Customer Reviews

Suki Schorer on Balanchine Technique

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This book is a comprehensive look at George Balanchine's ballet technique. Balanchine himself thought that he would be remembered more for his teaching than his choreography and Schorer does an excellent job in detailing the technique that he molded for New York City Ballet. The book covers Barre Work, Upper Body, Pointework and Related Releve, Jumps, as well as a section you rarely see covered in a technique book, Partnering. Every exercise is clearly described both in words and with a photograph, and Schorer often includes analogies and other teaching tools that she uses to get her students to understand the particular quality of a movement. This book is an invaluable source of information about ballet technique whether or not you subscribe to what is know as "Balanchine Technique."

I also highly recommend reading "Pointework," also by Schorer, as well as watching the three "Balanchine Essays" videos, where Schorer herself instructs New York City Ballet dancer Merrill Ashley and three students in the areas of Arabesque, Passe and Attitude, and Port de Bras.

This book is a very comprehensive discussion of virtually every aspect of ballet technique, including topics not usually found elsewhere. It should be kept in mind that first and foremost this is Balanchine technique as interpreted by Suki Shorer. Most of what is presented is excellent. I must tell you that among ballet professionals, including those that have worked and studied with Balanchine himself, this book is very controversial. Most tell me that he never asked for things to be done in some of the ways described in this book. To be fair, it seems that he said different things to different people for the sake of expedience, but there are some things that are really difficult to take. The most significant of these is the concept presented in this book of the use of the heels in jumping. It is claimed here that Balanchine told his dancers not to put the heels down when landing. I have never encountered any dancer, both those that worked with Balanchine as well as those who did not, who would ever do such a thing and they tell me neither did Balanchine. It is considered very dangerous to do that and a major source of injury. Other issues are changements and tendus, to mention just a few of the other points of contention. It is important to keep in mind that this book is not a Bible, it is just a mostly good discussion on one approach to a complex subject.

This book is exactly as the title states. It is technical book describing Balanchine technique. It's comprehensive and like the author states, for advanced students of ballet.My only gripe is I would have liked more pictures to match the written descriptions, but in truth, it's not something that was NEEDED. Ms. Schorer does explain very well in words what is taught in the studio.I'm not sorry I bought it, but I do not refer to it much for insight as to improving my own technique. Balanchine taught a very distinctive style and Ms. Schorer descibes it very clearly to the smallest detail.

I was trained in the Balanchine technique, and although interpretations vary on what Balanchine wanted from his dancers, this book is a must have for dancers, teachers and ballet fans in general. Suki was one of the original Balanchine dancers, and it is wonderful that she put forth the effort to carry on his methods of technique and training.

This book is exactly as the title states. It is technical book describing Balanchine technique. It's comprehensive and like the author states, for advanced students of ballet.My only gripe is I would have liked more pictures to match the written descriptions, but in truth, it's not something that was NEEDED. Ms. Schorer does explain very well in words what is taught in the studio.I'm not sorry I bought it, but I do not refer to it much for insight as to improving my own technique. Balanchine taught a very distinctive style and Ms. Schorer descibes it very clearly to the smallest detail.

This book is comprehensive, well-crafted, interesting to read, and loaded with insightful anecdotes and great photographs on proper Balanchine technique, written by a stellar teaching protege of the choreographic master of the last half century whose output of serious new works dwarfs virtually all efforts by everyone else in that time frame. Suki Schorer (who is listed in Who's Who in America), like very few other people, knows what Balanchine wanted his students to learn, especially regarding his extensions to classical ballet, giving birth to the neoclassical technique which dancers of other schools find so difficult to master, but from which they cannot escape. This book is an inside job, a major contribution to the literature, and truly informative.

This book shows the technique that the ballet master, George Balanchine, wanted his dancers to use to be the best dancers they could possibly be. Being a dancer, I found this book to be quite fascinating, but, you don't have to be a dancer to enjoy it. Even if you get bored with reading, the photographs will certainly captue your intrest.

This is a fascinating book that combines instruction, biography, and history. Although Balanchine's technique is indisputably idiosyncratic, the ways in which his methods have impacted the rest of the ballet world make this book an indispensable guide for those seeking to fine-tune their technique. I, personally, found the visual imagery used to be extremely helpful in giving nuance to my steps, even ones as (arguably) simple as saute arabesque. (I was also thrilled to find Ms. Schorer's advice on how to improve one's batterie, as ballon has never been my strong suit and jumps such as royales and entrechats have long been the bane of my existence.)

In response to the reviewer who was shocked to find that Balanchine told dancers never to put their heels down when coming down from jumps, such advice would indeed be deleterious; however, in the text Ms. Schorer went on to explain that Balanchine did not mean such a thing literally, but was instead using it as an image to help his dancers roll through their feet and control their landings.

Even for those who, like myself, will never come close to auditioning for the School of American Ballet, let alone dancing for NYCB, this book is a fascinating look at Balanchine technique that can breathe new life into even the basic steps of ballet. The photographs are lovely, as well as instructive, and the text is peppered with anecdotes of Ms. Schorer's time studying under Balanchine. I highly, highly recommend this book, especially to advanced students of ballet.

Just terrific! Since there are so many schools of ballet, (Cechetti, Vaganova, french, Bournonville...),it's the first time there's a book telling you the difference between the Balanchine technique (much superior to me)and the old way of training,I found this book perfect for anyone interested in Ballet, you can learn so much by reading and the pictures are so beautiful that I framed some.Bravo!

Although I am not a dancer, but a ballet lover and aficionado, I found Suki Schorer's record of Balanchine technique fascinating. It is both broadly comprehensive and filled with detail, with the many photographs carefully illustrating the technical description. Yet the book goes far beyond the demonstration of steps. Suki Schorer tells us how Balanchine inspired her, how he acted, how he influenced generations of dancers and profoundly transformed the shape of ballet as an art. How fortunate we have this careful recounting of Balanchine's ballet technique from a true disciple, and that Balanchine's dancers are preserving his legacy, both on stage and via the written word. Ballet, as practiced at the highest levels today, is Balanchine.