Todays’ subject is close to our hearts and is central to why we started VVBS. A while ago we were contacted by a family hoping we could help their daughter with her scorecards from a recent competition. Our response was that we could definitely help her with her variations in the pursuit of improved scorecards. However, we also offered the option to help train her technique, in which case she would gain far more knowledge and strength while also improving her scorecards! This opportunity opened our minds to the idea for VVBS with the goal of helping dancers achieve their goals AND MORE!
Here are a few simple insights for ballet dancers that we integrate into our teaching:
Real technique is like water, it fits into whatever container you put it in!
We believe most of your time should be spent on technique. If you master the steps, you will be successful in most variations. There are certain aspects of male and female technique that are repeated in a large number of variations (i.e. double tours/hops en pointe’). If you master these you will be ready, at least physically, for most variations. We have encountered a lot of students, and unfortunately professionals, who have spent so much time working on certain variations and pas de deux that they can do little else. Remember, the number of times that ballet will come around in the rep of most companies is pretty rare and the number of people who get to dance it are very few. You must be well rounded in your abilities to have a good career in ballet. Most companies these days have significant classical, neoclassical, modern and contemporary rep. Versatility is key.
Sometimes students have begun working on variations with very difficult steps as part of the choreography before learning the technique required. This is like attempting to teach a baby to walk before he/she can even crawl and, in ballet, this leads to sloppy dancing, injury, or both. Relying on a variation to teach you a step, especially absent a teacher, is a bad idea. Practice makes permanent, not perfect. Mastering ballet technique takes time and an enormous amount of patience. If done right, it doesn’t fail. Dancers that put most of their training time into proper technique classes tend to be very versatile and useful professional dancers.
We have a student we have been working with for a few years now who can do any variation we ask her to do at the drop of a hat. Why? Her technique is so strong there are no longer any steps that she struggles with. It is now a matter of learning the sequence, the intention, and the artistry.
We Love Variations!
Now we are not saying that ballet dancers shouldn’t learn variations. They are extremely important and can be quite fun to learn and practice. Variations teach you stamina, spacing, stage presence and many other things essential to ballet dancing. If you are going to be successful in a ballet company, you are going to have to be able to complete a decent variation. There’s no way around that. Getting to dance the great classical and neo-classical variations are some of the joys of being a professional dancer. However, it is important to know that building a technical foundation, and continuing to hone that skill, will give you the skills you need to perform variations at a high level when the time comes.
SIDE NOTE: as a teacher, variations can remind you of a step you haven’t worked on for a while. “Oh yeah, gargouillade!”
Balancing your practice between technique and variations is essential for becoming a successful ballet dancer. If you spend all your time training the same three variations, you will over specialize your abilities and could become a problem in a company. Your training should give you the maximum probability of success. Ask yourself; “Am I getting better as a dancer or am I getting better at this variation?” If you're getting better as a dancer, keep going. If you're not, consider a change of direction.
At VVBS we encourage dancers to build a technical foundation in the pursuit of mastering variations and receiving better score cards. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you or your ballet dancer with reaching their full potential contact us today!