'School of Classical Dance' is the official textbook of the Vaganova School in St. Petersburg, and takes the student and teacher from the basic concepts of the syllabus to the most complex exercises taught at the end of the eight-year course. A thorough and logical presentation of the classical vocabulary, from its basic forms to advanced variations, is followed by a sample lesson for a senior class. The eight-year syllabus of the Vaganova School, now adopted by almost all Russian ballet schools, is then given in full. The authors were both long-time teachers at the Vaganova School. "A book which is to be treasured, one of the great technical manuals of our time" - the Dancing Times.
'School of Classical Dance' is the official textbook of the Vaganova School in St. Petersburg, and takes the student and teacher from the basic concepts of the syllabus to the most complex exercises taught at the end of the eight-year course. A thorough and logical presentation of the classical vocabulary, from its basic forms to advanced variations, is followed by a sample lesson for a senior class. The eight-year syllabus of the Vaganova School, now adopted by almost all Russian ballet schools, is then given in full. The authors were both long-time teachers at the Vaganova School. "A book which is to be treasured, one of the great technical manuals of our time" - the Dancing Times.
Sets out in detail the classes taught in their first three years of study to students at the U.S.S.R.'s main school of classical ballet, the Vaganova Choreographic School in Leningrad.
"This comprehensive guide... helps youngsters who love ballet to understand the hard work and commitment involved in classical dance training." -- School Library Journal (of the first edition) "A detailed, practical guide for serious ballet students... To balance collections heavy on colorful ballet books for browsers with stars in their eyes, here's a guide for ballet students who are ready to get down to work." -- Booklist (of the first edition) Prepared in conjunction with Canada's National Ballet School, The Ballet Book is the definitive instructional resource for children who are beginning to explore the possibilities and delights of ballet. The Ballet Book is an inspirational motivator, an exceptional teaching aid, and an ideal companion for students. Now it has all-new photographs in color and a text more suited to contemporary young dancers. The book illustrates in meticulous detail -- and through more than 100 photographs -- every position, step and pose involved in barre work, pointe work, alignment, classical ballet poses, attitudes, allegros, batteries, pirouettes and arabesques. Age-appropriate and comprehensive, it is a motivational guide, with information on deciding to dance; finding a teacher; musical accompaniment; finding the ideal studio; what to wear and grooming; positions, steps and poses; and exercises and nutrition. Historical highlights and modern opportunities complete this comprehensive book. The Ballet Book is a strong guide for both boys and girls.
Discusses all basic principles of ballet, grouping movement by fundamental types. Diagrams show clearly the exact foot, leg, arm, and body positions for the proper execution of many steps and movements. 118 illustrations.
On Sundays, Varun has his karate lesson, and his sister Varsha heads to dance school with their grandfather. One weekend, Varun reluctantly accompanies his sister to her lesson. Bored of waiting, he peeks into the classroom, and almost immediately, he is fascinated by the rhythm and grace of bharatanatyam, a dance from India that Varsha is learning to perfect. Varun tries a few moves at home in secret because...well, boys don’t dance, do they? His grandfather is not so sure. Will Thatha be able to convince Varun to dance in his footsteps? A heartwarming picture book about a multigenerational Indian-American family discovering a shared love for bharatanatyam, an ancient classical dance that continues to fascinate dancers worldwide.
From adagio to voyage, over 800 steps, movements, poses, and concepts are fully defined. A pronunciation guide and cross-references to alternate names for similar steps and positions also included.
The yoga and classical dance traditions of India have been inextricably entwined for millennia. The exacting hand gestures, postures and movements of Indian classical dance can only be achieved through yogic concentration. Conversely, the esthetics, symmetry, and dynamism of dance enhance the practice of yoga. These two traditions, so complementary and essential to one another, are united and explicated for the first time in A Yoga of Indian Classical Dance. Twenty-five years ago Roxanne Kamayani Gupta embarked on a journey of dance and yoga, yearning to unlock their mysteries and discover their common origins. As a twenty-year-old student from America she was miraculously and mysteriously absorbed into Indian culture, became a Hindu, and began an odyssey so unusual and unique that the reader will be enchanted by its telling. Choosing the path of the dancer, Roxanne Gupta accomplished what no Western woman had done before: being accepted and trained by Indian masters and then performing in the Indian classical traditions--from the palaces of maharajas to the arts festivals of Europe and America--while at the same time achieving a doctorate in the anthropology of religion and being initiated into a number of yogic traditions. Having mastered the classical form of Kuchipudi dance and studied with teachers of the hatha and kriya yoga traditions, she brings together these two great streams of consciousness and practice. In this tantric approach to yoga and dance, expressed through the body and through a yoga of emotions, we see the traditions embodied in a manner that embraces the totality of the human experience. The result is the dance of the yogini, the sacred feminine initiatress who dances with one foot in nature and the other in the realm of the gods. With extensive photographs of innovative yoga routines, Roxanne Kamayani Gupta distills her experience into techniques for yogic study certain to assist students of all levels to achieve a dynamic, beautiful, and graceful practice.
An important modern exponent of Asian dance, Pandit Chitresh Das brought kathak to the United States in 1970. The North Indian classical dance has since become an important art form within the greater Indian diaspora. Yet its adoption outside of India raises questions about what happens to artistic practices when we separate them from their broader cultural contexts. A Guru's Journey provides an ethnographic study of the dance form in the San Francisco Bay Area community formed by Das. Sarah Morelli, a kathak dancer and one of Das's former students, investigates issues in teaching, learning, and performance that developed around Das during his time in the United States. In modifying kathak's form and teaching for Western students, Das negotiates questions of Indianness and non-Indianness, gender, identity, and race. Morelli lays out these issues for readers with the goal of deepening their knowledge of kathak aesthetics, technique, and theory. She also shares the intricacies of footwork, facial expression in storytelling, and other aspects of kathak while tying them to the cultural issues that inform the dance.
"Every commercial ballet teacher should have a copy. . . . offers solid self-evaluation to every teacher--it separates 'the mice and the Nutcracker'!"--Richard J. Sias, dancer, choreographer, and associate professor of ballet, Florida State University "The contribution to the dance world is immense. . . . should be read by all teachers of dance as well as students in preparatory schools and colleges. . . . Mr. White challenges us to reexamine what we have accepted as excellence in the past and to push beyond that to find what is possible."--Patricia Walker, founder and director, Children's Ballet Theatre of New Hampshire "A service of great importance for any artist wishing to pursue a career in dance. . . . applicable to both experienced and inexperienced dancers and teachers. It gives guidelines to the art of teaching ballet where none existed before."--Charles Flachs, principal dancer, Nashville Ballet From his experience of 40 years in ballet as a student, performer, ballet master, and dedicated teacher, John White offers this work of inspiration and step-by-step instruction on the art and craft of teaching classical dance. Stressing excellence in both the creative and the practical aspects of teaching, White discusses what it means to be a "master teacher"--someone with both a deep love for dance and an appreciation for the grandeur of the human spirit. Good art is usually uncomplicated, he says. Illustrating with 97 photographs, he presents a method of study that includes such aspects of teaching as constructive warm-up exercises, when to begin pointe shoes, the beneficial aspects of pain, and appropriate music for the classroom, as well as elements of the basic lesson. He discusses how to recognize talent and to refine and develop it. He offers guidelines for establishing and organizing a well-run studio. And he presents his personal insights into the art of classical ballet pedagogy--shaped in particular by his study with ballet masters from the Kirov and Bolshoi ballet companies and by concepts from the famous Vaganova Choreographic School in St. Petersburg. The book also confronts the controversial issue of the widespread mediocrity that is notorious in dance schools. Poor training often brings about the loss of talented students and the premature forced retirement of professional artists from unnecessary injuries. By contrast, White says, good teaching can be an exhilarating challenge and a profound joy. John White is codirector of the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, located in a Philadelphia suburb, which he opened with his wife in 1974. He has been a soloist and the ballet master of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and the head instructor and interim ballet master of the Pennsylvania Ballet Company. Since 1980 he has conducted seminars for dance teacers, training more than 400 teachers during this time. In addition, he was a contributing editor and writer for Ballet Dancer Magazine.
