Ballet Pedagogy: The Art of Teaching
Rory Foster
Abstract
There are many different methods for teaching classical ballet—Bournonville, Vaganova, Cecchetti—the Royal Academy of Dancing being the most widely known. All of these methods are effective tools for presenting the technique and art of ballet. Knowing how to use these tools successfully requires more than being a devotee of the technique; it also requires the mastering of various skills. In this book, the author aims to share his extensive knowledge of how to teach rather than focus exclusively on what to teach, arguing that it is not enough for a ballet teacher to be well trained in technique ... More
There are many different methods for teaching classical ballet—Bournonville, Vaganova, Cecchetti—the Royal Academy of Dancing being the most widely known. All of these methods are effective tools for presenting the technique and art of ballet. Knowing how to use these tools successfully requires more than being a devotee of the technique; it also requires the mastering of various skills. In this book, the author aims to share his extensive knowledge of how to teach rather than focus exclusively on what to teach, arguing that it is not enough for a ballet teacher to be well trained in technique, but that he or she must also know how to utilize pedagogical skills. The book is appropriate for either followers of a single methodology or for those who have adopted a more eclectic approach to technique. The author believes that effective teaching skills—proper demonstration, counting, correcting, musicality, anatomical approach, etc.—do not come automatically just because one has trained as a dancer. He covers all areas involving dance, from history to injury prevention, from anatomy and kinesiology to vocabulary and music, and even offers pragmatic advice on the business of starting a dance school.
Keywords:
classical ballet,
Bournonville,
Vaganova,
Cecchetti,
how to teach,
ballet teacher,
technique,
pedagogical skills,
effective teaching skills,
musicality
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2010 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780813034591 |
| Published to Florida Scholarship Online: September 2012 |
DOI:10.5744/florida/9780813034591.001.0001 |
