With so many options for ballet styles, and schools and companies focusing on different elements, which is really the right way of dancing?
The answer is all of them. Be it Balanchine, Vaganova, Bournonville, Cuban, etc., they are all correct, just different. It really comes down to which way of moving you prefer best in finding the proper training for you. But at the end of the day, a true dancer needs to be versatile and be able to adapt to what is being asked in front of them.
As professional dancers, both Ms. Lauren and Mr. Francis danced for Balanchine style companies and are well versed in its ballets and technique, but they definitely didn’t begin there. Ms. Lauren started her ballet training at a jazz competition school before studying at a strictly Russian academy. While attending summer intensives at the School of American Ballet (Balanchine), her home studio focused on the practices of Robert Joffery and Gerald Arpino. Mr. Francis attended a studio where the main teachers had all been stars at either The Royal Ballet, The Bolshoi Ballet or The New York City Ballet. They were taught to dance in the manner of the teacher in front of them, and so became proficient in all. They both chose to join the Pennsylvania Ballet because of its Balanchine lineage, but danced works from Pepita and Cranko, to Forsythe and Taylor. At VVBS we teach proper use of the muscles and the fundamental elements of technique that are universal. Afterall, no one is teaching turned in sickled feet. Mr. Francis and Miss Lauren respect and appreciate all forms of ballet. All the different techniques are individually beautiful, just like the dancers that practice them.
The reason for sharing all of this is because in the ballet world today, their seems to be a bit of a debate of which is correct. The Vaganova camp will say that Balanchine is sloppy and causes injuries, while the reverse argues of stiffness and focusing on “tricks”. Both are untrue and opinions based on bias. In reality, Balanchine created his technique from his Russian heritage and all styles stem from the original ballet language of Louis the 14th. Even as professional dancers, both of us encountered people that felt one style was correct or incorrect. We found this odd since, as adults and professionals, the vast majority of people loved all different styles and were really only interested in whether or not someone could dance, not how. We would go see American Ballet Theater the same weekend we saw New York City Ballet. And you know what, we would see ABT dancers at NYCB shows and vise versa. We choose to dance in the manner we did because it was what we enjoyed most and felt best for our body types. It was never about thinking our style was better than another. Actually, if there is one thing that we found as professional dancers, it is that versatility is a necessity. You should be able to dance everything, in the style appropriate to the choreography.
What is most important is identifying what way you want to dance. Look at the schools and companies in your area and try to join one that is on the same page as you. If you aren’t sure what that is yet, consider attending a summer intensive that is more geared to a style you don’t train in everyday or audition for another company that has varying rep than your current one. But also keep in mind whether your goal is to join a company one day, or you are already in one, that almost every major ballet company in the world will have a mix of all of them. A recent program here at Miami City Ballet included works by Balanchine, Tharp, Ratmansky, Wheeldon and Robbins. As a dancer, it should be fun to challenge yourself in so many diverse ways instead of getting pigeonholed into just one.
A well-rounded dancer makes for the best student or employee because they are more valued and less replaceable. Over specializing is bad. At VVBS we strive to teach our students the best way we know how, while preparing them for the real ballet world out there. We base our technique on what has worked for us, and what we see most commonly in the professional ballet world. If you have any questions about this subject or are looking for clarification on what style might be the best fit for you, contact us at www.veyettevirtualballetschool.com.