all the oldest dancers so they could watch a professional version of the full-length ballet and recognize their roles in it.

Ah, those were the days!

I found this fascinating quote today:

I’ve had my eye on JAM Cosmetics for a while now. Owner, Jessica Dupont (formerly Jessica Ann Michaels… hence J.A.M) is a dancer. Though she has retired from performance, she appeared on and off Broadway and toured across the world throughout a 10-year professional career on stage. During that time she pursued another passion and supplemented her income as a makeup artist, freelancing in fashion, theater, and photography. Prior to creating and developing JAM cosmetics, Jessica was even a dance teacher and studio owner and it shows in her desire to provide the dance community with the educational tools needed to look their best on stage.Michelle, Face Value — JAM Cosmetics Review and Giveaway, Mar 2010

You should read the whole article.

First Center Combination
5th position R foot croisé devant
1        Fondu at cou de pied devant
2        Extend leg 45˚ front and straighten supporting leg
&34    2 piques front, cloche to degagé back
5-8    Plié relevé in low arabesque 2X
1        Tombé croisé devant onto R leg
&        Coupé (cut onto L back)
2-3    Tombé pas de bourrée to 5th croisé L foot front
4        Chassé croisé devant to point tendu croisé derrière
5        Place 4th position preparation for pirouette
6-7    Pirouette en dehors to 4th position
&8    Point tendu back and close to 5th position
1-16    Repeat all on second side

Small Petit Allegro
5th position en face
1    Soubresaut
2    Changement
3    Royale
4    Entrechat trois
5    Assemblé together   
6    Entrechat quatre
7    Entrechat cinq
8    Assemblé together
1-8    Repeat on second side

Medium Petit Allegro
Begin at upstage L corner 5th croisé
1-2    Faille Assemblé
&    Precipité
3    Piqué to first arabesque
4    Tombé over
5    Brisé
6    Brisé
7    Glissade
8    Saute de chat

Turns Across The Floor
1-2    Piqué turn en dedans
3-4    Piqué turn en dedans, close 5th en fast
5    Pirouette en dehors keeping foot at knee, plié on supporting leg
6    Repeat count 5
7    Repeat count 6
8    Roll through supporting leg and extend working foot 45˚ front
1-8    Repeat all across floor

Simple Pirouette Waltz   
5th position en face R foot front  ¾ tempo
1-2    Balancé R and L
3-4    Soutenu turn R, close 5th R foot front en face
5-6    Tendu side, close 5th front in plié
7-8    Pirouette en dehors, finish R foot front 5th
1-4    Repeat counts 1-4
5-6    Tendu side, plié 2nd position
7-8    Pirouette en dehors from 2nd, close 5th position R foot back
    Repeat all on L

Arabesque Turns Across the Floor
Begin upstage L
1-2    Pique to 1st arabesque, tombé over onto L
3-4    Turn en dedans in 1st arabesque, tombé over
5-8    Tombé pas de bourrée to 4th, pirouette en dehors to 4th
1-4    Repeat 1-4 from above
5-8    Tombé pas de bourrée to 4th, pirouette en dedans to 5th, sous-sus to finish

Medium Petit Allegro
Begin L foot front 5th
1-2    Glissade, petit jeté
3-4    Coupé ballonné sauté with R
5-6    Coupé ballonné sauté with L
7-8    2 pas de chat traveling L
1-8    Repeat on second side

Grand Allegro 3/4
Begin downstage R corner
1       Pique to 3rd arabesque (step onto L croisé)
2       Chassé leading with R foot toward upstage L corner
3       Fouette sauté landing in fondu 1st arabesque facing DR
4       Chassé leading with L foot toward upstage L corner
5-6    Tour jeté landing in fondu 1st arabesque facing DR
7-8    Ballotté éffacé devant, éffacé derrière
&       Coupé under onto L foot
1        Chassé éffacé devant toward DR
2-3    Saute de basque turning R
4       Temps levé in 1st arabesque
5-8    Run in circle to finish at DL corner
1-16    Repeat all on other side