First Lessons in Ballet - Hardcover

Bailey, K.C.; Friedman, Lise

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0761118047 ISBN 13: 9780761118046

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company, 1999

Synopsis

Introducing a ballet class in a book. Created by Lise Friedman, a passionate ballerina as a little girl who grew up to dance with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and photographed by K.C. Bailey, whose dance photography is part of the Lincoln Center Dance Collection, First Lessons in Ballet is an intimate and innovative approach that takes the reader right into the studio and teaches basic steps and positions.

Each spread works as a lesson. On the left, in a full-length, silhouetted photograph with callouts, a young ballerina named Rebecca demonstrates each move. On the right, a group of younger kids who might be the reader's fellow students practice the moves, while brief text, written in the voice of a master teacher, explains exactly what to do. Covered are the five basic positions of ballet, followed by a series of exercises just as they would be performed in class--barre exercises, such as plie and rond de jambe; centerwork exercises, including arabesque and pas de bourree; and such jumps and turns as changement, pique, and emboite. Class finishes with reverence--a formal way dancers thank their teacher--and the book ends with a brief discussion of the next steps in ballet--pointe work and partnering.

About this title

About the Authors

K.C. Bailey's dance photography can be viewed in the Lincoln Center Dance Collection, and in the book Dance Ink Photographs.

Lisa Friedman is currently the dance writer for Microsoft's New York Sidewalk. A former dancer with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, she also served as founding editor of the award-winning quarterly Dance Ink and author of First Lessons in Ballet and an adjunct professor at New York University. She is also a contributing editor at Elleand a journalist who writes about the performing arts for various publications. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York, just a short cab ride from the Great White Way!

From the Back Cover

Premiere and placement. Turnout and tendu, which is training the feet to point. Plus arabesque, or balancing on one leg, sissone, little energetic jumps, and learning to "spot"--to focus your eyes on one place so as not to get dizzy during pique turns.

Illustrated with dozens of engaging photographs, this introduction to ballet is for any young reader who wants to dance or is already enrolled in class. Each spread works as a lesson, balancing a visual how-to with instruction written in the succinct, clear voice of a masterful teacher. Beginning with the basic positions, FIRST LESSONS IN BALLET is the first step toward a lifelong love of dance.

Reviews

Grade 5-8-While appealing on the surface, this "ballet class in a book" is seriously flawed. The spreads-with an experienced teen on one side and multiethnic beginners on the other-start with a vague discussion of warm-ups. They continue with the five positions, barre work, center work, and jumping, and conclude with brief remarks on pointe work and partnering. Although the French terms are defined in context, there is no glossary (or index). In the barre section, confusingly, most photos show the dancers in the center of the studio. All of the photos are black and white. Basic steps such as battement frapp?, pas de chat, echapp? saut?, and assembl? are omitted. Friedman uses others (d?velopp?, attitude, and glissade) in combinations without adequately explaining them. The descriptions are unnecessarily complex and, as step-by-step pictures aren't always provided, are hard to follow. Darcey Bussell's The Young Dancer (DK, 1994) explains many of the same steps and has attractive color photos. For a real ballet class, though, students should turn to Thalia Mara's First Steps in Ballet, Second Steps in Ballet, and Third Steps in Ballet (all Princeton, 1987). These were originally published in the 1950s and rely on old-fashioned line drawings. However, they are thorough, easy to follow, and far more satisfying than Friedman's offering.
Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Friedman, who danced with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, offers advice and perspective for students starting to study dance seriously. Following explanations of the studio, the barre, and dress for class, she discusses technique and offers tips related to the main positions and exercises familiar to ballet students, from plieto reverence. K. C. Bailey provided the photographs of younger and older students that illustrate the text. Children who are serious about learning ballet correctly may find this a helpful guide to consult outside of class. Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0761118047
• ISBN 13: 9780761118046
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 68