WALKING & RUNNING

IN THE CLASSICAL BALLET STYLE

THE STANDARD BALLET WALK, WITH THE TOE LEADING, SHOULD BE MASTERED IN THE FIRST YEAR OF TRAINING. THE PORT DE BRAS DURING A WALK OR RUN MAY BE MOVING OR STATIC, BUT NEVER STIFF OR RIGID. THE WEIGHT MUST BE TRANSFERRED FROM ONE LEG TO THE OTHER EVENLY, WITH EQUAL TIME SPENT ON EACH STEP. THE DANCER MUST NEVER DROP THE HEAD AND LOOK AT THE FLOOR. THE BODY MUST BE WELL LIFTED OFF THE LEGS.

4 BASIC RULES FOR WALKING:

1) BARELY LIFT THE FEET FROM THE FLOOR.

2) DO NOT SIT IN DEMI PLIE.

3) DO NOT JUMP.

4) NEVER TRAIL THE FEET BEHIND. THE DANCER SHOULD

LEAN BACK SLIGHTLY AS YOU MOVE FORWARD, KEEPING

THE FEET IN FRONT OF YOU.

5) WALKING ON HIGH DEMI POINTS (FOR WOMEN ONLY) IS PERFORMED IN A SMOOTH STATELY MANNER. THE LEGS ARE TAUGHTLY PULLED UP.

STANDARD BALLET WALK:

EXTEND THE FOOT, POINTED AND SLIGHTLY TURNED OUT DEVANT. USING A SMALL PLIE, STEP FORWARD PAST THE FOOT INTO POINTE TENDUE DERRIERE PUSHING THE SUPPORTING HEEL FORWARD. BRINGING THE BACK LEG FORWARD WITH A TINY DEVELOPE (WITH THE TOE CLOSE TO THE GROUND). EXTEND THE LEG DEVANT, USING A SMALL PLIE AND STEP FORWARD TO THE POINTE TENDUE DERRIERE.

STANDARD BALLET RU:

STAYING IN DEMI PLIE AND KEEPING THE HEAD AT THE SAME LEVEL (WITHOUT BOBBING UP AND DOWN) RUN FORWARD FULLY STRETCHING THE LEGS FRONT AND BACK AND TRANSFERRING THE WEIGHT BY MEANS OF A SMALL DEVELOPE ON BACK TO FRONT.

FOOTWEAR FOR BALLET CLASS

TWO SPECIAL TYPES OF SHOES ARE USED BY BALLET DANCERS: "SOFT" BALLET SLIPPERS AND "HARD" BLOCKED POINTE SHOES. ALL BEGINNING STUDENTS, MALE AND FEMALE, WEAR THE SOFT-SOLED SLIPPERS WHICH ARE MADE OF EITHER LEATHER OR CANVAS. MALE DANCERS CONTINUE TO WEAR THESE PLIABLE, SNUG FITTING SLIPPERS THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS. WOMEN, HOWEVER, MUST ALSO LEARN TO DANCE ON POINTE SHOES. WHEN THEIR LEGS AND FEET ARE STRONG ENOUGH, THEY BEGIN TO STUDY POINTE WORK.

IT TAKES CONSIDERABLY MORE WORK STRENGTH IN THE PLANTAR MUSCLES UNDERNEATH THE FOOT TO BEND OR POINT A POINTE SHOE THAN IT DOES TO BEND THE LIGHTER, SOFTER BALLET SLIPPER. TO THAT END, NOT ALL STUDENTS WILL GO ON POINTE. THE DECISION TO DANCE ON POINTE IS BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT'S STRENGTH, ANATOMY OF THE STUDENT'S FOOT, AND THE STUDENT'S DEDICATION AND CONCENTRATION.

THE CORRECT WAY TO TIE THE RIBBONS OF A POINTE SHOE:

1) DRAW THE RIBBON FROM THE INSIDE OF THE FOOT DIAGONALLY UP AND ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ANKLE.

2) WRAP IT 1 1/2 TIMES AROUND THE ANKLE, JUST ABOVE THE ANKLE BONE, FINISHING ON THE INSIDE OF THE ANKLE.

3) TIE BOTH RIBBONS TOGETHER AT THE INSIDE OF THE ANKLE AND TUCK THE ENDS SECURELY UNDER THE RIBBONS AROUND THE ANKLE, PUSHING THE KNOT TO THE INSIDE SO IT IS COMPLETELY HIDDEN.

* NOTE: IT CAN BE HARMFUL TO THE ACHILLES TENDON TO TIE POINTE SHOE RIBBONS AT THE BACK OF THE ANKLE. THE KNOT SHOULD BE ON THE INSIDE BETWEEN THE ACHILLES TENDON AND THE ANKLE BONE.

* NOTE: A SMALL AMOUNT OF PROTECTIVE MATERIAL SUCH AS LAMBS WOOL MAY BE PLACED INSIDE THE SHOE AROUND THE TOES.

* NOTE: ELASTIC MAY BE ADDED TO SECURE THE SHOE AT THE HEEL.

MOVING FROM THE WHOLE FOOT ONTO POINT

RELEV -- RAISED -- IS EXECUTED IN ONE SMOOTH, CONTINUOUS MOTION (AT ANY SPEED), BY FIRST STRAIGHTENING THE KNEES AND THEN LIFTING THE HEELS FROM THE FLOOR. (IT IS INCORRECT TO LIFT THE HEELS BEFORE STRAIGHTENING THE KNEES.)

IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO RISE ON STRAIGHT LEGS TO THE DEMI-POINTE OR POINTE WITHOUT A PRECEDING PLIE, IN WHICH CASE THE MOVEMENT IS TERMED ELEVE --RISE--. IN EITHER CASE, THE DANCER MUST MAINTAIN THE MAXIMUM DEGREE OF TURN OUT WHEN THE HEELS ARE RELEASED FROM THE FLOOR.