 the male dancer
written by balletboy             on 29.08. at 18:14:11 - as answer to: Two Questions by Ballet Buddy at>I know I'm trying to do something that's very hard. And I appreciate the fact that this teacher is demanding of me. I want to be a ballet dancer, and I'm starting very late (I'm 19. I've wanted to dance since I was twelve, but my parents wouln't hear of it). I know I have to catch up. I asked the teacher what I should do, and she said that I should review port de bras and epaulement for an hour every day. In additon to that, any advice or words of wisdom about arms from the forum?>Second question, so many dancers say they are taking "Russian". My school teaches Cecchetti. Is there are critical difference between the schools in terms of the current ballet profession?>Thanks guys for your thinking on this. Ballet Buddy: Question ONE: The coordination of the movement of the arms with the steps in a combination across the floor can be very difficult. I had spinal injury several years ago, and when I cross the floor now I know my arms must look horrendous! For me, it has taken time just to get the arms back in the general area for each step. But to tell the truth, I never could keep my arms in low first or "preparation" while doing glissade-assembles across the floor (They always move outward and upwards for me!). You've been dancing a short time, so this coordination is going to take time and practice. Your teacher wants you to get the arms in the exact, correct position, as if each part of the step was a pose. But when you're moving quickly across the floor, you're trying to get the step in and move onto the next step. If you think of the combination as a series of poses, that might help, but make sure each pose flows into the next. Question TWO: I was initially trained in Cecchetti technique, and did my exams through Grade 4. I've also taken Vaganova from "real" Vaganova teachers. She wrote a book that is the basis for "real" Russian. (It's still available, and only 5 or 6 bucks. I'll get you the publisher and book number.) I've found in the United States that it is very rare for "Russian" classes to be true to Vaganova. (Note: position names and placement are often different between the two techniques.) Sometimes the term "Russian" is used to describe a style of technique that is not really Vaganova, but is just something the teacher threw together. So "Russian" seems to be used here to describe almost any type of technique that is not the strict, graded Cecchetti. Keep practicing! Learning ballet takes time and effort. balletboy Answers to this message: 
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