Teaching beginner dancers and especially beginner Ballet dancers can be a
daunting task. The key is to keep it simple and to give the students the
tools and vocabulary to give them confidence. A common mistake is to give
beginner dancers steps that are too advanced for their capabilities. This
only makes them feel more insecure and can also create bad habits that
are hard to correct.
BARRE
1) Plie facing the barre
2) Tendu holding the barre with one hand
3) Rond de jambe a terre
4) Releve facing the barre
5) Echappe releve to 2nd facing the barre
6) Grand battement
7) Arabesque
8) Port de bras
CENTER
1) 5 basic positions of the feet
2) Basic positions of the arms
3) Port de bras
4) Tendu with transfer of weight
5) Grand battement
VOCABULARY OF STEPS
1) Pas de bouree
2) Chasse with transfer of weight
3) Balance de cote
4) Soutenou
5) Releve in 5th
6) Releve devant
7) Releve passé derriere
8) Echappe releve to 2nd
9) Saute
10) Changement
11) Echappe sauté to 2nd
12) Spring points
13) Petit jete
14) Unfolding skips
15) Sways
16) Spins on demi pointe
17) Pose temps leve in arabesque and passé
18) Step with hop and runs
19) Grand jete
Using props is a good idea with beginner Ballet students as generally their port de bras is weak and not developed. Having props to use helps the dancers get into the character and camouflages their lack of technique.
PROPS
1) Long scarves
2) Hoops
3) Fans
4) Exercise balls
CENTER COMBINATIONS
1) Port de bras
2) Releve passé derriere and passé devant
3) Releve 5th into releve passé derriere
4) Pirouette preparation to 4 sides
5) Releve 5th into releve devant into single pirouette en dehors
6) 2 pas de bouree, releve in 5th, releve passé derriere
7) 2 balance de cote, soutenou
8) 1st combination, utilizing chasse and chasse passé, pas de bouree,
Tendu and 2nd arabesque
9) 2nd combination, utilizing balance de cote, soutenou, pose temps
leve in arabesque, unfolding skips, sways and spins
