$4.

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June 2021 Edition

Created By Raegan Majcher
Page 1- Cover Page
Page 2- Table of Contents
Page 3- History of Ballet
Page 4- The Official TurnBoard
Page 5- How is the COVID-19
Pandemic Affecting Ballet’s
Job Market
Page 6- Bloch Leotards
Page 7- How Ballet Benefits You
Page 8- The Secret Life of Ballet
Page 9- Tiler Peck’s Summer
Program
Page 10- Fanci Footworks
Page 11- Melina Reis’s New Chance
Page 12- The StretchPRO
Page 13- Ballet Salaries
Page 14- Ballet Puzzles
Page 15- Interview with Phoebe
Jones
Page 16- How Well Do You Know
Ballet?
Page 17- Is there a “Ballet Body?”
Page 18- Ballet Class Do’s and Don’ts
Page 19- Vogue Summer Collection
Page 20- Ballerina of the Week
Page 21- Glossary
History of Ballet
Origin of Ballet
Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century. Nobleman and women
were treated to special events, especially wedding celebrations, where dancing and music created
an elaborate spectacle. Dancing masters taught the steps to the nobility, and the court participated
in the performances. In the 16th century Catherine de Medici, an Italian noblewoman and wife of
King Henry II, began to fund ballet in the French court. Her elaborate festivals encouraged the
growth of ballet de cour, a program that included dance, decor, costume, song, music and poetry. A
century later, King Louis XIV helped to popularize and standardize the art form. A passionate
dancer, he performed many roles himself, including that of the Sun King in Ballet de la nuit. His love
of ballet fostered its elevation from a past time for amateurs to an endeavor requiring professional
training.
By 1661, a dance academy had opened in Paris, and in 1681 ballet moved from the courts to
the stage. The French opera Le Triomphe de l’Amour incorporated ballet elements, creating a
long-standing opera-ballet tradition in France. By the mid-1700s French ballet master Jean
Georges Noverre rebelled against the artifice of opera-ballet, believing that ballet could stand on its
own as an art form. His notions-that ballet should contain expressive, dramatic movement that
should reveal the relationship between characters-introduced the ballet d’action, a dramatic style of
ballet that conveys a narrative. Noverre’s work is considered the precursor to the narrative ballets of
the 19th century.
The 19th Century
Early classical ballets such as Giselle and La Sylphide were created during the Romantic
Movement in the first half of the 19th century. This movement influenced art, music, and ballet. It
was concerned with the supernatural world of spirits and magic and often showed women as
passive and fragile. These themes are reflected in the ballets of the time and are called romantic
ballets. This is also the period of time when dancing on the tips of the toes, known as pointe work,
became the norm for the ballerina. The romantic tutu, a calf-length, full skirt made of tulle, was
introduced.
The popularity of ballet soared in Russia, and, during the latter half of the 19th century,
Russian choreographers and composers took it to new heights. Marius Petipa’s The Nutcracker,
The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake, by Petipa and Lev Ivanov, represent classical ballet in its
grandest form. The main purpose was to display classical technique to the fullest. Complicated
sequences that showed off demanding steps, leaps and turns were choreographed into the story.
The classical tutu, much shorter and stiffer than the romantic tutu, was introduced at this time to
reveal a ballerina’s legs and the difficulty of her movements and footwork.
Ballet Today
In the early part of the 20th century, Russian choreographers Sergei Diaghilev and Michel
Fokine began to experiment with movement and costume, moving beyond the confines of classical
ballet form and story. Diaghilev collaborated with composer Igor Stravinsky on the ballet The Rite of
Spring, a work so different-with its dissonant music, its story of human sacrifice and its unfamiliar
movements that causes the audience to riot. Choreographer and New York CIty Ballet founder
George Balanchine, a Russian who emigrated to America, would change ballet even further. He
introduced what is now known as neo-classical ballet, an expansion in the classical form. He also is
considered by many to be the greatest innovator of the contemporary “plotless” ballet. With no
definite story line, its purpose is to use movement to express the music and to illuminate the human
emotion and endeavor. Today, ballet is multifaceted. Classical forms, traditional stories and
contemporary choreographic innovations intertwined to produce the character of modern ballet.
A Brief History of Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre , www.pbt.org/learn-and-engage/resources-audience-members/ballet-101/brief-history-ballet/.
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turn board. Advertisement. The Official TurnBoard, balletisfun.com, 22 Sept. 2013, www.balletisfun.com/buy-turnboard/official-site.
How is the COVID-19 Pandemic Affecting
Ballet’s Job Market?

For ballet companies around the world, it’s been a year of

uncertainty and making it up as they go. While companies have
found ways to be active amid a year like no other in the arts, it
looks increasingly possible that next season could be closer to
normal.
A number of companies, like San Francisco Ballet and
Houston Ballet, says it’s too soon for them to announce how their
rosters for next season are shaping up. Others, like Cincinnati
Ballet, say they are bringing most dancers back, just as they would
any other year. But some directors are guaranteed every current
company member a spot for next season, saying it’s only fair
considering what they’ve been going through.
Dancers in companies guaranteeing contracts get a reprieve
from being let go for artistic reasons this year, even if a few would
not be offered a spot in a normal year. But still, that doesn’t mean
these organizations aren’t hiring for next season, as some dancers
have already made other plans to move on. This year, videos are
the only way for dancers to be seen for auditions.
While companies are planning to hire dancers, it’s still
unclear how many, largely because of lingering questions around
funding and social-distancing guidelines that will determine the
scale of productions they can put on. Companies are trying
different hiring techniques online from having videos be sent in to
Zoom auditions online. Other companies don’t know if they will
even be able to hire anyone yet.
Scher, Avichai. How Is the Pandemic Affecting Ballet’s Job Market This Year?, Pointe, 15 Mar.
2021,
www.pointemagazine.com/ballet-company-auditions-2021-2651089455.html?rebelltitem=1#rebell
titem1.
Voll, Liza. Boston Ballet artistic director Mikko Nissinen. 2021, Boston Ballet.
www.pointemagazine.com/ballet-company-auditions-2021-2651089455.html?rebelltitem=3#rebell
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Womens Leotards. Advertisement. Women's Dance Leotards, Bloch, us.blochworld.com/collections/adults-dancewear-leotards.

Lydie, Ms. BENEFITS OF BALLET, MyBallet, 30 May 2019,
www.myballet.co.uk/blogs/benefits-of-ballet/.
Tiler Peck’s Summer Program

When the global pandemic forced studios around the world to

close March 2019, New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck was quick to
adjust. She turned her own daily classes into Instagram Live sessions
so that her more than 250 thousand followers could join in from
home. But she was also busy planning a project that had already
been in the works: her inaugural Tiler Peck Summer Intensive, hosted
last July at California Dance Theatre after overcoming several
COVID-related obstacles. This year, Peck and CDT are joining forces
again from June 14-18, are holding virtual auditions.
Peck expresses that she has wanted to do a summer intensive
for a while now. She has been planning it for about a year but then
COVID started happening so she had to keep pushing it back. She
didn’t want to do it all virtually, so she mapped out a block schedule,
following all the protocols. The dancers took a combination of classes
in-studio (with disinfecting in between) and on Zoom.
Peck designed her program to mimic her own versatile training,
with a mix of classical ballet and variations, contemporary, jazz,
Broadway, and hip hop. Peck hopes to make her summer intensive an
annual occurrence, possibly with more locations. Her goal is to find
dancers who are looking to improve and expand not only their
techniques but their mindset.

DeSantis, Marissa. Tiler Peck Talks About Creating Her Own Summer Program, and Why She Values Personality in Audition Videos, Pointe, 16 Mar. 2021, www.pointemagazine.com/tiler-peck-summer-intensive-2651102055.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1.
Peck, Tiler. 2021, Pointe. www.pointemagazine.com/tiler-peck-summer-intensive-2651102055.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2.
Fanci Footworks Promo Code. . Fanci Footworks, Shelby.
www.google.com/search?q=fanci+footworks&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS939US939&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwih8JqT6Y_wAhWWZ80KHe3KCnMQ_AUoA3oECAEQBQ&biw
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Melina Reis’s New Chance
An amateur ballerina in Brazil, whose lower left leg was
amputated after a road accident in 2002, has spoken of her joy
after becoming among the first people to receive a pointe foot
prosthesis allowing her to dance classical ballet again after 13
years.
This design opens up the possibilities for other amputees
across the world who may have enjoyed amateur ballet dancing
before losing a limb. The mould for the pointe shoes was
manufactured for Melina Reid by Sao Paulo prosthetic specialist
Dr. Jose Andre Carvalho.
Ms. Reis, now 31, returned to the barre for the first time after
a 13-year absence. Reis remarked to Janet Coelho of Independent
Magazine, “It has always been my dream to go back to using
pointe shoes. To be able to dance again is an inexplicable feeling
of joy and deep satisfaction. When I asked Dr. Carvalho to make
the foot for me, he accepted the challenge even though he could
find nothing in medical literature to help him.”
Reis’s leg was amputated below her knee in 2014 after more
than 30 operatures to try and save her leg. Dr. Carvalho’s biggest
challenge was to get Melina to balance on the box of the shoe,
which only has one centimeter square area of support. A plaster
cast was made of her right foot and the mound, which weighs
around 250 kg, took four weeks to produce. Reis tested the foot in
a series of sessions until the limb was perfect. Reis is continuing
to get used to the feeling of the shoe but is glad she can finally get
back to doing the thing she loves the most.

Coelho, Janet T. Ballerina receives pointe foot prosthesis allowing her to dance again for first time in 13 years, Independent , 16 Mar. 2021,
www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/ballerina-receives-pointe-foot-prosthesis-allowing-her-dance-again-first-time-13-years-a6932791.html. Melina Reis, centre, has returned to the bar after a 13 years. She lost
her lower leg in a road accident. www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/ballerina-receives-pointe-foot-prosthesis-allowing-her-dance-again-first-time-13-years-a6932791.html.
The StretchPRO. Advertisement. , balletisfun.com, www.balletisfun.com/buy-turnboard/the-stretchpro.
Hock, Evi. "Who are the 5 richest Ballet Dancers?" Ballet Lovers Blog, 17 Nov. 2016, balletloversblog.com/2016/11/17/who-are-the-5-richest-ballet-dancers/.Ballet Dancer Salary. 2021, Salary.com.
www.salary.com/tools/salary-calculator/ballet-dancer?yrs=20.
Comic of the Week
I was able to sit down and have an exclusive interview
with the one and only Phoebe Jones. Read more to
hear about Phoebe’s ballet career.

How long have you been dancing?

“I have been dancing for 10 years.”
What studio do you dance at?
“The Dance Company Conservatory in Port Huron, Michigan.”
Who are your dance teachers?
“Miss Juliana Sadowski and Mr. Brandon Harneck.”
What dance styles do you perform?
“Ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, and lyrical.”
How long do you have classes for and how many days a week?
“1-2 hours long and I dance 2 days a week.”
What is the hardest style of dance and why? (in your opinion)
“Pointe because it really hurts my body and it’s a difficult style of
ballet. It takes a lot of strength and endurance. You really have to
have courage and do a lot of things out of your comfort zone.”
What’s the hardest thing about being a ballerina?
“Getting onto your pointe shoes. Doing your dance and worrying
about getting over your box all the way really messes with your
head.”
How does a pointe shoe feel? Is it painful?
“At first it feels very painful, but once you learn how to correctly
pointe your foot in the shoe it feels better. It is hard to break in at
first, but once the shoe starts to mold the shape of your foot it is
easier to dance in.”
How long does it take to learn a ballet routine/dance?
“A few weeks or up to a couple of months.”
Why do you dance?
“I love the feeling I get when I dance and how I can just be myself at
the studio. I love being able to dance with my friends and constantly
having something to look forward to.”
What are the most important traits a dancer should have?
“Good technique, strength, flexibility, and a strong core. These are all
things you are constantly working on through your baller career.”
How Well Do You Know Ballet?

I sent out a poll to 105 people to see how much they really knew about ballet. Here are the
Question #1 results:
What is a pointe shoe?
94% said a special shoe that allows ballerinas to dance on their toes
5% said a really pointy shoe that’s spelled weird The correct answer is a special
1% said a shoe that has spikes shoe that allows ballerinas to
dance on their toes.
Question #2
What is a pointe shoe made out of?
42% said wood
28% said cardboard The correct answer is
25% said paper mache wood.
6% said cement

Question #3
Can males be dancers?
97% said yes The correct answer is yes.
3% said no

Question #4
A famous ballet normally shown at Christmas time is _______ The correct answer is The
87% said The Nutcracker Nutcracker.
13% said Swan Lake

Question #5
What is the traditional ballet color?
74% said pink
13% said black The correct answer is pink.
12% said tan

Question #6
How many positions are there in ballet?
72% said five
16% said six The correct answer is six.
3% said 4
3% said 3
3% said one
1% said two
Is There a Such Thing as a
“Ballet Body?”

Bellerose, Samantha. Fat Ballerina – Your child doesn’t have the Ballet body for dance! Now What?, Dance Parent 101, Nov. 2018, danceparent101.com/fat-ballerina-your-child-doesnt-have-the-ballet-body-for-dance-now-what/.
In the 1700’s, the first popular female ballerina, Marie Camargo, was 5’5. She was notably shorter than
her male counterparts on stage and because of her exceptional talent and for aesthetic reasons the ballet
company did not hire female ballet dancers taller than her. And so began the “short ballerina” trend that stayed
with the art form for centuries. Many people get this idea of what a ballerina looks like in their head that they
don’t realize that anyBODY can be a ballerina. There is no such thing as a ballet body and people need to realize
that. The idea of a ballet body is a mental problem that people get in their head which scares them into not
wanting to try ballet out.
The truth is that in order to become a ballet dancer you have to be able to perform the repertoire of a
ballerina. You need to be able to explode in your leaps, you need to look as weightless as a feather in the wind, and
you need to be able to be carried by your partner in a pas de deux. Ballet is meant to look effortless regardless of
the hard work put into it. Therefore like any athlete on this earth competing at their highest levels, a person who
wishes to pursue a career in ballet needs to be at their physical best 100% of the time. Expert Brian Nolan states,
“'Most experts concur that your body’s proportions are critical to having the ideal physique for dance. Apart from
the aesthetic consideration, a well-proportioned body should endure the stresses and strains of the workload
required of it with greater ease than one in which there is some contradiction.'” If dance is something you want to
do, it doesn’t matter what you look like or what other people say or think. If you love dance then you should be able
to dance. So my answer to the questions is no, there is no such thing as a ballet body. If ballet is something you love
and you are willing to put in the time and effort to become the best ballerina you can be, it doesn’t matter what
you look like.
……………………...
Do Don’t
● Do arrive on time or be early ● Don’t wear street shoes on the
● Do find a new spot on the barre everytime dance floor
● Do know when to ask a question ● Don’t chatter during class
● Do wear appropriate and comfortable ● Don’t bring a negative attitude to
clothes class
● Be proactive ● Don’t restrict yourself
● Do watch other students ● Don’t hide in the corner
● Do stand behind someone who seems to ● Don’t stand in front of someone
know what he or she is doing and try to look behind yourself
● Do stretch as far as you can go and push ● Don’t take yourself too seriously
yourself ● Don’t wear distracting jewelry or
● Do take note of what you do wrong accessories
● Respect your teacher and other students ● Don’t chew gum during class
in class ● Don’t bring food or drinks into the
● Thank your teacher(s) at the end of the studio (exception of water)
class ● Don’t be late

……………………..
Etiquette for Dance Classes: Dos and Don’ts for Every Dancer, Carolina Dance Capital, 18 Jan. 2016, carolinadancecapital.com/recreational-competitive-dance-blog/etiquette-for-dance-classes-dos-and-donts-for-every-dancer/.Preschool to
Pre-Professional, Texas Ballet Theater School, 4 Dec. 2020, texasballettheater.org/tbt-school/.Housh, Eric. Hiring Dance Teachers: The Qualities of a Great Instructor. 2015, Tututix.
www.tututix.com/hiring-dance-teachers-qualities-great-instructor/.
Check out Vogue’s new Ballet Based summer collection

Carlos, Marjon. On Pointe! Summer’s Best Ballet-Inspired Fashion Is Primed to Pirouette, edited by Chelsea Zalopany, Vogue, 15 June 2016, www.vogue.com/article/ballerinas-ballet-misty-copeland-maria-kochetkova.
Chisako Oga is a dancer on the move. From
childhood training in Texas, California, and Japan to
a San Francisco Ballet apprenticeship to her first
professional post with Cincinnati Ballet, where she
quickly became a principal dancer.
Now, the 24-year-old ballerina is right where
she dreamt of being, the most promising soloist at
Boston Ballet. In 2019, Oga left her principal
position to join the company as a second soloist,
rising to the top soloist the following year. In her
very first performance at Boston Ballet, the best
company in the country, she danced the title role in
Giselle, transforming a playful innocent into a
woman haunted by betrayal.
Oga’s best advice for young dancers is to never
take any moment for granted. She expresses that it
doesn’t matter what rank you are, just do everything
to the fullest-people will notice all the hard work
you put in.
And for the foreseeable future, Oga's path is to
live life to the fullest, inside and outside ballet. "The
pandemic put things in perspective. Dancing is my
passion. I want to do it as long as I can, but it's only
one portion of my life. I truly believe a healthy
balance between social and work life is good for
your mental health and helps me be a better
dancer." Campbell, Karen. Chisako Oga Is Soaring to New Heights at Boston Ballet, Pointe , 6 May 2021, www.pointemagazine.com/chisako-oga-ballet-2652899176.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1.Thornton, Jayme. Chisako Oga. . Pointe. www.pointemagazine.com/chisako-oga-ballet-2652899176.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1.
A Guide to Ballet
a French to English glossary about basic ballet terms

Adage- slow, soft, sustained, and controlled movement

Arabesque- a position on one leg with the other behind in an 90 degree angle
Attitude- a position standing on one leg with the other bent at an angle behind
the body
Battement- to beat
Chasee`- to slide
Coupe`- to cut
Demi- half
Derriere- to the back
Devant- to the front
Developpe`- to develop or to unfold
Echappe`- to escape
En dedans- inwards
En dehors- outwards
En face- facing the audience
En l’air- in the air
Enchainment- a combination of steps
Fondu- to melt
Frappe`- to strike
Glissade- to glide
Grand- large
Jete`- to throw
Passe`- to pass
Petit- small
Pirouette- to turn
Plie`- to bend
Port de bras- carriage of the arms
Pose`- to step
Releve`- to rise with a small rising action starting with a plie`
Rond de jambe- round of the leg
Soutenu- to sustain
Tendu- to stretch A GUIDE TO BALLET – GLOSSARY, Dance City Academy, 2021, www.city-academy.com/news/a-guide-to-ballet-glossary/.