Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, DC

Teacher’s Guide

1

CONTENTS PAGE

Table of Contents……………………………………………………...Page 1

Making the most of the performance………………………………...Page 2

Ballet Terminology……………………………………………………Page 3

Ballet Word Search…………………………………………………...Page 4

Audience Etiquette…………………………………………………….Page 5

Audience Etiquette Worksheet……………………………………….Page 6

A day in the life of a KAB student……………………………………Page 7

Online Resources………………………………………………………Page 8

SUMMARY OF THE PERFORMANCE

Discover the magic of ballet! Take a journey through ballet's past and present without leaving the United States!

Get a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to become a Sugar Plum Fairy or a Prince Charming. Kirov

Academy brings to life the makings of a professional ballet dancer. Learn and experience the history of ballet,

basic terminology and positions, warm-up exercises, and ballet storytelling through mime. Get a close-up look

at the sparkly costumes that dancers wear and hear the beautiful music that inspires them. The artists present

dazzling gravity-defying leaps, astounding balances on the tips of their toes and stunning multiple turns and

spins. The Kirov Academy is a ground-breaking school, preparing aspiring young dancers for a professional

ballet career.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2

We hope you find the following suggested activities and discussion topics helpful!

PREPARING YOUR STUDENTS: * Have students write a paragraph or draw a picture about what they think dance is.

* Watch a video of a dance performance.

* Discuss - What is dance? How many children have seen a dance performance? How many

children have taken dance and what type of dance have they taken?

* Explain the importance being a good audience - See Audience Etiquette and Handout on pgs.5-6

* Introduce vocabulary - See Handouts and Activities on pgs.3-4

WATCHING THE BALLET- Ask Students to consider the following while watching the ballet: * How are the dancers moving (fast/slow)? Do they seem happy or sad when they are dancing? How

does the music affect the way the dancers move?

* How does the music make you feel?

* How do the dancers communicate the story of the ballet without speaking?

* Does all Ballet look the same? How are the pieces different?

* Is there a difference between how the boys and girls dance?

* Think about what is your favorite part and why.

* Think about what your favorite character and why.

* Does it look fun to be a dancer or a choreographer?

AFTER THE PERFORMANCE: * Have students write a review of the performance. Select the best reviews to be published in the school

newsletter!

* Have students write thank you notes to the dancers and/or sponsors.

* Have students draw, paint or color a scene that they liked best.

* Discuss – How the performance was different from what they expected. What did they Like/dislike?

* Encourage students to try out some of the ballet steps they saw or leaned in the performance.

* Discuss how ballet (dance style/music/costumes) changed through history. Discuss what students think

ballet will look like in the future and have them draw and/or write their ideas.

ANYTIME ACTIVITIES: * Have students listen to a piece of music and:

-Write all the descriptive words that come to mind

- Draw a picture of what they imagined

- Choreograph a dance and share with the class

- Write a story with characters and dances or movements, and then perform for the class

- Draw/paint a picture of the images they see. Share works with class and discuss the

different interpretations everyone had of the same music.

* Use the Ballet Terminology pg.3 for vocabulary games, flashcards. Also see Word Search on pg. 4

* Discuss leadership. Why is it important to have a leader? List some attributes of a good leader. Would

a Choreographer or Artistic Director be a leader, if so why?

MAKING THE MOST OF THE PERFORMANCE

3

Did you know that ballet dancers and teachers all over the world use the same language for ballet; that

language is primarily French! This is because the first academy of ballet was based in Paris, France over

300 years ago.

Plié (plee-AY): "Bent;” a smooth and continuous bending of the knees. Most ballet steps such as jumps and

turns begin and end with a plié. Plies are done in any of the five positions of the feet.

Tendu (tahn-DEW): "Stretched;" movement where the leg is extended straight out from the supporting

leg with the foot fully pointed - it can be done front, side or back.

Rond de Jambe (rawn-duh-zhahnb): "Circle of the leg;" actually, half-circles made by the pointed foot,

creating the letter 'D' on the floor.

Frappé (Frap-Pay): Frappe means to "strike." A movement where the foot moves from a flexed position next to

the other ankle, and extends out to a straight position as it strikes the floor

Devéloppé (dayv-law-PAY): “Developed.” A movement in which the leg is drawn up to the knee of the other

knee and slowly extended while being held with perfect control.

Grande Battement (grahn-baht-MAHN): “Large beat.” A powerful action where the dancer lifts a leg as high

as possible, while the other leg remains straight

Tutu (too-too): A ballet costume made of a bodice and layers of netting. There are several kinds:

Pancake Tutu – or classical tutu, sticks out straight from the waist

Romantic Tutu – is long and flowing, hanging below the calf

Pas de Deux (pah de duh): A dance for two people, usually a man and a woman. Deux in French means two

and Pas in French means step.

Sauté (So-TAY): "Jump;" when this term is added to the name of a step, the movement is performed while

jumping.

Choreograper (core-ee-og-rah-fer): Someone who creates dances or entire ballets.

Choreograpy (core-ee-og-rah-fee): This is a term used to describethe actual steps, groupings and patterns of a

ballet or dance.

Warm Up: Warm up is how all dancers start their day. They stretch and help prepare their bodies for the rigors

of dance class.

Barre (Bar): The horizontal wooden or metal bar that the dancer holds for support. Every ballet class begins

with exercises at the bar.

Centre (Center): A group of exercises performed in the centre of the room without the support of the bar.

Pointe (Point): The tip of the toe. Most female ballet dancers dance on the tips of their toes wearing special

shoes, called pointe shoes. En Pointe means to dance on the tip of the toes.

Bravo (Bra-VO): Well done! Excellent! An exclamation expressive of applause

BALLET TERMINOLOGY

4

BALLET WORD SEARCH

Instructions: Each word from the Ballet Terminology list pg.3 can be found here….Good Luck!

Word List

d l p o i n t é g m s a e c f a d x

a i l n u f a e r f a e f h v l u r

f v i t o é s n a a r b h o i e d o

i m e c p p d i e r p f t r d w a n

y c y m l p f l a d o d w e o n e d

p a h t r o g b y r u y d o m e i d

u f j c b l h j u y i s a g d c a e

m c i r m é k r k é a i n r w m l j

r r e k k v y b l p e g t a n d i a

a n r b p e o w b p d h k p c e o m

w n t e n d u u v a g j d h d v k b

d f n u s v p i c r h p d e a y v e

s k e o t t o l x f r a e r i l m w

y m c e r u m s m u n o b d n c n e

n x p a g e y x h z b é t u a s o d

é t y h p a r g o e r o h c l e m l

t e d i s a q é k o v j g d m i c n

x q g r a n d e b a t t e m e n t w

Plié

Tendu

Rond de Jambe

Frappé

Devéloppé

Grande Battement

Tutu

Pas de Deux

Sauté

Choreographer

Choreography

Warm Up

Barre

Center

Pointe

5

Here are some helpful hints for things to remember when going to see a performance! These guidelines apply to

most dance, music, theater, opera and orchestra performances.

Arrival…. Do’s: Arrive on time, even a bit early, some theaters won’t allow late seating!

Don’ts: Try to get to your seat while the show is playing, causing a disruption to others watching

Sit Nicely….. Do’s: Sit quietly and very still, seated flat in the chair if provided or the floor for school shows

Don’ts: Sit up on feet, kick or put feet on the chair in front of you, wave arms or disturb neighbor

Shut off Electronics….. Do’s: Turn off all cell phones, pagers, and electronic devices and put them away until the end

Don’ts: Leave ringer or vibrate on phone, text, answer your phone, search the internet

Appropriate Responses….. Do’s: Clap and shout “Bravo” at end of performance or act

Don’ts: Boo, whistle, stomp or laugh (unless it is meant to be comical)

Eating/Drinking…… Do’s: Eat before you arrive, or have a refreshment in the lobby during intermission

Don’ts: Theaters do not allow food/drinks, so no: crunching, chewing, noise, wrappers, spilling

Talking….. Do’s: Wait until intermission or the end to speak. Take notes about your thoughts/comments

Don’ts: Whispering with companions, shushing, discussions about performance while watching

Dress….. Do’s: Dressing nicely as a sign of respect to the artists and the theater

Don’ts: Big hats, jingly bracelets

Video Taping/Pictures….. Do’s: Enjoy the moment and just watch the show! Pick up a booklet or pamphlet with pictures

in the lobby of the theater.

Don’ts: Photos/videos are not allowed in the theater. This is distracting to the performer and not

appropriate. Take pictures with any device, video taping of any sort (cameras/phones)

AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE

6

AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE WORKSHEET

There are many types of shows or events that each have their own rules and etiquette. See if you can determine

which behaviors are appropriate at each of the different event types. After you are finished compare to see the

similarities and differences.

Directions - Color the boxes below to correspond with the following:

GREEN- if a behavior is appropriate

YELLOW- if it is sometimes appropriate

RED - if it is never appropriate

Type of Event

Eat Talk Cheer during

Show or

Event

Stand up or

walk around

during Show

or Event

Give a

standing

ovation

Shout

Bravo

Clap

along

with

music

Applaud

at the

end

Sporting

Event (example: football or

soccer game)

Movie

Live Theater

Rock

Concert

Jazz Concert

Ballet

Opera

Circus or

Animal

Show

School

Performance

BEHAVIORS

7

At our school, the Kirov Academy of Ballet, of Washington, DC, students come from all over the world to

study dance full time, some as young as 10 years old! These dancers are very committed. They live, dance, and

go to school all under one roof. Some are from as far away as Japan, Italy and Mexico.

Here’s an example of their Monday – Friday schedule: They also have dance classes on Saturdays!

ACADEMICS 6:30 – 7:20 Wake Up – Eat Breakfast

7:20 – 8:05 Math

8:10 – 8:55 History

BALLET CLASS

9:00 - 9:30 Warm Up – This is how all dancers start their day. They stretch and help prepare

their bodies for the rigors of dance class.

9:30 – 11:00 Barre - Dancers do exercises holding onto a wooden or metal bar for support.

Every ballet class begins with exercises at the bar.

11:00 – 11:30 Snack Break

11:30 – 1:30 Centre - A group of exercises performed in the centre of the room without the

support of the bar.

1:30 – 2:15 Lunch Break

ACADEMICS

2:15 – 3:00 English

3: 55 – 4:40 Science

FREE TIME

5:00 – 8:00 Dinner, Free Time, Rehearsal Sometimes

8:00 – 9:00 Study Hall

9:00 - 10:00 Free Time

10:00 Lights Out

11:00 Time to Sleep

A Day in the Life of a KAB Student

8

Glossary of Ballet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_ballet) – Free Ballet Encyclopedia

American Ballet Theatre Online Dictionary (http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/index.html) - This website

contains over 700 ballet and dance terms with video clips of dancers demonstrating technique.

Cyber Dance (http://www.cyberdance.org/CyberDance) - An extensive internet dance database containing

thousands of links to classical ballet and modern dance resources on the Internet.

Dance Links (http://www.dancer.com/dance-links/index.php) – An index of dance-related resources.

Dance Advantage (http://danceadvantage.net) – Interesting forum for all dance related topics.

New York City Ballet (http://www.nycballet.com/families/families.html) – Made for children! Fun activities

and interactive tools to learn anything and everything about ballet!

Dance Films Association (http://www.dancefilmsassn.org/)-Good resource for finding dance films.

Arts Lynx (http://www.artslynx.org/) - Links to various sites providing information about companies, cultural

dance traditions, books and more.

DanceEducation Web (http://danceducationweb.org/) - Education resources: advocacy, curriculum, dance

styles, assessments, professional development, notation, technology and more. Links to other sites.

ArtsEdge (http://www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/) - Offers sample lessons based on National Dance

Standards, articles, reports and resources.

National Dance Education Organization (http://www.ndeo.org/) – Good resource for teachers interested in more

information regarding Dance Education.

ONLINE RESOURCES