En pointe

knows is so famous. What is this beautiful class? It is Pointe, the gorgeous, little, squared-toed, baby-pink slippers that so many dancers strive to wear. Who wouldn’t want to dance on a three-inch surface supporting three times her own body weight? Beauty is pain and the beauty of your feet after you’re done and the pain-staking hours it takes to break in the shoes is so worth it. The most crucial step in taking this class is getting your pointe shoes. Make sure they are the smallest pair in…

The two dancers move around en pointe and then move in a circular motion around one another. They alternately leap in to the air with their arms raised straight up and do a plie. Upon arriving upstage far left, they are replaced by four “snowflakes” this time. These four dancers start upstage from the far left and then proceed to where the first two dancers started. They move gracefully across the stage with high backward leg extensions while staying en point with the other foot still on…

On April 15th I viewed “Carnival of the Animals”- a collaboration between the Arkansas Philharmonic and the Northwest Arkansas Ballet Theatre. The performance featured several different styles and types of performing arts, including acting, dancing, and a symphony. I also noticed several different things whilst viewing this program that heavily influenced my overall assessment. When I first walked into the Arend Arts Center, I noticed the stage was split in two. Stage right had several chairs…

in society, though this was changed in the dance world with the arrival of the Romantic Era. The female dancers dominated the stage and engaged with the audience in a manner never before seen in the theatre. This was due to the development of the Pointe shoe, it was a milestone in classical dance that gave the female dancer an advantage over males. The audiences were fascinated with the dancers ability to stand on the ends of their toes with effortless poise that created a supernatural feel to…

appreciated being pushed toward improvement, but I must admit that sometimes I have felt the need for a break. These desires to temporarily surrender have often come at the time of injury. I have had broken bones in my feet and have still performed pointe pieces; I have dislocated and fractured my knee during a performance and was immediately scolded for not staying onstage and finishing the dance. What this has taught me is that sometimes it is very necessary to disappoint others in order to…

Chapter 1 One, two, three, four, Grand jeté. I focus on my steps which echo on the stage in unison with the calm beat of the music. This is it, the moment I have been preparing for non-stop for months. I am dancing Swan Lake. My name is Odette. Alright, so my name isn’t actually Odette, it’s Annie. The boring, brunette, ballerina who likes to escape into fantasy lands such as the land of the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, or Cinderella. However, the only way I can do this is through my dancing. This is…

For instance, male dancers must have strength in his upper body to lift a ballerina over his head, (fig. 1) while the muscles and ligaments of the ankles and feet of ballerinas must be strong enough to support the entire bodyweight en pointe. The power to leap across the floor in a grand jete` (fig. 2) or the endurance to hold oneself in an arabesque and dance entire productions without tiring (fatigue leads to a breakdown of technique and increased risk for injury) are critical for…

1. Introduction to Tragedy in Manon “Why did he love her? Curious fool, be still! Is human love the fruit of human will?” Such a cry starts the novel Manon Lescaut. Kenneth Macmillan’s ballet Manon (1974) holds this same tragic element as its raison d’être (Haby); regardless of intention something always goes wrong. Set in the avaricious French Regency, the story of the eponymous courtesan and penniless Des Grieux details his faithful love despite her fascination with material riches. As opposed…

trained with this syllabus could make you more prepared or qualified to become a professional. 6. Is this syllabus taught today, if yes, where? a. Of course the syllabus is still taught at the Vaganova Academy in Russia. Other schools include: En Pointé School of Ballet, the Indiana Ballet Conservatory and the Kirov Academy of Ballet. Also many professional companies use this…

Dance and its Dimensions “Dance according to me is emotion. Dance is a non-verbal medium of communication where we can express our thought, beliefs and ideas. It is one of the most famous or prominent medium of art. Dancers develop their own techniques and moves with the help of choreographers. It provides both the viewer and the performer sense of freedom, happiness and joy. It helps people to express who they are. Dance is an art form where we express ourselves freely. It indeed has a…