Ballet: From the First Plie to Mastery, an Eight-Year Course

First published in 2002. A step by step guide to ballet technique for the beginning dancer, perfect for dancers aged five to fifteen years old or for the adult beginner, this book is designed as a to compliment to a beginning student’s ballet training. It opens with a brief description of the benefits of ballet training to young dancers and then introduces fundamentals and precepts of the technique. Clear photographs show exactly how to execute each movement. Then an eight-year course is presented taking the student from age 5 or 6 to teen years, outlining exactly what is to be taught and how it is to be performed. A glossary, bibliography and discography close the book. Young girls and boys are drawn to ballet training as a way of developing healthy musculature and bones, building an aesthetic awareness and enhancing body image. Paskevska believes that- when perfumed correctly- ballet can provide a life-time of artistic and physical pleasure. Shunning flashy technique, this book offers a solid grounding in the basics of ballet movement that will serve the student well, whether or not they continue training. Through her comprehensive examination of the how, why and when of performing basic ballet techniques. Paskevska offers a concise and easy-to-follow regimen for everyone. For ballet students, their parents and their teachers, this book is an invaluable first step toward enjoying dance and excelling as a dancer.

Anna Paskevska is Chair of the Dance Department at the Chicago Academy for Arts. She previously served on the faculties of Indiana University and the University of Louisville, Kentucky. She is the author of Both Sides of the Mirror: The Science and Art of Ballet.