Ballet Syllabus - What You Need to Know

There are some key terms that refer to the actual movements of the dance that you should become familiar with.

The Arabesque is the movement where the hind leg is extended and the dancer leans forward over the load bearing leg. This is a classical movement that is practiced in the different forms of ballet.

Attitude is the dance movement most associated with the pointe which is when the ballerina stands on her toes and keeps the other leg up and curved around for flexibility and stability.

The Grand jetis the long jumps that begin on one leg and end on the other leg.

There is an entire alphabet of terms used in the ballet syllabus that each dancer must come to know along with the positions of the dance. These are just a few of the many terms that you will hear used with this form of dance.

Of course, there also different types of ballet: classical, neoclassical and contemporary ballet.

The classical method of ballet adheres to the strict ballet positions and dances that have been around since the advent of the dance.

Neoclassical ballet still uses these positions and styles but you will see more advanced leaps and dives taken by the dancers.

Contemporary ballet, or Modern ballet, combines the use of Classical and Neoclassical with that of modern forms of dance. In this form of ballet you will see some of the classical stances but more liberty is taken with the actual movements.

There has to be a love of the dance in order to become a ballet dancer. The dancer must start at an early age learning all there is to know about the different movements and ballet syllabus behind this form of dance.

In addition to this knowledge the dancer must develop strong leg and core muscles to help support him or her during the intricate movements that require strength, agility and flexibility.

Only later during the course of training when the strength in the ankles and legs has been developed will the dancer learn to use pointe shoes. The pointe shoe is used by the women and the men continue with soft soled shoes in order to learn the more advanced leaps and turns that will be expected of him.

Discipline and training is the core to the dance and without it the dancer could become injured severely.

The ballet company is comprised of several influential players and dancers. It all begins with the artistic director and continues down to the stage hands. You have the Prima Ballerinas, the ballerinas, the orchestra, the choreographer, and even the character dancers.

Each dancer and hand has an important place in the whole scheme of the ballet. There can be no dance without each of these important people and there are a host of others not mentioned that have influential presence within the ballet company. Each must work together in order to produce the wonderful pieces of dance that make up the ballet.

Some of the more famous ballet companies have been the: Bolshoi Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, New York Theater Ballet and even the Austrian Ballet Company of Tokyo. There are hundreds of different ballet companies that tour the world performing their difficult maneuvers and dances. It is hard to pinpoint which one is most successful or culturally well known because there are so many regions of the world that produce incredible ballet companies.