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DVD Reviewof Classical Ballet The Essential Visual Reference of All Classical Ballet Movements Digital Classics, 2007 4:3 format, 2 discs, 270 minutes Reviewd by Anjuli Bai |
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The word “All” in the subtitle is a difficult goal to fulfill. This production – four and a half hours in length – is a brave endeavor to bring together the many elements of the classical ballet using three of the major styles: Cecchetti, Russian and French schools. Other schools such as RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) or ISTD (Imperial Society of Teacher’s of Dance) were not shown - nor was there an indication which specific Russian school was shown – Vaganova or otherwise. Perhaps copyright concerns precluded these inclusions, or that simply choices had to be made in the consideration of time and length of presentation. This DVD makes an effort to include the many differences in nomenclature used for the same steps such as: “posé turns - piqué turns” or “degage - battement glissé” or what was called “faille” which I would call “sissonne faille” or “petite retire” rather than “ retiré cou de pied” and any number of other such examples. Some differences of style were named but not shown. The ballet is an art form that spans the globe and has entrenched adherents in the choice of vocabulary or structure. It’s simply not possible to include every variation without making those variations the issue rather than the steps themselves. In written form (a book) length is not as much an issue. In a video (DVD) there has to be consideration of length and therefore choices have to be made. The dancers used as models were:
The year when this was produced is not given on the DVD jacket cover that I could find, but from other sources I believe it was made in the mid 1980’s. The DVD package insert includes the list of categories and the number of elements under each category:
The setting is simple – a dancer and a barre in a studio – medium close up. The narrator has a clear voice pronouncing the French dance terms precisely (as well as another voice of a native French speaker) while the term also appears as a sub-title – easily read. The movement/position is announced, the dancer executes it with a brief description of the placement of the arms, feet, head and inclination of the body. In a production like this simplicity is a distinct plus – there is no attempt to make it artsy or visually fussy; a definite plus. This is not a “how-to” production. The viewer is not instructed how to do the movement, simply what the movement is – another plus. Books, DVD’s etc., which endeavor to actually teach ballet through means other than attending a class with a teacher, are begging the issue of how the classical ballet is taught and learned. It is counterproductive as well as possibly injurious to attempt to study classical ballet by any other means than through a knowledgeable teacher. So, thankfully – this is not the goal of this DVD. The descriptions are basic. For instance, in the several attitudes (devant and derriére) shown no mention is made of the degree of bend in the lifted leg. In other elements such as arabesques, though inclination of the body is noted, the degree of inclination is not. These are crucial elements, but does differ from style to style (Russian/French/Cecchetti), dancer to dancer (depending upon the rest of the dancer’s line and proportion) and the ballet being performed (romantic/neo-classical, etc.). In showing the three different numbering systems of arabesques (R/F/C) Cecchetti’s fourth arabesque was described as performed in plié rather than fondu. Some – me – would take issue with that description as plié occurs on two feet while fondu occurs on one foot (as described by Saint-Léone). This is one of those instances where the line between what is truly erroneous and what is simply a matter of different vocabulary usage begins to blur. It is an also an example why creating a dictionary of ballet is so difficult. The barre section was presented simply – simple en croix demonstration with no detailed explanation of “how to.” Which, again, I feel is a plus as it doesn’t encourage a “do it yourself” idea. There were some interesting omissions such as demi plié in fourth position was labeled as grand plié.
The elements chosen for “Center Practice/Exercises au Milieu,” seemed rather random – only two items out of many possibilities. The three elements chosen for “Adage,” again seemed random, but the pirouette section was more extensively covered. The slow motion sequences were of particular interest. Though the dancers are certainly of the first rank, even they are not perfect and it was interesting to watch at what point – when and how – slight idiosyncrasies occurred and how this affected the outcome. It became possible in watching the preparation and rotation to predict the finish; smooth or otherwise.
 © Digital Classics
The key to the usefulness of this DVD is the accompanying insert listing the categories and elements, but these are not alphabetically arranged. Other than the barre section which follows the general sequence of barre work, I’m not sure I can detect why one element is shown before another such as pas de bourrée before glissade in the category “linking steps.” A case could be made that pas de bourrée or glissade precipité are also allegro as well as “linking steps” and so one might look for them under a different category. Another difficulty with the printed list is that several steps are shown but not listed such as: sissonne developpé or sissonne battu. There are also some elements that are orally mentioned but not shown or listed. And what is listed is not alphabetical. Additionally it would have been useful for the English meaning of the French term to be given (either orally or listed) such as: “Ballotté” means “tossed or rocking.” The “Enchainements” section shows the dancers actually dancing a series of sequences. One of these includes “Grand Pirouette in Attitude.” As I recall, attitude tour (pirouette) and arabesque tour (pirouette) were not covered – shown – or listed – in any of the basic categories – yet they are fairly basic. Neither do I recall that sissonne entournant was shown, mentioned or listed. The enchainement section has no voice over and no slow motion – simply the dancers executing complex ballet class dance sequences. It was interesting how much more comfortable the dancers looked while actually dancing rather than in the previous sections – where they were demonstrating. It seems to prove the perception that it is more difficult for advanced dancers to do the more simple work. A single pirouette can be a lot more difficult than multiple rotations! Who would use this DVD? I don’t think I would recommend it to a ballet student since that student should be getting instruction from a teacher, but I would recommend it to a “student of ballet.” A teacher who adheres to a specific syllabus would already know from the structured materials of that syllabus the numberings of the arabesques, arm positions, etc. However, it certainly would be a resource if one wanted to know the sequences of other styles and this could include a teacher who doesn’t adhere to any specific system but might choose to check the variety of material that is being covered in the classroom. Would a teacher learn from this DVD how to teach a specific element? No – but that’s not the goal of a dictionary. However, the teacher would learn how the element looks when executed – or a reasonable facsimile thereof. However, it might not be exactly the particular form the teacher is seeking or how that element is executed when part of a sequence of movements. It might not be shown as “part of a sentence” of movement, but rather as a single “word.” This is why many language dictionaries put the word into a sentence. Another difficulty when trying to produce a ballet dictionary. One of the pleasures of the DVD is watching the beautiful dancers in simple attire executing these basic elements of the ballet. For a true lover of the form, the “student of ballet,” this is mesmerizing.
In summary, I think this DVD is a good addition to my several book form ballet dictionaries, not a substitute for them.
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