Ballet for Dummies

by Scott Speck, Evelyn Cisneros

Whether you want to participate in ballet or just watch it, the ballet experience can excite and inspire you. Ballet is among the most beautiful forms of expression ever devised: an exquisite mix of sight and sound, stunning, aesthetics, and awesome technique. Ballet For Dummies is for anyone who wants to enjoy all that the dance forms offers - as an onlooker who wants to get a leg up on the forms you're likely to see or as an exercise enthusiast who understands that the practice of ballet can help you gain


More strength Greater flexibility Better body alignment Confidence in movement Comfort through stress reduction Infinite grace - for life From covering the basics of classical ballet to sharing safe and sensible ways to try your hand (and toes) at moving through the actual dance steps, this expert reference shows you how to


Build your appreciation for ballet from the ground up. Choose the best practice space and equipment. Warm up to your leap into the movements. Locate musical options for each exercise. Look for certain lifts in a stage performance. Tell a story with gestures. Picture a day in the life of a professional ballet dancer. Identify best-loved classic and contemporary ballets. Speak the language of ballet. Today you can find a ballet company in almost every major city on earth. Many companies have their own ballet schools - some for training future professionals, and others for interested amateurs. As you fine-tune your classical ballet technique - or even if you just like to read about it - you'll become better equipped to fully appreciate the great choreography and many styles of the dance. Ballet For Dummies raises the curtain on a world of beauty, grace, poise, and possibility!

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2003

Reviews

[Boston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for a true beginner. I just started taking ballet classes and it was perfect for me- compare to another reviewer who had been taking classes for a year and thought it was too elementary. If you are interested in ballet but have little to no experience, I highly recommend it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give 4.5 stars to this book because even though it gives a very good overview of all the moves/positions and proper technique (with pictures) it is a bit too basic if you have already had a taste of ballet. For example, I consider myself a beginner because I've being dancing for a year but I found the book quite easy.
Taking that out of the equation it is a really good book to read if you're a beginner or just want to have a clear overview of the exercises and moves ballet dancers go through everyday.

—P.S. I Love That Book!

[Nikki]

Somehow I missed this book. Could THIS be why I didn't get into Juilliard???

[Megan Bettis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could get my beginning ballet students to read anything in the entire world, it would be this book. It gives a great overview and thoroughly explains the ballet basics.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made me appreciate the art form a lot more! I knew they put their bodies through a lot but it was interesting to read how they have to angle their hips or feet, or calculate their landings so they don’t hurt themselves. A very thorough book.

[Stephen Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth it. I skipped over the bits that were advice for the aspiring dancer and stuck to the parts which explain what one it’s seeing on stage. It’s an art form that I know next to nothing about. Now, I know at least enough to understand a bit.

[Mandy E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good reference manual. Just enough sarcasm to keep it from
Becoming a boring dictionary. Will be revisiting this over and over.

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Classical Conductor Scott Speck and ballet instructor Everlyn Cisneros published the American Canadian version of Ballet for Dummies in 2020. Speck and Cisneros worked together at the San Francisco Ballet in California. The book was a helpful introduction to ballet. The book has twenty-two chapters. The book has a glossary and an index. The book covers a lot of ground. The book has five sections. The first section is an introduction to ballet. The second section is a basic barre technique for a basic understanding of ballet. Speck and Cisneros write “the barre-French for “bar”-is a horizontal wooden cylinder fixed to the wall of a ballet studio, about one foot from the wall” (Speck & Cisneros 75). I read the book on my Kindle. The third section covers the basics of dancing away from the barre on the “Central Floor” in ballet terminology (Speck & Cisneros 138). The fourth section is on “the whole process of creating and performing ballet” (Speck & Cisneros 220). The fifth section has a chapter on ballet steps. The section also includes chapters on classical and contemporary ballets. Along with chapters on common ballet terminology and a chapter on ballet fun facts. Ballet for Dummies is a valuable introduction to ballet in the United States and Canada.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made a great supplement to my ballet class. I was able to read more in depth about positions after I learned them in class, and could practice at home.

[Kelly Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

great detail for beginners or for dancers who want go brush up on ballet