abbeyej Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Ds has become more and more committed to ballet over the last year or so, and is interested in doing more study outside of class as well. I've been picking up a few books here and there -- history of dance, Dance Anatomy, he has a dance dictionary that's required of all students is age in class... But I'm wondering if anyone has put together some sort of book list or lesson outline already? That I could crib? :) I was also wondering about Physics and the Art of Dance. Has anyone used it? Would it actually complement the physics studies (and ballet) he's been doing this year? He's also been reading Meet the Dancers, which he received for Christmas, and enjoying that... Any individual titles you can recommend are good as well. I feel pretty confident in the level of technique and instruction he's getting day to day at our ballet school, but he's an academic sort of kid that enjoys learning about the history and science of ballet as well as just how to get across the floor with pointed toes and decent épaulement. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Choreography? I think that would be a fascinating, and potentially very useful, study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted December 31, 2011 Author Share Posted December 31, 2011 Not even any other books or resources to recommend? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 You know, there was a ballet focus at the high school that I graduated from, which I remember because I considered going that route. I ended up going with their childcare focus instead, and it was just a half year that I attended that school, so I didn't really know much about the ballet program except to say that studying ballet as part of a high school diploma is a legitimate course of study, in my experience. As far as how they set up a focus program in general, the childcare program involved things like working in a school-based childcare center, directing the center, working at an outside childcare center, as well as classes for learning about children and creating materials for children. I would think you could do similar things in a ballet focus. Out of curiosity, I checked my old school's online materials today and couldn't find much on ballet. Looks like they've moved on to African and Native focuses (foci?) at that school, but it looks like similar things are still done. Then I remembered a current high schooler I know who's been in an arts magnet around here, so I found this list of materials, in case it helps: http://www.pcae.k12.mn.us/lib/files/DanceEdBooks.pdf http://www.pcae.k12.mn.us/lib/lib_bib.html#DanceResources Probably you want more personal experience, but there's something or other :001_huh: Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 (edited) My Christmas present (yes, I still do adult ballet! :001_smile:) was a book called Apollo's Angels. My husband heard the author on NPR, and thought I'd like the book. A homeschooled girl I know who is mad about ballet says it's one of her favorite books. I think it just came out in paperback, which might be why the author was on NPR. Best wishes to your son in his ballet studies! My sons did ballet for quite a few years, and although I can't say they loved the actual dancing, they LOVED the excitement of being in the annual shows. (The teacher had a nice group of about 6 or 7 boys, almost all homeschooled. They met some of their best friends through ballet!) Edited January 1, 2012 by Laura in CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 (edited) How old is he?? I love my "Dance Technique and Injury Prevention" book. It has lots of pics, black and white, showing good tech, bad tech, proper placement, how to prevent major amd minor injuries, and lots of exercises! I also love Rhee Gold's "Teaching Dance." As a teacher it is very inspiring. As a dancer of was a good read too. My go to dictionary is "The technical manual and dictionary of classical ballet." By Gail Grant The story of Jerome Robbing is interesting. I would not recommend Dance with Demons for young kids, it has some very adult material. But anything you can find on him is great. His dance and choreography careers were amazing. Ballet 101 has a good history of dance, stories of major ballets, and a dictionary. The History of Dance is more dry, my sister read it in college. Kristin's "The Classic Ballet" has great illustrations of dance steps. And I recommend Robert Edmund Jones's "The Dramatic Imagination" for any performer. His description of how ot feels to he in the theatre is wonderful! Edited December 31, 2011 by chepyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Another thought-could he possibly do some work on studio management, as far as learning a bit about what it takes to set up a studio, what kind of business requirements are needed, accounting basics, and so on, maybe working with a studio director/owner? That's a common route for dancers to take in adulthood, and might be interesting as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 My oldest ds was a theater kid, more into the tech side of things, so throughout high school I incorporated theater into as much of his academics as I could. His reading lists won't help you but I thought I'd mention it because it was a nice and successful way of melding academics with interests. Biographies and memoirs were great to add to a study of history, to bring certain periods to life. And can I just say how cool it is to know of a young man who is into ballet?!! I love memoirs written by dancers and can recommend: Margot Fonteyn: Autobiography Lots of 20th century history as she was born in China, danced through WWII and with Nureyev, and her husband was involved in a coup in Panama (I think Panama...) It was written in the 80s. The more recent bio isn't quite as flattering, I've heard. Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina She danced with Balanchine and is a native American from Oklahoma. Fascinating story. To Dance by Valery Panov. This Russian dancer and his wife Galina Ragozina applied for exit visas from Russia, and were eventually allowed to emigrate to Israel. His description of life in the USSR is chilling, especially the scene when he and his wife are suddenly shunned by all their colleagues. I got to see them dance in the 70s -- it was magical! The book is out of print, but worth finding! I know I read a bio of George Balanchine, but I can't remember the title!! I've read many others, too, over the years -- basically any I find on the library shelf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald Stoker Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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