Balanchine the Teacher: Fundamentals That Shaped the First Generation of New York City Ballet Dancers

2.14. Balanchine Company Class, October 1975

298 2.14 Balanchine Company Class, October 1975 Entire class including barre lasted about an hour, with all girls on pointe. Each exercise was repeated twice. Barre was very simple, with no complicated combinations, and lasted about 20 minutes. 1. Tendus (Done All Together) Fifth position right foot front arms opened side: [CT1,2,3,4] Four battements tendus front with right foot. [CT5,6,7,8] Four battements tendus side with right foot (closing front first and alternating). [CT1,2,3,4] Four battements back with the right foot (arms lower with the fourth tendu). [CT5] Tendu right foot back croisé, with arms opening to arabesque position with the right arm forward. [CT6] Plié on the left leg and place the right foot on the floor. [CT7] Double pirouette en dehors. [CT8] End in fifth position plié with the right foot back. Repeat entire exercise with the left foot. Repeat in the same tempo with two triplet battements dégagés to each side. Repeat with single tendu as with the first exercise, but twice as fast (double time). TEMPO: SLOW 2/4 2. Fouetté (Girl’s Step) Fifth position right foot front: [CT1,2,3] Développé very slow and deliberate pas de cheval with right leg to tendu plié éffacé. [CT 2,2,3] Relevé fouetté quickly to arabesque ouvert on left leg and sustain pose. [CT3,2] Plié in arabesque [CT3] and pas de bourrée dessous very quickly. [CT4,2] Plié in fifth and pirouette en dehors. [CT3] End in fifth plié with left foot front. Repeat other side. TEMPO: SLOW WALTZ 3. Pirouettes (Boy’s Step) Fifth position right foot front: [CT1] Large développé to tendu plié right foot front croisé, left arm rounded in front and the right arm to the side. [CT2] Rond de jambe parterre in plié to tendu back croisé, putting heel down immediately. [CT3] Slow double pirouette en dehors to third arabesque croisé in demi-plié with the right leg back. [CT4] Soutenue en tournant en dehors closing right leg to fifth on half-toe and ending in plié fifth with the right foot front. Repeat to the left starting with the left foot from the back. TEMPO: SLOW WALTZ 4. Bourrée, Fouetté, and Pirouette (Girl’s Step) Fifth position right foot front (traveling diagonally front from upstage left): [CT1–6] Stepping out to the right, pas de bourrée couru in fifth position with the right foot front and the right arm up, the left arm to the side. [CT1,2,3] Descend with a step to the side on the right foot and tendu plié with the left foot to front croisé, right arm curved in front, left arm to the side. [CT4,5,6] Relevé fouetté en tournant en dedans to arabesque (right arm coming overhead and turning right) ending in third arabesque croisé with the left leg back. Plié in the same pose. [CT1,2,3] Pas de bourrée change dessous (lifting knees) [CT4,5,6] to fourth position plié, left foot front croisé (right leg straight back). [CT1,2,3] Pirouette en dehors to fourth position plié, right foot back croisé. [CT 4,5] Soutenue en tournant en dehors, bringing the right leg to the left in fifth on pointe. [CT6] Plié on the left and dégagé the right foot to the right side in preparation to repeat the step to the same side. Repeat the step to the left when all girls have completed the step to the right side. TEMPO: SLOW 6/8 5. Entrechat Cinq de Volé and Entrechat Six (Boy’s Step) Fifth position right foot front: [CT1,2,3] Temps levé to the right in arabesque ouvert. [CT2,2,3] Bring the left leg behind the right and fast temps de flèche, ending with the left foot Balanchine Company Class, October 1975 / 299 300 / Balanchine the Teacher, Part 2 front croisé. [CT3,2,3] Glissade through first to fourth. [CT4,2,3] Entrechat cinq de volé to the right. [CT5,2,3,6,2,3,7,2,3,8,2,3] Four entrechat six. Repeat the step to the left and continue without stopping. TEMPO: GRAND WALTZ 6. Emboîtés and Pirouettes (Girl’s Step) Fifth position, right foot front (traveling from upstage left): [CT1–8] Eight emboîtés sautés en avant (left foot up first). [CT1,2] Assembl...