Customer Reviews

Inside Ballet Technique: Separating Anatomical Fact from Fiction in the Ballet Class

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a young dancer and both my teacher and I have benfited from this book. Not only does it have certain tips, but it teaches dancers about their main asset.... their bodies. The portion about the pelvis not only helped my placement, but everything else benefited from that. My turns were better and so were my balances.

I was assigned this book in college for Dance Pedegogy and found it to be a great resource to understanding anatomy as it relates to dance. It gave me many new insights into allignment, the foot and the hip flexor and not only opened up new posibilities as an instructor, but as a dancer as well.

A well written guide for danceing correctly. The only problem with it is that it is not written for convience or quick reference. Inside Ballet Technique is what every dancer and teacher should know. Buy it, read it and share it

So many dancers unfortunately go directly from high school into ballet companies, without ever completing their education. Then, when their careers end at an early age, they go into teaching without any education in kinesiology, anatomy, or even pedagogy. Thus, they unwittingly promulgate myths and fallacies they were told over the years, without any understanding of what they are saying. For example, many teachers do not know the purpose of many barre exercises; they only do them because their teacher did them. This book is indispensable for anyone studying ballet for the first time (including adults), and especially for ballet teachers.

Well researched and referenced and very well written in an almost conversational type tone. I'm a folk based dancer and would recommend this to not just ballet dancers but anyone interested in debunking some of the movement myths we get fed in the dance world that are misleading and sometimes downright dangerous. The book is set out in a logical manner which makes the material easily digestible and the writing is non pretentious, making it accessible to those that may not be up with all the proper anatomical terms associated with dance kinesiology.

Ballet is being taught incorrectly all over the world today except for in a few great institutions such as the Royal Ballet School. Valerie Grieg has brought to light the lies that fill so many ballet classrooms today. She explains the technique of ballet simply and clearly and why and how it works. As a student of ballet, I have been incredibly fortunate to have had a teacher who cares about the technique immensely, and it is comforting to know that people such as Grieg still care about the art's technique! If you are either a teacher or student of ballet, this book is a must read! You will benefit greatly from what Grieg has to say.

I am a novice dancer and I found this book extremely helpful in learning what to do and what not to do. I've already seen an improvement in my form and ability.

This book is great to give you the ins and outs of why we do the things the way we do as dancers. It gives you a better understanding of how the parts of the body work together to achieve the skills we need.

Although I purchased a used copy that was supposed to be in "VERY GOOD" condition, I had to glue and tape it back together when it arrived with pages falling out and written in with obvious student notes! UGH!
The seller, and Amazon, did give me a refund AND I was able to keep the book!

This is a great book for people who are looking to understand the intricacies of Ballet Education! There is not a magic pill to understanding WHY Ballet helps create such beautiful and strong bodies that allow movement to appear effortless! This book is a great help if you have an open mind and a willingness to understand the difference between "gross anatomy" and "functional anatomy" and so much more!

This is not a ballet primer, so many terms will not be defined or explained, and you are assumed to be already familiar with basic ballet terminology. If you aren't (due to no background, or having been trained in one of the many schools today that no longer use correct terminology) then you should also pick up Ballet Basics to read and then refer to later. This book contains a good amount of information about anatomy and physiology which I could see would be very helpful to someone who doesn't have a biology background at all. If you do, then the a&p intro to each section is easily skimmed or skipped over.

Many times, students are told to create a "look" or shape with their bodies, but they are not told how to attain that goal. This is often because the teacher only knows how to do it themselves through instinct, having learned it so long ago. Or, they like most other dancers, had to figure it out by trial and error because they too were never taught how, only given the demand to attain a certain what. This book will explain exactly how a body is able to do those things, and gives good advice on how to learn to feel what it's like to use the parts involved. This is a lovely marriage between the art of dance and the science of biology! Buy this for a new dancer who is old enough, or for the parents of a new dance who isn't old enough to read it on their own, or buy it for yourself even if you've been a dancer for years, but are still frustrated by the lack of *real* instruction you are receiving in dance class! Refer to it when you need help advancing your technique but all of your trial and error is just turning up more error. Use it to make yourself a better teacher to your students so you can better explain what you're wanting from them, and watch the results with amazement! Should be required reading for all instructors, especially of beginners.