Six Ways of Knowing Ballet

 

Educators and teachers the world over love to hear from their students the words: “I know…” or “I can…”!

We LIVE for this!

The PROBLEM is that there are different ways of “knowing”.  You might “know of” the cashier at the supermarket DIFFERNTLY than you “know” a family member you see every day at home.  You might “KNOW HOW” to do a sit up, but in ballet the REAL question is whether your BODY has the strength and ABILITY to do 500 sit ups non stop like an Olympic athlete.

For purposes of our discussion we are going to define Six LEVELS of “knowing” to help us chart overall progress in ballet.  These levels are based on the work of Dr. Benjamin S Bloom.  His idea was to focus the GOAL of learning on true personal growth and development.  (See this or any article on “Bloom’s Taxonomy” for more information)[1]

Level 1: Teacher demonstrates the steps and I can follow the leader.

Level 2: I can perform the step when Teacher asks verbally using French terms.

Level 3: I can lead others in the step showing good, clean technique. 

Level 4: I can perform the step by name in larger combinations with other steps, with music, without need of a demonstrator.

Level 5: I can perform the step in variation (forwards. backwards, changing tempo, changing arm positions, etc…)

Level 6: I can perform on stage to the music with technical skill AND artistic expression

Level ONE: Recall or Imitate (A Coppelia Doll or marionette)

At this level you KNOW a thing only well enough to follow along if someone else is demonstrating, or you can repeat back the words just told to you (but might FORGET it tomorrow).  This is like the ballerina doll or automaton that you wind up who goes through the motions on someone else’s energy and direction.  You may think of a marionette whose arms and legs are guided by strings attached and coordinated to the arms and legs of the person pulling them.  You still need someone else’s help to wind you up or pull your strings. 

Level TWO: Manipulate or Understand (Pinocchio)

In this level you can recall a movement from memory and remember the information well enough to put in your own words.  You know a step well enough to perform it from written or verbal instruction without having to see it done.  This is like the puppet who has no more need of strings and is able to move on his own power.  

Level THREE: Precision and Comprehension (The puppet master)

At this level you know a step well enough to remember its name and demonstrate it without help.  You can explain or describe it to someone else easily.  You can now craft the step well enough to show it to someone else. In so doing you know it well enough to help pull someone else’s strings. 

Level FOUR: Articulation and Application (a conscious performer, Jiminy Cricket)

You are now able to put the step into use as a movement that comes to you quite naturally.  You are able to perform the step as part of a larger combination or composition, having a firm grasp on the series of movements that comprise that particular step. Now you have a working dance vocabulary—moving from doing steps to dancing the step in combinations.  You are now like that little cricket who understood the “bigger picture,” able to see the step as a whole and even recognize some of the potential pitfalls and mistakes when they happen.

Level FIVE: Analysis, Synthesis, and Variation (the Master Craftsman: Gepetto)

At this level you are able to take the step apart and can demonstrate the individual parts that make up the complete movement.  You are also able to perform the step varying the parts: changing the direction, speeding up the tempo, adding a turn, adding a battu, reversing the order or changing feet. Like the Master Craftsman you can take apart the pieces, interchange them, and put the steps back together again, creating your own combinations. 

Level SIX: Evaluation & Naturalization (The Olympian)

At this level not only do you know the movement VERY WELL, but you have sufficient body strength and co-ordination to perform it BEAUTIFULLY for an AUDIENCE.  You are able to do it in your sleep and therefore have sufficient focus to add artistic expression that elevates the step to an ART form. Like the Blue Fairy you make the step come alive.  It is no longer just a step but has a life of its own and tells a story everyone can understand.  With your abilities as the technical athlete you make it seem as easy as waving a magic wand.  As the thinking, emotive artist, you have the heart and passion to create PURE MAGIC!   

Now here is the REALLY IMPORTANT Part! 

Dancers are Artists and Dancers are ATHLETES.  For DANCERS, “knowing” also means being “in training.” Like any athlete if you take a break from your training the body forgets.  The muscles get stiff and weak.  You may slide back on the ladder a few rungs. 

Professional dancers have a saying:

If you skip training one day your whole body aches and you know it!

If you skip two days the teacher knows it!

If you skip three days you cannot go on stage because everyone will know it!

 

The point is muscle strength, limberness, stamina, and all the precise technical points that keep the dancer from developing overuse injuries, all require consistent training.  If you do take a break you need to recognize that you may have stepped BACKWARDS a few rungs.  You need to repeat the necessary exercises slowly and carefully.  You might have to RELEARN some things, but you can always progress forward again. 

Meanwhile, the numbers of 1 to 6 can be used to give a better understanding of ballet progress.  If you are honest with yourself and have a clear understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, you can always get ahead!   

 

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[1] http://www.businessballs.com/bloomstaxonomyoflearningdomains.htm