One of the first things you do in ballet class is always barre work. Here are some videos to explain barre work and show some barre exercises used in ballet class.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Studio Spotlight- Ballet Etudes
Welcome to our first Studio Spotlight! I'm excited to feature Ballet Etudes today and tell you guys a little bit about whoe they are and what they do. I visited their website to dig up some info, and found their Mission Statement and History:
It is the intent of Ballet Etudes to realistically duplicate the experiences of a professional ballet company for serious young dancers. Under the guidance of its professional staff, Ballet Etudes is dedicated to providing the highest quality in dance education and optimum performing opportunities for its members.
Ballet Etudes was created by Sharon Seder Meko in 1986 to fulfill the artistic needs of serious young dancers who desire performing opportunities of the highest caliber. Company members are selected through open auditions by a panel of adjudicators each August, and if selected, the dancers strive to meet the same high artistic standards of a professional company in their dance training, rehearsals and performances. The Artistic Staff offers young dancers an opportunity for expert training and stage experience under professional guidance.
Ballet Etudes is not only proud of the excellence of its dancers but of its strong financial stability. As a result of the solid management of its Board of Trustees, Ballet Etudes has sole ownership of its sets, properties and costumes. The company also receives generous contributions from local corporations, businesses and private patrons.
The performance schedule of Ballet Etudes includes its popular productions of The Nutcracker, which has been taken on tour to Prescott, Peter Pan and Cinderella. Additionally, the company has performed with The Phoenix Symphony, the Phoenix Boys Choir, The Phoenix Girls Choir, Valley Youth Theatre, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, and at a Phoenix Suns game, the Arizona Renaissance Festival and an Arizona Opera gala.
They have a ballet company within their school, which offers all kinds of classes in other styles than just ballet. Check out their schedule to see if there is one that might work for you!
They also just held auditions this past weekend for their upcoming presentation of Sleeping Beauty!
It is the intent of Ballet Etudes to realistically duplicate the experiences of a professional ballet company for serious young dancers. Under the guidance of its professional staff, Ballet Etudes is dedicated to providing the highest quality in dance education and optimum performing opportunities for its members.
Ballet Etudes was created by Sharon Seder Meko in 1986 to fulfill the artistic needs of serious young dancers who desire performing opportunities of the highest caliber. Company members are selected through open auditions by a panel of adjudicators each August, and if selected, the dancers strive to meet the same high artistic standards of a professional company in their dance training, rehearsals and performances. The Artistic Staff offers young dancers an opportunity for expert training and stage experience under professional guidance.
Ballet Etudes is not only proud of the excellence of its dancers but of its strong financial stability. As a result of the solid management of its Board of Trustees, Ballet Etudes has sole ownership of its sets, properties and costumes. The company also receives generous contributions from local corporations, businesses and private patrons.
The performance schedule of Ballet Etudes includes its popular productions of The Nutcracker, which has been taken on tour to Prescott, Peter Pan and Cinderella. Additionally, the company has performed with The Phoenix Symphony, the Phoenix Boys Choir, The Phoenix Girls Choir, Valley Youth Theatre, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, and at a Phoenix Suns game, the Arizona Renaissance Festival and an Arizona Opera gala.
They have a ballet company within their school, which offers all kinds of classes in other styles than just ballet. Check out their schedule to see if there is one that might work for you!
They also just held auditions this past weekend for their upcoming presentation of Sleeping Beauty!
Friday, January 7, 2011
The History of Ballet
Ballet emerged in the late fifteenth-century Renaissance court culture of Italy as a dance interpretation of fencing, and further developed in the French court from the time of Louis XIV in the 17th century.
Louis XIV in Lully's Ballet de la nuit (1653).
This is reflected in the largely French vocabulary of ballet. It was reintroduced to western Europe on the eve of the First World War by a Russian company: the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev, who came to be influential around the world. Diaghilev's company came to be a destination for many of the Russian trained dancers fleeing the famine and unrest that followed the Bolshevik revolution. These dancers brought many of the choreographic and stylistic innovations that had been flourishing under the czars back to their place of origin.
In the 20th century ballet has continued to develop and has had a strong influence on broader concert dance. For example, in the United States, choreographer George Balanchine developed what is now known as neoclassical ballet. Subsequent developments now include contemporary ballet and post-structural ballet, seen in the work of William Forsythe in Germany.
Ballet is a formalized form of dance with its origins in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th and 16th centuries. It quickly spread to the French court of Catherine de' Medici where it was developed even further. In the 17th century at the time of Louis XIV, ballet was codified. The predominance of French in the vocabulary of ballet reflects this history. It also became a form closely associated with the opera. Despite the great reforms of Jean-Georges Noverre (was a French dancer and balletmaster) in the eighteenth century, ballet went into decline in France after 1830, though it was continued in Denmark, Italy, and Russia. The Royal Danish Ballet and the Imperial Ballet of the Russian Empire were founded in the 1740s and began to flourish, especially after about 1850. In 1907 the Russian ballet in turn moved back to France, where the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev and its successors were particularly influential. Soon ballet spread around the world with the formation of new companies, including London's The Royal Ballet (1931), the San Francisco Ballet (1933), American Ballet Theatre (1937), The Australian Ballet (1940), the New York City Ballet (1948), the National Ballet of Canada (1951), and the Delhi Ballet (2002).[1]
In the 20th century styles of ballet continued to develop and strongly influence broader concert dance, for example, in the United States choreographer George Balanchine developed what is now known as neoclassical ballet, subsequent developments have included contemporary ballet and post-structural ballet, for example seen in the work of William Forsythe in Germany.
The etymology of the word "ballet" reflects its history. The word ballet comes from French and was borrowed into English around the 17th century. The French word in turn has its origins in Italian balletto, a diminutive of ballo (dance). Ballet ultimately traces back to Latin ballare, meaning "to dance".
Louis XIV in Lully's Ballet de la nuit (1653).
This is reflected in the largely French vocabulary of ballet. It was reintroduced to western Europe on the eve of the First World War by a Russian company: the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev, who came to be influential around the world. Diaghilev's company came to be a destination for many of the Russian trained dancers fleeing the famine and unrest that followed the Bolshevik revolution. These dancers brought many of the choreographic and stylistic innovations that had been flourishing under the czars back to their place of origin.
In the 20th century ballet has continued to develop and has had a strong influence on broader concert dance. For example, in the United States, choreographer George Balanchine developed what is now known as neoclassical ballet. Subsequent developments now include contemporary ballet and post-structural ballet, seen in the work of William Forsythe in Germany.
Ballet is a formalized form of dance with its origins in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th and 16th centuries. It quickly spread to the French court of Catherine de' Medici where it was developed even further. In the 17th century at the time of Louis XIV, ballet was codified. The predominance of French in the vocabulary of ballet reflects this history. It also became a form closely associated with the opera. Despite the great reforms of Jean-Georges Noverre (was a French dancer and balletmaster) in the eighteenth century, ballet went into decline in France after 1830, though it was continued in Denmark, Italy, and Russia. The Royal Danish Ballet and the Imperial Ballet of the Russian Empire were founded in the 1740s and began to flourish, especially after about 1850. In 1907 the Russian ballet in turn moved back to France, where the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev and its successors were particularly influential. Soon ballet spread around the world with the formation of new companies, including London's The Royal Ballet (1931), the San Francisco Ballet (1933), American Ballet Theatre (1937), The Australian Ballet (1940), the New York City Ballet (1948), the National Ballet of Canada (1951), and the Delhi Ballet (2002).[1]
In the 20th century styles of ballet continued to develop and strongly influence broader concert dance, for example, in the United States choreographer George Balanchine developed what is now known as neoclassical ballet, subsequent developments have included contemporary ballet and post-structural ballet, for example seen in the work of William Forsythe in Germany.
The etymology of the word "ballet" reflects its history. The word ballet comes from French and was borrowed into English around the 17th century. The French word in turn has its origins in Italian balletto, a diminutive of ballo (dance). Ballet ultimately traces back to Latin ballare, meaning "to dance".
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Basic Ballet Positions
Are you ready to learn some beginning ballet? Here is a great and very informative video from The Ensworth School of Ballet & The Academy of Ballet Arts You Tube channel to show the foot positions & arm positions
Warming up before any dance class is also important and here is a good video for a few warm up excercizes and stretches to prepare for class.
Warming up before any dance class is also important and here is a good video for a few warm up excercizes and stretches to prepare for class.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Best of Live to Dance Episode #1
Ok, the show itself was a little too American Idol for me, but the dance features were actually pretty good. My favorite?
Parking Structure Studio Vaudeville & Hip Hop dance
Parking Structure Studio Vaudeville & Hip Hop dance
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New Dance Show- Live To Dance
There's a new reality tv dance competition that started tonight starring Paula Abdul (who I'll always love for Cold Hearted Snake) I missed it, but I'll try and catch it on Hulu tomorrow. Those of you that caught it-what did you think?
Monday, January 3, 2011
Introducing Our First Interview of 2011
We're kicking off our bi-weekly interviews with the creator of The Dance Anthology, Rosemary Watson
Who are you and how long have you been involoved in Dance?
I am Rosemary (Amos) Watson. I am 26 years old and I have been dancing for 24 years. I began dancing at Jeanne's School of Dance in Mesa, AZ with a combo class taught by Juile Sindois. I danced at Jeannes in the company & later Ballet Etudes company until my Sophomore year of high school, where I then was on Mesa High's Dance company, Euporea for 3 years. I've been teaching dance since I was 13 and have been exposed to almost al types of dance.
How is dance currently a part of your life?
I started this website to immerse myself in dance in a whole new way. This is a way to make dancing a part of my day to day life, and to connect with other dancers all over the world.
What are your favorite styles of dance?
Jazz has always been my favorite and strongest style of dance. I have had the most training in it, but I am starting to be more entranced by ballet and contemporary styles. Hip hop is so fun to do, and I love watching ballroom but I admit I need more training and experience in those styles.
What does dance mean to you? Why do you dance?
Dance has always been a part of my life as long as I can remember. I think a lot of people have taken dance in their lives, but only a few have let it become a part of them. Dance is a defining characteristic of me. When I dance, I feel as though I am doing exactly what I was made to do.
What else inspires you?
So many things, this whole big world. I see inspiration everywhere- in food, music, fashion, blogs, my kids. The littlest things ingrain themselves in my brain and ideas just explode out of me. It's amazing, this wonderful world we live in. You just need to take a minute and realize it.
How do you envision the future of dance?
I think that this website is a part of what dance can become. A place where all dancers from all walks of life can come together and share their passion. I hope that it gives people a reason and a chance to create art and that other people can be inspired by their work. This could be really really amazing and huge, and I hope everyone is as excited about it as I am.
For more info on Rosemary, visit our About The Dance Anthology page.
Who are you and how long have you been involoved in Dance?
I am Rosemary (Amos) Watson. I am 26 years old and I have been dancing for 24 years. I began dancing at Jeanne's School of Dance in Mesa, AZ with a combo class taught by Juile Sindois. I danced at Jeannes in the company & later Ballet Etudes company until my Sophomore year of high school, where I then was on Mesa High's Dance company, Euporea for 3 years. I've been teaching dance since I was 13 and have been exposed to almost al types of dance.
How is dance currently a part of your life?
I started this website to immerse myself in dance in a whole new way. This is a way to make dancing a part of my day to day life, and to connect with other dancers all over the world.
What are your favorite styles of dance?
Jazz has always been my favorite and strongest style of dance. I have had the most training in it, but I am starting to be more entranced by ballet and contemporary styles. Hip hop is so fun to do, and I love watching ballroom but I admit I need more training and experience in those styles.
What does dance mean to you? Why do you dance?
Dance has always been a part of my life as long as I can remember. I think a lot of people have taken dance in their lives, but only a few have let it become a part of them. Dance is a defining characteristic of me. When I dance, I feel as though I am doing exactly what I was made to do.
What else inspires you?
So many things, this whole big world. I see inspiration everywhere- in food, music, fashion, blogs, my kids. The littlest things ingrain themselves in my brain and ideas just explode out of me. It's amazing, this wonderful world we live in. You just need to take a minute and realize it.
How do you envision the future of dance?
I think that this website is a part of what dance can become. A place where all dancers from all walks of life can come together and share their passion. I hope that it gives people a reason and a chance to create art and that other people can be inspired by their work. This could be really really amazing and huge, and I hope everyone is as excited about it as I am.
For more info on Rosemary, visit our About The Dance Anthology page.
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