Basic Principles of Classical Ballet (32 page)

4th bar—
Petite sissonne tombée
back
croisé
with left foot and
cabriole fermée
at a 45° angle, the right foot front and facing point 8 (fig. 1).

5th bar—
Grand jeté
in
attitude croisée
with right foot, beginning its execution with a
coupé
onto the left foot.

6th bar—Repeat the same
grand jeté.

7th bar—
Sissonne tombée
left foot forward in
effacé
and
grande cabriole
in 1st
arabesque
on left foot.

8th bar—Run, facing front, around to point 4, and from there, beginning with the 9th bar, repeat the entire combination starting with the opposite foot, moving from point 4 to point 8 of our class plan.

EXERCISES ON POINTE

1.Eight bars of

1st bar—Two
échappés
in 2nd position, changing feet, ¼ beat each.

2nd bar—Three
sus-sous
moving forward
croisé,
right foot in front, three ⅛ beats. On the fourth ⅛ beat stop in 5th position
demi-plié.
During the execution the palms open slightly to a small pose and the head turns to the right.

3rd bar—Two
échappés
in 2nd position with foot change, ¼ beat each.

4th bar—Three
sus-sous
moving backward
croisé,
left foot in back, three ⅛ beats. On the fourth ⅛ stop in 5th position
demi-plié,
the head leaning slightly to the left. Look over left shoulder to the back.

5th bar—Two
sissonnes simples
with the right and left foot, changing feet each time, ¼ beat each.

6th bar—Two
ronds de jambe en l’air en dehors
with the right foot, on the first ¼ beat. On the second ¼, close 5th position in
demi-plié,
left foot front.

7th bar—Four
sissonnes simples,
changing feet each time, ⅛ beat each, moving back. The last one ends in 4th position as a preparation for
tours.

8th bar—Two
tours en dehors sur le cou-de-pied,
on the first ¼ beat. Finish on the second ¼ beat in 4th position, both arms up. Look under arms to the left. Repeat with the other foot.

2. Eight bars of ⅜.

1st bar—Fifth position, three
chassés croisé
forward with right foot on pointe in three ⅛ beats, finishing in 5th position in
demi-plié.
The right arm is raised at the beginning and gradually opens.

znd bar—
Assemblé soutenu en tournant en dedans
with left foot, three ⅛ beats. Arms come together during the turn.

3rd bar—Three
chassés croisé
backward with left foot on pointe (three ⅛ beats), finishing in 5th position in
demi-plié.
The left arm, which was raised, gradually opens during the execution of the
chassés.

4th bar—
Assemblé soutenu en tournant en dehors
with right foot, three ⅛ beats. Arms meet in the preparatory position.

5th, 6th, and 7th bars—
Pas couru
on pointe
en tournant en dedans,
left foot front, around the dancer’s own axis for two ⅛ beats, left arm raised. On third ⅛ place right foot in front in 5th position, right arm in ist position, the left arm in 2nd position. Repeat twice without coming off pointe in the direction of point 2 of our class plan.

8th bar—Then a short
pas de basque,
to 4th position as preparation for
tours,
and two
tours en dehors sur le cou-de pied,
doing all this in three ⅛ beats.

3. Eight bars of

1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th bars—Do four
grands fouettés en dehors
in 2nd position at a 90° angle in six ⅛ beats each, finishing in
plié,
right foot at the knee.

5th bar—From this point, a half-turn is made on pointe in 1st
arabesque en dedans
on the right foot, ending in
demi-plié.
Then another half-turn in 1st
arabesque,
ending in
demi-plié.

6th bar—Two
tours en dedans,
left foot in
tire-bouchon
ending on the left foot in
demi-plié,
the right foot
sur le cou-de-pied.

7th bar—Step back on pointe six times, six ⅛ beats, changing feet. Raise and gradually open arms at the same time.

8th bar—Preparation in 4th position, left foot front, and two
tours en dehors sur le cou-de-pied.
Finish in 4th position in
demi-plié,
right foot in back.

SUPPLEMENT

NOTE 1. The Author’s Preface is called “Author’s Preface to the Third Edition,” and its first two paragraphs read as follows:

The third edition of my book
Basic Principles of Classical Ballet
contains several expanded and revised passages. I have also added a sample lesson with the appropriate music.

The French terminology accepted in classical ballet—as I have already indicated in all discussions of this theme—is unavoidable, being international. For us it is the same as Latin in medicine—it must be used. The Italian Cecchetti, teaching in England in the last years of his life, used this same terminology in a language foreign both to himself and to his pupils—in short, it is absolutely international and accepted by everyone. Nevertheless, now I have a slight reservation; not all our terms coincide with the terms accepted by the French. For many decades now our ballet has developed without direct connections with the French school. Many terms have gone out of use; some have been altered; lastly, new ones have been introduced by our State School. But all these are variants of one common international system of dance terminology.

NOTE 2. It is necessary to add that the achievement of full coordination of all movements of the human body in the dance exercise will enable the dancer later on to infuse ideas and moods into the movements, that is, to give them that expressiveness which is called
artistry.

I do not treat of this matter extensively in the present manual, but I include it in my lessons, working it out in detail every day in my older classes and my most advanced classes.

NOTE 3. At this point I must make a remark of a general nature.

In the last few years a number of radical changes have been made in the distribution of class time at our school. These changes were called into being by new aims, which demand a broader mental outlook of future Soviet artists, versatility in the area of study of their speciality. While they are still students, we give them the opportunity to test their strength not only in lesson, but also in a little practical work—participation in ballets and productions performed at the school. The participants do not feel cut off from artistic life; from early experience they learn what they can and what they must get out of a lesson, and therefore they study consciously and seriously.

An important role is now being played by the general instruction now being given at our school. The general curriculum cannot be compared with that of the past, in both its general and its special subjects.

In my time character classes were practically never given; the work was learned from assorted dance numbers. The exercises for character ballets were worked out in detail in the 1920’s by Alexander Shiryaev, who systematized the movements of character ballets and thereby enormously facilitated work in this area.

This is not to mention subjects like history of the theater, history of art, history of ballet, history of music and so on. In my time these subjects were not in the curriculum, since the theoretical preparation of dancers was not considered necessary.

To all the foregoing should be added the fact that for perfection in the choreographic art visual demonstrations are necessary. It is difficult to communicate our “mute” art accurately in manuals.

Time and again I have thought of Pushkin’s lines:

One foot touching the floor,
With the other she slowly circles.