Ballet for Dummies (Paperback)

Introduction 1

Part 1: Ballet Dancing from the Top 7

Chapter 1: Curtain Up! Welcome to the Ballet 9

Chapter 2: Stocking the Tools of the Trade 17

Chapter 3: Getting Toasty: Warming Up Your Body 31

Chapter 4: Leaping into Ballet Basics 47

Chapter 5: Music, Maestro! 63

Part 2: Belly Up to the Barre 73

Chapter 6: Basic Barre-Tending 75

Chapter 7: Stepping It Up at the Barre 97

Chapter 8: Getting a Leg Up 115

Part 3: Center Floor, Anyone? 137

Chapter 9: Getting to Center Floor 139

Chapter 10: Ballet’s Tasmanian Devil: The Pirouette 155

Chapter 11: Linking It Together: The Steps Between the Steps 173

Chapter 12: Ground Control to Ballet Dancer 187

Chapter 13: Getting More Air Time 205

Part 4: Living the Ballet Life 219

Chapter 14: Partners Aren’t Just for Square Dancing 221

Chapter 15: Exploring Choreography 235

Chapter 16: What the Heck Are They Saying? The Art of Ballet Mime 249

Chapter 17: Watching Ballet in Action 267

Part 5: The Part of Tens 281

Chapter 18: The Ten Most Commonly Used Ballet Steps 283

Chapter 19: Ten Best-Loved Classical Ballets 287

Chapter 20: Ten Great “Contemporary” Ballets 295

Chapter 21: The Ten Best Ballet Terms for Cocktail Parties 303

Chapter 22: Ten Fascinating Facts about Professional Ballet Dancers 307

Glossary of Ballet Terms 315

Index 323