Those of you that are trying out a ballet class for the first time might be a little fuzzy about what you are supposed to bring and wear. Probably the most important part of a ballet dancer's equipment is ballet shoes. After several years of proper training, some female ballet dancers wear pointe shoes to make them appear lighter and more delicate. Ballet dancers wear tights and leotards to class and rehearsals, as tight, form-fitting clothing is best for dancing. Tutus, or ballet skirts, are usually reserved for performances and recitals.
With so many ballet shoes to choose from, how do you know which ones are right for you? If you are new to ballet, or if you are buying your child's first pair, the following tips will help you find the perfect pair.
1. Make Sure They Fit Ballet shoes are designed to enhance the dancer's technique as well as protect the feet and ankles. Many people say that a ballet shoe should fit the foot "like a glove." Although the shoe should fit quite snugly, be careful not to buy them too small. There should be sufficient room in the shoe for moving the toes. When trying on ballet shoes, raise up and balance on the balls of your feet. Your toes should not be crammed into the front of the shoe, but should be relaxed, with plenty of space to move around. If you are struggling between two close sizes, it's probably best to go with a slightly bigger size, rather than buying shoes that are a bit too snug.
2. Consider the Material Ballet shoes are available in leather and canvas. The material you choose is a matter of personal preference. Leather ballet shoes are more expensive, but are more durable and will probably last longer than the canvas variety. Some people believe that leather ballet shoes accentuate a pointed foot and simply appear more elegant than canvas shoes. However, some dancers prefer the feel of canvas ballet shoes. Canvas shoes are easiest to clean, as they can be thrown right into the washing machine. Another way to influence your decision is to consider the type of dance floor in which the shoes will be worn. Leather shoes work well with wooden floors, but canvas shoes are better suited to floors made of vinyl.
3. Look at the Sole Ballet shoes are designed with full-soles or split-soles. Full-sole ballet shoes closely mimic pointe shoes, which is important to dancers that are technically ready to dance on their toes (although dancing on the toes is not recommended without true pointe shoes, and only then if a dancer has gained enough strength and technique.) Half-sole ballet shoes are preferred by some dancers because they allow the foot to create a stronger point, as the sole is split between the heel and the toe. Sole preference is acquired through experience, and rarely makes much of a difference in dancing ability.
4. Check for Elastics When picking out ballet shoes, keep in mind that some shoes are sold without elastics. Elastics are placed on ballet shoes to secure them to the feet. The elastics are purposely left off the shoe so the dancer can sew them on in exactly the right place, depending on the location of the arch of the foot. If you buy a pair without elastics, you'll have to sew them on yourself. It's not difficult to sew on the elastics, but some dancers, and especially parents of young dancers, prefer to buy them pre-sewn. If you find a pair of ballet shoes with pre-sewn elastics that happen to fit your foot well, consider yourself lucky to avoid threading a needle.
Tips:
Never buy ballet shoes that are too big. It may be tempting, but ballet shoes were designed to fit snugly on the feet. Ask around for second-hand shoes, and check consignment shops. Some parents are happy to recycle outgrown shoes. Never use your ballet shoes as street shoes. Slip on a pair of sneakers or flip-flops instead, in order to prolong the life of your ballet shoes.
A simple leotard and a pair of tights is the best thing to wear to class. Leotards are available in several colors and designs, including sleeveless, short sleeved and long sleeved. Young dancers delight in wearing small skirts and tutus over their leotards, but most teachers discourage them in older classes. Many ballet teachers enforce strict dress codes, even for their youngest dancers. Some teachers assign particular colors for leotards, others prefer a certain style. Ask before you start shopping.
Men and boys: A simple dance outfit is tight sweat pants or shorts paired with a tank top or t-shirt tucked in at the waist. Some prefer traditional leotards and tights, but with the tights worn on the outside. All male dancers traditionally wear dance belts.
My favorite place to buy dancewear and shoes for years has been Discount Dance Supply Online. They carry all the best ballet slippers and have an extensive collection of dancewear at really affordable prices. Check them out before you go to specialty dancewear stores and compare.
Here's a quick rundown of the different dance styles we will be featuring on The Dance Anthology, which one is your favorite?
Ballet Ballet is a formalized kind of performance dance, which originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France, England, and Russia as a concert dance form. It is a poised style of dance that incorporates the foundational techniques for many other dance forms. It is best known in the form of Late Romantic Ballet or Ballet Blanc, which preoccupies itself with the female dancer to the exclusion of almost all else, focusing on pointe work, flowing, precise acrobatic movements, and often presenting the dancers in the conventional short white French tutu. Later developments include expressionist ballet, Neoclassical ballet, and elements of Modern dance.
The word ballet comes from the French and was borrowed into English around 1630. The French word in turn has its origin in Italian balletto, a diminutive of ballo (dance) which comes from Latin ballo, ballare, meaning "to dance", which in turn comes from the Greek "βαλλίζω" (ballizo), "to dance, to jump about".
There are 5 main genres of Ballet which include Ballet d'action, Classical ballet, Contemporary ballet, Neoclassical ballet, and Romantic ballet. The 3 main techniques of Ballet include French ballet, Russian Vaganova method, and Italian Cecchetti method.
Jazz Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance. Every individual style of jazz dance has roots traceable to one of these two distinct origins.
Traditional Until the mid 1950s, jazz dance referred to the dance styles that originated from the African American vernacular dance of the late 19th century to mid-20th century. Jazz dance often referred to tap dance because tap dancing, set to jazz music, was one of the predominant dances of the era. Jazz dance evolved over time to spawn a diverse range of social and concert dance styles. During the later jazz age, popular forms of jazz dance included the Cakewalk, Black Bottom, Charleston, Jitterbug, Boogie Woogie, swing and the related Lindy Hop. Today, many of these dance styles are still popular and continue to be practiced and taught.
Modern After the 1950s, pioneers such as Katherine Dunham took the essence of Caribbean traditional dance and made it into a performing art. With the growing domination of other forms of entertainment music, jazz dance evolved on Broadway into the new, smooth style that is taught today and known as modern jazz, while tap dance branched off to follow its own, separate evolutionary path. The performance style of jazz dance was popularized to a large extent by Bob Fosse's work, which is exemplified by Broadway shows such as Chicago, Cabaret, Damn Yankees, and The Pajama Game. Modern jazz dance continues to be an essential element of musical theatre, and it can often be seen in music videos and competitive dance.
Hip Hop Hip-hop dance refers to dance styles primarily danced to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. This includes a wide range of styles notably breaking, locking, and popping which were developed in the 1970s by Black and Latino Americans. What separates hip-hop dance from other forms of dance is that it is often freestyle in nature and hip-hop dancers frequently engage in battles—formal or informal freestyle dance competitions. Informal freestyle sessions and battles are usually performed in a cipher, "a circular dance space that forms naturally once the dancing begins. These three elements—freestyling, battles, and ciphers—are key components of hip-hop dance.
To some, hip-hop dance may only be a form of entertainment or a hobby. To others it has become a lifestyle: a way to be active in physical fitness or competitive dance and a way to make a living by dancing professionally.
From a technical aspect, hip-hop dance (new style) is characterized as hard-hitting involving flexibility and isolations—moving a certain body part independently from others. The feet are grounded, the chest is down, and the body is kept loose so that a dancer can easily alternate between hitting the beat or riding through the beat. This is in contrast to ballet or ballroom dancing where the chest is upright and the body is stiff. In addition, new style hip-hop is very rhythmic and emphasis is placed on musicality—how sensitive your movements are to the music—and being able to freestyle (improvise). As long as dancers maintain the foundational movements, they can add their own (free)style and have a performance that is still hip-hop.
Another style the dance industry created was jazz funk. Jazz funk (also called street jazz) is a hybrid of hip-hop and jazz dance. This style is used by artists like Beyoncé. Although it borrows from hip-hop dance, it is not considered a style of hip-hop because the foundational movements are jazz. In hip-hop – even in lyrical hip-hop – there are no pirouettes or arabesques and you do not dance on relevé (on the balls of the feet). However, these methods are used in jazz funk and in jazz dance in general. Dance studios responded to these new styles by hiring technically trained dancers and offering hip-hop (new style) and jazz funk dance classes. Large scale studios around the world that teach hip-hop and jazz funk dance classes include Millennium (L.A.), Broadway Dance Center (New York), Edge Performing Arts Center (L.A.), Pineapple Studios (London), The Vibe – The International Hip Hop Dance Center (Oslo), Boogiezone (L.A.),Debbie Reynolds (L.A.), Sunshine Studios (Manchester), DREAM Dance Studio (Vancouver), Ones to Watch (Japan & Hong Kong), and KJD Dance Studio (Sydney).
Contemporary Contemporary dance is a genre of concert dance that employs compositional philosophy, rather than choreography, to guide unchoreographed movement. It uses dance techniques and methods found in ballet, modern dance and postmodern dance, and it also draws from other philosophies of movement that are outside the realm of classical dance technique. The term "contemporary dance" is sometimes used to describe dance that is not classical, Broadway style jazz or folk dance[citation needed]. The hallmark of contemporary dance is an awareness of the limitations of form. Sub-genres recently defined by dance critics include non-dance, conceptual dance and pedestrian contemporary
Modern Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Modern dance is a more relaxed, free style of dance in which choreographers use emotions and moods to design their own steps, in contrast to ballet's structured code of steps. It has a deliberate use of gravity, whereas ballet is rigid in its technique. Because of the common history, the two forms (classical ballet and modern) share a similar terminology and structure. Modern dance is a term that applies to a variety of different disciplines, all with subtly different techniques, that responded to the imperialism of ballet through varying, culturally specific catalytic factors. Both Postmodern dance and Contemporary dance are built upon the foundations laid by Modern dance and form part of the greater category of 20th century concert dance. Where as Postmodern dance was a direct and opposite response to Modern dance, Contemporary dance draws on both modern and postmodern dance as a source of inspiration. The social and artistic upheavals of the late 1960s and 70s provoked even more radical forms of modern dance. Modern dance today is much more sophisticated in technique and technology than when modern dance was founded. The founders composed their dances entirely of spirit, soul, heart and mind as opposed to today's modern which has more technical aspects
Tap Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by a tapping sound that is created from metal plates attached to both the ball and heel of the dancer's shoe. These metal plates, when tapped against a suitable surface, create a percussive sound and as such tap dance is both a form of dance as well as the act of playing a musical instrument.
Early tappers like Fred Astaire provided a more ballroom look to tap dancing, while Gene Kelly used his extensive ballet training to make tap dancing incorporate all the parts of the ballet. This style of tap led to what is today known as "Broadway style," which is more mainstream in American culture. It often involves high heeled tap shoes and show music, and is usually the type of tap first taught to beginners. The best examples of this style are found in Broadway musicals such as 42nd Street.
Hoofers are tap dancers who dance primarily with their legs, making a louder, more grounded sound. This kind of tap dancing, also called "rhythm tap", came primarily from cities and urban areas. Today this is not the case, especially with such a wide variety of styles spreading throughout the world.
Lyrical Lyrical dance is a fusion of ballet with jazz and contemporary dance techniques. Lyrical dance style has its primary basis in ballet, combining the many technical elements of classical ballet with the freedom and airier aspects of jazz, contemporary and modern dance. It is typically considered a sub-category of jazz and/or contemporary dance, the latter itself being an emerging category. Lyrical dance is expressive, simultaneously subtle and dynamic, focused on conveying musicality and emotion through movement. It is a combination of intricate, highly technical, and pedestrian/naturalistic moves. It is commonly set to popular music with vocals as well as rich instrumental portions of a pop song. Lyrical inspires choreographers and dancers to use movement to interpret music and express emotion.
Musical Theater Also called "Broadway Dance", this style of dance tells a story, often accompanied by props. Performed in musicals, the dance supports the acting and singing of the production.
Burlesque In burlesque, performers, usually female, often create elaborate sets with lush, colorful costumes, mood-appropriate music, and dramatic lighting, and may even include novelty acts, such as fire breathing or contortionists, to enhance the impact of their performance. Today New Burlesque has taken many forms, but all have the common trait of honoring one or more of burlesque's previous incarnations, with acts including striptease, expensive costumes, bawdy humor, cabaret and more. There are modern burlesque performers and shows all over the world
Ballroom Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television. Ballroom dance may refer, at its widest, to almost any type of social dancing as recreation. However, with the emergence of dancesport in modern times, the term has become narrower in scope.
The term 'ballroom dancing' is derived from the word ball, which in turn originates from the Latin word ballare which means 'to dance' (a ballroom being a large room specially designed for such dances). In times past, ballroom dancing was social dancing for the privileged, leaving folk dancing for the lower classes. These boundaries have since become blurred, and it should be noted even in times long gone, many ballroom dances were really elevated folk dances. The definition of ballroom dance also depends on the era: balls have featured popular dances of the day such as the Minuet, Quadrille, Polonaise, Polka, Mazurka, and others, which are now considered to be historical dances.
Others dances sometimes placed under the umbrella "ballroom dance" include Nightclub Dances such as Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Nightclub Two Step, Hustle, Salsa, and Merengue. There are a great many different dances in Ballroom dancing, which we will touch on through the year.
Videos from YouTube and info from Wikipedia
I hope to do featurettes of each style this coming year, to enrich my own dance experience as well as our readers. As dance grows, many more styles are sure to emerge so our list is sure to get longer and longer
Today was my birthday, and to celebrate I went to see Black Swan Overall, I loved the movie- the cinematography was amazing (the director, Darren Aronofsky, always produces really stunning work) but was really astounded me was Natalie Portman's performance in the film. With only months of training she transformed into a beautiful and very believable dancer. I especially loved how she portrayed the timid naive ballerina in the beginning which reminded me so much of the ballet dancers I knew in my childhood. The transformation she goes through to achieve "perfecting imperfection" of the Black Swan role is incredibly moving, as is the character of Beth that Winona Ryder portrays of a principal ballerina nearing her thirties and being forced to retire.
The movie does a superb job of showing the darker side of the ballet world which people are so intrigued by. The glitz, glamour, and beauty is so spellbinding, people rarely stop to consider the price some dancers pay to get to the top. The choreography is flawless, done by Benjamin Millepied. It is sure to bring a new found interest in Swan Lake and in ballet in general
Here are two of my very favorite parts of the Nutracker, The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy performed by the Marinksy Ballet (now the Kirov Ballet) in 1993
And the Sugar Plum Pas De Deux
For those new to Ballet, a Pas De Deux is is a duet in which ballet dancers perform the dance together; while a Variation is a solo dance, sometimes called a Pas Seul
Although the Nutcracker is a Holiday Tradition in my family, many people have not had the opportunity to see the Nutcracker Ballet or dance in it. For anyone who is not familiar with the story, here is a short crash course of the Nutcracker:
The characters: Act I
President His wife Invitees Children, including Clara and Fritz [children of the President] Parents dressed as "incroyables" Councilor Drosselmeyer Dolls [spring-activated]: Harlequin and Columbine, appearing out of a cabbage [1st gift] Soldier, appearing out of a pie or tart [2nd gift] Nutcracker [3rd gift, at first a normal-sized toy, then full-sized and "speaking", then a Prince] Owl [on clock, changing into Drosselmeyer] Mice Sentinel [speaking rôle] Hare-Drummers Soldiers [of the Nutcracker] Mouse King Snowflakes Angels
ACT II
Angels Sugar Plum Fairy Clara Prince 12 Pages Eminent members of the court Spanish Hot Chocolate Performers Arabian Coffee Performers Chinese Tea Performers Russian Candy Cane Performers Danish Marzipan Shepherdess Performers Mother Gigogne Buffoons (= Fr. polichinelles) Dewdrop Flowers Sugar Plum Fairy Her Cavalier
The story: Act I Scene 1: The Silberhaus Home It is Christmas Eve at the house of Herr and Frau Silberhaus and their children. Family and friends have gathered in the parlor to decorate the beautiful Christmas tree in preparation for the night's festivities. Once the tree is finished, the younger children are sent for; among them are Clara, the Silberhaus' daughter, and her brother Fritz. The children stand in awe of the tree, sparkling with candles and decorations. The festivities begin. A march is played on the piano. Presents are given out to the children. Suddenly, as the owl-topped clock strikes eight, a mysterious figure enters the room. It is Herr Drosselmeyer, a local councilman and Clara and Fritz's godfather. He is also a talented toymaker who has brought with him gifts for the children, including four lifelike dolls—a Harlequin and Columbine, and a Vivandière and Soldier—who dance to the delight of all. Herr Silberhaus has the precious dolls put away for safekeeping. Clara and Fritz are sad to see the dolls taken away, but Herr Drosselmeyer has yet another toy for them: a wooden nutcracker carved in the shape of a little man, used for cracking hazelnuts. The children are delighted. Clara immediately takes a liking to it. Fritz, however, tries to use the nutcracker to crack a walnut (too large and hard for its wooden jaw) and inadvertently breaks it. Clara is heartbroken. Clara takes the wounded toy to her doll's bed, lulling it to sleep. The boys interrupt with their toy trumpets and horns. Herr and Frau Silberhaus announce it is time to finish off the evening with a traditional Grandfather dance. After the dance, the guests depart, and the children are sent off to bed. During the night, after everyone else has gone to bed, Clara returns to the parlor to check on her beloved nutcracker. As she reaches the little bed, the clock strikes midnight and she looks up to see her Godfather Drosselmeyer perched atop the clock in place of the owl. Suddenly, mice begin to fill the room and the Christmas tree begins to grow to dizzying heights. The Nutcracker also grows to life-size. Clara finds herself in the midst of a battle between an army of gingerbread soldiers and the mice, led by the Mouse King. The mice begin to eat the gingerbread soldiers. The Nutcracker appears to lead the gingerbread soldiers, who are joined by tin soldiers and dolls (who serve as doctors to carry away the wounded). As the Mouse King advances on the still-wounded Nutcracker, Clara throws her slipper at him, distracting him long enough for the Nutcracker to stab him. Scene 2: A Pine Forest The mice retreat and the Nutcracker is transformed into a handsome Prince. He leads Clara through the moonlit night to a pine forest in which the snowflakes dance around them.
Act II Scene 1: The Land of Sweets (Confiturembourg) Clara and the Prince travel in a nutshell boat pulled by dolphins to the beautiful Land of Sweets in Confiturembourg, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Prince's place until his return. The Prince recounts for the Sugar Plum Fairy how he had been saved by Clara from the Mouse King and had been transformed back into a Prince. In honor of the young heroine, a celebration of sweets from around the world is produced: Chocolate from Spain, Coffee from Arabia, and Tea from China all dance for their amusement; Candy Canes from Russia perform an intricate hoop dance; Danish Marzipan Shepherdesses perform on their flutes; Mother Gigogne has her Polichinelle children emerge from under her enormous skirt to dance; a string of beautiful flowers perform a waltz. To conclude the night, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a Pas de Deux. A final waltz is performed by all the sweets after which Clara and the Prince are crowned rulers of Confiturembourg forever and are shown the riches of their kingdom domed with an enormous beehive.[1]
Obviously there are many adaptations of the story and characters which vary from production to production. All info & pictures from Wikipedia
One of the most beloved holiday traditions is The Nutcracker Ballet. Here in Arizona there are many companies that perform this treasured ballet, but how did it begin? Dance Channel TV gives us a history of The Nutcracker.
Many people do it without ever asking what is the basic meaning of dance? Where did it begin, and how did it develop into the art form that it is today? I did a little research and came up with some answers and information:
Wikipedia gives us this definition of dance "Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music,used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting."
Dance can be participatory (seen a lot at weddings-such as the macarena or the chicken dance), social (square dancing or swing dancing) or performed for an audience. We will be focusing on performance dancing on this website. Performance dancing then breaks off into mulitple styles from classical to hip hop-and then breaks off into even more specific categories like ballet & ballroom in the classical style; and break dancing and krumping in the hip hop style. Performance dance can also be separated into solo dances, partner dances, and group dances.
Dance can embody or express ideas, emotions or tell a story. While dancing is considered an art form it also requires athleticism, flexibility and physics. All parts must work together to support the aesthetics of the movement.
No one knows exactly when dance began, but it has been a part of rituals and ceremonies since prehistoric times as evidenced by the 9,000 year old Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka paintings in India and Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures from circa 3300 BC. People all around the world have used dance for many different kinds of ceremonies and many contemporary dance forms can be traced back to historical, traditional, ceremonial, and ethnic dance.
