Ballet Class Notes
Taking notes during Ballet Class can really help you:
- Remember your teacher’s tips and corrections better. The act of writing something down helps my memory significantly
- Learn Definition and Spelling of Ballet Terminology.
- Learn Ballet Routines to Incorporate in Your Practice Sessions.
The text files are typed up notes of the exercises from my various Ballet classes. The second columns include corrections, tips, etc from each class that I felt were most helpful for me. If you want to see more detailed thoughts on taking notes from Ballet class, please see my blog post Is it Useful to Take Notes in Ballet?
| Ballet Class Exercises |
Key Notes from Class |
| PNB Intermediate/Beginner 4_21_2010 |
- Keep Knees and Leg Straight for Tendu. Pull up hips. When move your feet back to 5th position from tendu, make sure your knees and legs are straight. Really pull up and keep your hips turned out. Keep shoulders down
- Slice Jettes at a 45 Degree Angle. Make sure all your jettes slice through the air at a 45 degree angle
- Pas de Cheval [pah duh shuh-VAL] means step of the horse. Start with a coupe -> a small developpe -> tendu back to starting position.
- Example Pas De Cheval YouTube Video
|
| PNB_Beginner_4_22_2010 |
- Keep Knees and Leg Straight on Tendu. This is a 2nd correction
- Good Exercise to Strengthen Legs and Hips.
Fondu -> Battement x2
Arch back -> Releve -> Sousu-sus
FSB, BSF
- Keep Thighs Still For Petite Battements. It’s the knee that’s moving the leg
- In adagio, when you developpe to battement remember to move your arms with the leg movement too
- Keep Weight on FRONT Leg For Soutenu en Tournanet. To stablize your Soutenu en Tournant, remember to keep the weight on the FRONT leg because it becomes your SUPPORTING leg at the end of the turn
|
| Kirkland Dance Center 5/09/2010
Ballet Beg/Int
Battement Exercise
Continuous Pirouette
Learning Faili Assemblé
Développé at Center
Pointe Class #2
Pointe – Plie Releve
Pointe – Side Jete Coupe
|
Regular Ballet Notes:
-
Continuous Pirouettes is all about the Start, Timing, and Rhythm. Once I get the rhythm down, I can usually keep it going. One thing that I figured out worked for me was also overshooting my spot, so if I am turning right instead of spotting right in front I spotted to the right a bit more.
-
Keep the Faili Assemblé Combination Going! This is true for all repeated combinations. Don’t stop in between the combination even if you have trouble with it. Keep it going so you don’t get into a bad habit of having a hesitation in between steps
Pointe Notes
- Work on Breaking in my shoes
- Try to Keep the Weight onto the Big Toe
- The Way You Turn Out Your Feet is Important
|
| Kirkland Dance Center 7/17/2010
Ballet Beg/Int
Tendu Pique
Tendu Coupe
Pointe Class #6
Left Piques
Right Pique Turns
Walking on Pointe
|
Regular Ballet Notes:
It’s not just about the Feet. Start Focusing on Your Arms More!
Pointe Notes:
Need to Work on a Better Arch
Need to get onto the box of the Pointe Shoe better
|
Kirkland Dance Center 7/19/2010
Left Leg Six Step Pirouette
Right Leg Six Step Pirouette
Right Leg Saute De chat with Correction
Left Leg Saute de Chat |
Turns:
Focus on one spot
Focus on contracting your core
Keep your arms straight and up
Pin your foot to your knee
Leaps:
Focus on a softer landing
Point your back leg
|
| PNB 8/6/2010 |
In Ballet, many exercises have a subtlety to the timing and a suspension to it. Take pas de cheval. It’s not evenly paced. There’s actually a short suspension before you développé your leg!
Pay attention to how your arms, eyes, and head moves! |
