Anjuli_Bai

When a company wishes to dance a work from the Balanchine repertoire, they apply to the Balanchine Trust. A representative from the Trust is sent to assess the capabilities of the company to produce the ballet and the dancers' ability to dance it. If both conditions are met, the representative will teach the choreography to the company. The representative then leaves and the company spends the next weeks rehearsing. Before performance, a representative again comes out to observe rehearsal and sanction (or not) that the performance can go forward. Not only are the choreographic details checked, but also all of the production values such as: lighting, stage design, music, lighting, etc. Also checked are the program notes which will appear in the program handed out to the audience. In addition to the fee paid to the Trust for the "use" of the intellectual property (Balanchine's choreography and use of his name) but also the expenses of the representative. If the company is in California and the representative flies in from New York, this can be fairly expensive. Of course, in return the company now has the cachet of adding Balanchine repertoire to its programming possibilities. As I understand it, if the company has a history of presenting Balanchine repertoire successfully - the oversight by the Trust is ...well,..more trusting with a bit less direct supervision needed. While this is probably as close as one can get to preserving the intellectual property (as well as paying Balanchine's heirs for its use), it is possible as time goes on and there is a generational change in Trust members, changes will creep in. They probably already have. But those changes are probably unintentional. The problem is - as I see it - while it is understandable that one's first reaction on the death of a renowned choreographer (or composer) would be to abhor change. But that is also stagnation. As it was said in an above post, the instruments upon which music composed many years (centuries) ago has changed. Tastes change. The first ballets performed on pointe were done in unblocked shoes and thus use of pointe work more restricted than it is today. A fine line between stagnation and preservation.

I have known three dancers in major companies who spent their professional careers in the corps -- and actually preferred it. Two of them could have moved on/up - but did not wish to. Not everyone seeks the limelight. They loved to dance, loved the theatre, loved being with their friends, the hours of rehearsal suited their lives outside the theatre, didn't want the stress and competition at the other levels. There is a hierarcy within the corps and a dancer with much experience is a very valuable asset to the company. She/he is a leader within the corps and also acts as a repository of the history of how the ballet is performed. I don't like to use words that indicate "moving up" - because for some it is not - perhaps "moving on" is a better choice. I think this is true in other vocations/professions. Many love being nurses and don't want to be doctors.

In another thread there was some tangential discussion regarding how the legacy of recent choreographers - such as MacMilllan and Balanchine - is being preserved and guarded through legal means. At first thought this is a worthy goal. But.... If we think about the oldest of ballet's classic repertoire - La Sylphide, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, etc., we know that there have been many changes through the years. These ballets, though over 100 years old are still very popular, and are often the backbone of major ballet companies. Would they be so had the original choreography and designs been kept from changing with time and taste? If the legacy of choreographers such as MacMillan and Balanchine are kept legally frozen will they still be performed 100 years now? Can they "live" without change?

And, many times the choreographers themselves made many changes - often major ones. Sometimes they changed the choreography as their vision of the music and design changed, or they changed it to suit new casts, etc., or a particular dancers gifts (or lack thereof). Balanchine and Fokine come to mind In ballets such as "Apollo" and "Les Sylphides." While strict guardianship of a choreographer's work by his/her heirs is a good thing, it also means that the work is frozen in time.

Reading the several posts above makes me wonder how it ever works in the USA. Most students and teachers, including me, are not multimillionaires. Most do not live in the big cities. Yes, most of those wonderful classes I had the opportunity to take were as an adult but I was the oldest in the class. This wide array of teachers were not hired to teach only adults and/or professional classes. The class was most often a teen class - based more on technical ability than age or exam level (since there are no exams). These teeachers also taught the younger classes, too. As for "international" teachers, in fact, as many were native born as those who came from abroad. Most of the teachers I "reeled off" were not teaching as guests or teaching just for the summer. Most were on staff of an existing school. In some cases they opened their own schools (some successful and some not). Since there is no predominant syllabus based curriculum here - their schools had as much of a chance of success as anyone elses. Except for the Danish ballerina, I have not included in my post those who came as guest teachers - if I had the list would have been much longer. Because classes are not set up by a syllabus exam level - they tend to be more diverse in age and set up more by technical proficiency once one gets beyond the children's beginning level. Good teachers here, too, do not allow pointe before the student is of an appropriate age (for me its 12 years of age) and technical proficiency. As well, good teachers here take matters of safety greatly to heart. It is important to them that a student thrive. A good teacher, no matter where they live, starts out by being a decent caring individual. Likewise parents here care as much about the environment into which they send their children when choosing a ballet school. Usually the reputation of the school is by word of mouth as well as observation of the class atmosphere, the impact on their child and the results. One difference I have noted in the years I've had the privilege of being part of this board communiity, is that many parents and students in the UK often mention a hesitation to approach the teacher with questions and/or problems. I see less of that in the US. Maybe the lack of a certificate on the wall encourages this questioning. I don't know. I'm not sure that it is possible to say that professional dancers here are all products of vocational schools. Many are - but as I read their resumes, many are not. As for what is "practicable" ......I know of one teacher who every other week drove the 600 miles to San Francisco to study with a particular teacher. For her it was practicable - for me it would not be. It's an individual decision.

Who would think there would be such a range of teachers in a city such as San Diego ? Back in the 1960's there were only 3 or 4 women teaching here with small classes. It does help that it is a very attractive city, but exactly why so many wonderful teachers came - some making a permanent home here and others not - I don't know. Perhaps when a school is not syllabus based - or not dedicated to a particular style - a wider range of teaching styles fit in more comfortably. I do know the class looked forward to seeing a new approach. When I was called to teach, if the school didn't already know me, I was given an audition by teaching a class. Had the school been syllabus based, then I am sure i would never have been given the opportunity to audition. Maybe as a guest teacher, but certainly not as a staff teacher because I wouldn't have fit in. I think, perhaps, when a school is more widely based it is more likely to welcome in new and diverse staff. Kind of a chicken/egg thing.

Some additional thoughts a bit beyond the basic training to teach...... I found that it was central to my dance education to continue to take a daily class as long as physically possible and actually I retired from regular teaching before I stopped taking a daily class. Teaching took more energy than taking a ballet class. At first that may sound surprising - but in taking class one only has to be concerned with oneself, whilst in teaching the entire energy of the class arises and is kept aloft on the shoulders of the teacher. I've never heard of an inspirational class without an inspired teacher. Responsibility takes more energy than physical activity. Taking a daily class kept me refreshed in several areas - new/different methods, music, choreography, approaches - and just as important it was a daily reminder as to just how difficult - how much the student invests in it all. I also found that within any one style/school there were many doors. I studied with three (2 principals, 1 soloist) NYCB dancers and though they were all products of the same school (Balanchine - SAB), each gave me quite different views and truly altered how I saw dance and how I experienced it. One especially, with a simple demonstration of breathing changed everything for me. A summer session with a principal dancer (prima ballerina - Bournonvile) from Royal Danish Ballet was an eye opener on how to use the stage and how to process petit allegro. My three years with a Cecchetti examiner gave me a way of systematizing very basic movement: head, arms, body positions. Two major dancers, one a ballet mistrerss, from the RB brought a different style - including the Ashton nuances. One teacher, himself a student Eugene Loring, took petit allegro beyond anything I had previously seen. My first teacher - and several afterward - were Russian taught - but Pre-Vaganova. They had studied with dancers who had retired from the original Diagelev Ballet Russe - almost all graduates of the old Mariinsky and thus shared a stylistic cousinship with Balanchine. And, then, of course there were a couple from the Vaganova school. I'm not sure what one would call the style of schooling in Germany - but that teacher was terrific for breaking down and putting together balance. Another from Romania was very Romantic oriented. And another from Hungary taught me to continue the energy flow from one step to another and to see it not as steps but as sentences and then paragraphs of dance. Another teacher had been a student of Margaret Craske.- Cecchetti before all the syllabus changes over the years. I would have loved learning more of the French School. The Bolshoi principal who when the regular teacher took ill, taught class. I stood inches away from him and was completely blown away by such power. It's one thing to see it on stage - quite another to physically feel the waves of power. WOW From now then I jumped with his vision in my mind. (Well, at least it was in my mind! ) And...so many more. Some of the most imspiring were those without famous names or affiliations. I haven't named any names because this is not about name dropping - just a trip through the memory and a thank you to all of them. There is so much to learn and experience - even in the "small" world of the ballet. I wish you a wide and wonderful journey, SwanPrincess.

Thank you all for your kind and thoughtful responses. I think we have all - each of us - impressed upon our much admired board member, SwanPrincess, how to begin to search out her goal and the importance that it be a never ending search. The certificate on the wall is but the beginning. And, that was the intent.

What a website says and what happens in reality are not always related. And, assuming it is - and perfectly constructed and taught - it is not enough - it is but a beginning. The ballet/dance world is wide and growing all the time. An "understanding" of different methods is not the same as taking classes from, experiencing and having the good fortune of learning from a wide array of teachers bringing diverse talents, methods and style over many years. "Modules" is not the same as a lifetime of constantly seeking a wider base of knowledge and study under a number of teachers from other countries and other styles, most of whom bring professional performing experience into their classroom. As for safe practice - anyone who has followed my posts on this board of the many years has no doubt as to the iimportance - paramount importance - i give to the issues which come under that heading. It's not easy being a "different" voice.

Granted. I understand that's the situation in the UK. But I would also hope and encourage a teacher candidate to explore other methods and ways of teaching - seek out other roads along with or after having achieved the initial goal, I'm not sure that any syllabus based curriculum encourages that exploration. Immersion in one method may leave little time or resources to explore. It is not my intention to go against the good advice being offered in this thread, but I also think another voice might be useful - even for future thought after the initial goal is accomplished. Learning for a teacher never stops and accomplishing a specific certification is only the beginning of a much wider and longer road. One should never become too comfortable within any one nest.

The other day I wrote a short paragraph - a reminisce of going back to school as child after summer off. Almost immediately the ads on the right side of my FB page started showing "back to school" items and sales.

A complete mental and physical break is a good thing. Anything that is all consuming tends to all consume. A gentle slow preparation as recommended by others above will bring her back.

That assumes you want to teach by way of a syllabus.

Congratulations and continued good news from now on.

I'm not sure that rosin works very well on non-wood floors.

There is a product which keeps a floor shiny but is not slippery. It is used by many commercial establishments and places like hospitals and nursing homes - places where a slippery floor is not acceptable but needs to be easy to clean.. i recall doing research on it but that was many years ago. You might try calling around to see what it is.

We sprayed coke on the floor. But if the owner is uncooperative that of course won't work.

I think that in any profession the idea that "those who can, do, and those who can't [or perhaps aren't inclined to], teach". - seems to me to demean teaching. Teaching is both an art and a profession. A good teacher does know the subject being taught. Yes, there are poor and/or lazy teachers - but that also exists outside of the classroom. Suppose no one wanted to teach?

As to the relative value betwixt math/s and dance - depends upon the society. If you are in need of a community activity such as celebrating a community event or a community need - like a rain dance - math won't help very much. However, if you need to calculate how much water to divide amongst the farmers - math would be helpful. I see no comparison in value - each is different and both are necessary. Why does one obviate the other? We probably each can tell a tale where a teacher or a parent was wrong in the choices which were made in what to teach children. Sometimes the choice is based upon what is available, what is obtainable and what is practical. I think as life proceeds, we discover what we would have preferred and find ways to pursue it - perhaps not as a vocation but as an advocation. And - sometimes that is even better.

I, too concur. Anything to do with the Achilles should be taken seriously. While you are investigating what movement or technical correction may be necessary to rectify the problem, also consider her street shoes. Sandals can be a problem - they are not supportive and stress the foot. Same for dressy heeled shoes. Non resilient, non-supportive shoes can also be problem areas. Hard floors, overwork, not fully getting the heels down in contact with the floor in landing a jump - or taking off for a jump without full contact with the floor - are other problem areas. This is particularly important in petit allegro. Insufficient warm-up is another area to investigate. Overuse - too much stress on the foot during a busy schedule of classes, rehearsals and performing. This is one area you do not want to become chronic - so a thorough assessment and rest if indicated, should be taken seriously. Even after the pain subsides and all seems to be well, healing is still occurring - so restorative healing should not be hastened: "it doesn't hurt, so all must be well." Err on the side of fully allowing it time to heal. A good phsio is an asset - but a observant teacher is also necessary.

The storyline is usually thought to be based on Romeo and Juliet. But there are substantial differences. In R & J the families are feuding but otherwise they are equal in power and share the same ethnicity, cultural norms, origins, and influence. They are at the top of the social heirarchy. The only thing that separate R & J is the feud - the cause of which is not important to the story of the lovers. The story is about the impact of a contrived "difference" and how that affects the lovers. WSS, on the other hand, works on the theme of actual (though ultimately unimportant) differences. A clash between ethnicities, newcomers versus those who view themselves as already assimulated, They feel threatened by this influx of competition for jobs and power. WSS is about much more than the lovers - it is about the movement of people - in the case of Puerto Rico - for economic reasons. It is also about wanting to assimulate and yet wanting to cling to those cultural markers which are comforting. "Tony" has a job. Romeo probably never worked for pay a day in his life. Tony is striving to be a success through work. Romeo is an unabashed rich guy who spends his time looking for fun and trouble in the market place. It is his newfound love of Juliet which changes him. Tony is already on the road to a positive life before he meets Juliet. Both, however, are caught in the web of the society around them from which they cannot escape and dooms them. In WSS there is no third character, such as the priest in R & J, who is striving to bring peace between the antagonists. In broad outline of the story, which WSS does share with Shakespear's R & J: there are two lovers, there is a problem outside of their relationship which affects the outcome, a message is misdirected, and the lovers die. The subliminal message of WSS is the threat of the "outsider" the "other" - a social comment of a specific problem: in acceptance of the "other." That the "other" is really us. Whereas, R & J, illustrates the deadly foolishness of a feud amongst those who are identical to the observer, their "differences" exist only within their heads. Why do we keep returning to see this played out? I think it is because we keep hoping it will end differently.

As I recall, Jerome Robbins was fired in mid-production. I think it was the dance in the gym which was choreographed by someone else. The only other choreographer mentioned in the cast list is Hal Bell but it doesn't say what he did. I have read - but can't recall where that the gym dance (Mambo) is not considered as "good" as the other dances and it is because Robbins was gone at this point. I'm working off of old memories here - and I could be wrong.

The original "Riff" on stage was played by Mickey Callen (real name: Martin Calinieff) who lived next door to my best girl friend. She dated him for a while, at the time he was playing "Riff" on Broadway. He was VERY good looking. He did not play that role in the movie. He had a little French Poodle named (what else?) "Riff." There are some beautiful songs in WSS. I used to use a lot of the music for my ballet classes. "Officer Krupke" is wonderful for frappés and petit allegro. "Maria" is terrific for a big waltz in the center and "Somewhere" is lovely for a flowing adage. Have a wonderful time!

Absolultely agree! Ballet needs to be supervised.

It's a good eye catcher - certainly caught your eye. My eye would have glazed over.