Begin At The Barre

By Jennifer Rienert 

Step up your students’ ballet training and see results at competitions.

When I first began entering my students in competitions years ago, I had a lot to learn. At the time it seemed important to include entries with jazz and lyrical choreography since those genres were so popular at competitions. I cringe when I look back on those early attempts, but they did push me to be a better choreographer, and I pride myself on the fact that my school wins high scores in those subjects today. But I couldn’t help noticing that there weren’t many ballet entries in those competitions. Thirteen years later, there still aren’t.

My school, New Hampshire School of Ballet, has been known for its strong ballet program since my grandmother, Lena Taylor, founded it in 1964. My aunt, Suzanne Taylor, who directed the school for 26 years before I took over, always encouraged her students to take more ballet classes than any other discipline. Since that was my education growing up as a dancer, it was natural for me to establish my studio’s presence in competitions with the one thing we were comfortable with: ballet.

I used to go to competitions and wonder where all the ballet entries were, but after competing myself, entering my students, and judging for various organizations, I think I know the answer. Ballet is the hardest discipline to accomplish successfully and therefore the hardest to score well in. If a student doesn’t have great technique, feet, or turnout, those weaknesses can sometimes be hidden in a jazz or lyrical routine. Great stage presence, lyrical emotions, or entertaining musical-theater entries can distract from the truth of faltering technique. Ballet, however, is not that forgiving. A first arabesque can only be executed properly one way; there is no cheating. Mistakes are obvious. If the feet and legs aren’t stretched, if turnout doesn’t come from the hip, if the center and back aren’t used properly, and if port de bras aren’t supported through the back and elbows, baggy pants and a pretty smile won’t mask those failings. And the judges can’t help but score accordingly.

Adding to the challenge is the fact that proper flooring for ballet is not always available at competitions. Many stages are less than adequate for pointe work; often venues don’t supply a marley floor, so expect a slippery stage and bring rosin. Pointe work on “ice” is intimidating even for the strong hearted and confident, so be prepared.

Some schools shy away from ballet/pointe entries altogether, while others try a solo or maybe a small group piece. Many students know that unless they have years of solid ballet training behind them, they probably will score better in a different subject. Although just about everyone wants to perform a lyrical solo these days, a true “bunhead” can’t be kept down. I always have a pointe production and enter several groups and solos in the ballet/pointe category each year, but I do so knowing that the students’ technique can handle the scrutiny the category demands. Dance teachers must recognize what their students’ strengths are.

When you’re choreographing a ballet piece, be realistic. As a judge, I have seen many ballet entries with choreography that would challenge a professional ballet dancer. Most students do not possess that kind of expertise. Dances with impossibly fast petite allegros or fouetté turns for students who can barely do single pirouettes are sure to receive low scores. Let students develop those difficult skills before throwing too much at them. Judges don’t give points to a routine because it’s loaded with difficult maneuvers; they give them when the dancers show them what they can do well. Ballet is beautiful because it is clean and precise. Combine that with a soul that needs to soar, and you have a true artist.

Great technique doesn’t just appear onstage when you want a great score— it’s developed through years of disciplined study in your studio. Teachers who wish to produce more ballet routines have to begin in the classroom. If you’re one of them, make ballet a priority in your school. Encourage the students to take that extra ballet class each week with a knowledgeable teacher, even if it has to replace something else. Explain to them the importance of ballet technique and how much it will improve all their other studies. This is the greatest advantage we can give our students, especially those wishing to pursue a career in the dance world.

Seeing more ballet in the competition world would be wonderful because more students would pay attention to the quality of their dancing as they rehearse. But regardless of which form of dance teachers and students choose to compete in, those years of dedicated barre work and attention to detail in the classroom will pay off in the form of a well-trained dancer.

Photo captions (top to bottom): Students from the NH School Of Ballet in their pointe production to the song Stars and Stripes Forever at the 2002 ADA nationals (photo by Donner Photographics); Nathan Duszny and Kayla Shepherd, of the NH School Of Ballet, in the Nutcracker Pas De Deux (photo by Ole Bye); Alison Preston, of the NH School Of Ballet, doing a pointe solo to Coppelia Variation at the 2000 Headliners competition (photo by Sharpshooter Productions).