Ballet Dancer Feet – Why Feet are so Important in Ballet

ballet dancer feet

What do people mean when they say you need ‘ballet dancer feet’ to be good at ballet? In ballet, when you point your foot, the line from the top of your leg to the tip of your toes must curve down towards the floor as much as possible. The higher the arch in the foot, … Read more

Daphnis and Chloe

Daphnis and Chloe

Daphnis and Chloe is a ballet that was re-choreographed in one act with three scenes by Sir Frederick Ashton. This version was first performed by Sadler’s Wells Ballet at Covent Garden on the 5th of April 1951. This ballet was actually done for the first time on the 8th of June 1912 by Ballets Russes … Read more

A Cinderella Theme Class To Teach

cinderella theme

Here are some ideas on how to teach a class with a Cinderella Theme going. This post is aimed at dance teachers who teach small children, but this type of class will also work for pre school, kindermusic and even gynmastics classes for small children. When I teach my tiny tots ballet class, I always … Read more

Cinderella Ballet Story

cinderella ballet story

Cinderella has been a popular story for over a hundred years, but it was only turned into a ballet after 1945, when Sergei Prokofiev finished writing the musical score.  The Cinderella Ballet Story has different versions, but the synopsis below is the most popular. Fredrick Ashton was the first person to stage a full-length Cinderella ballet … Read more

Coordination in Dance and How We Can Improve on It?

coordination in dance

In order to improve our coordination in dance we first need to understand exactly what coordination is. So let’s start with . . . What Is Coordination? Coordination simply explained is basically the teamwork between your muscles and your conscious thoughts, to make movements possible, whether it be a familiar or a new movement. When … Read more

Scenes De Ballet – Another Ashton Masterpiece

scenes de ballet

Scenes de Ballet is a ballet in one act choreographed by Frederick Ashton. The music was written by Stravinsky and the decor done by Andre Beaurepaire who was a young Frenchman who was heavily influenced by Picasso. This ballet was first performed by Sadler’s Wells Ballet at Covent Garden on the 11th of February 1948. … Read more

The Symphonic Variations Ballet By Ashton

symphonic variations ballet

Symphonic Variations Ballet is a one-act ballet and it was choreographed by Frederick Ashton. The music was done by César Franck and set to the eponymous music (Variation Symphonies for piano and orchestra). The decor was done by Sophie Fedorovich (who had decorated Ashton’s first ballet twenty years prior – A Tragedy of Fashion), and … Read more