Letting go + Performing well | Vaganova | Ballet talk
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มี.ค. 2023
- Hello Everyone,
I hope you are all really well! This is the latest episode from A dancer's mindset where I'm sharing my thoughts on how the best dancers have the combination of letting go AND performing well! A lot of dancers nowadays lack that! Let's discuss!
Enjoy!
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About Me
Hello everyone! my names Isabella.
I am the first British graduate of the Vaganova ballet academy in Saint Petersburg Russia. I was a soloist working with the Mikhailovsky Ballet and Eifman ballet.
Now I live in London as a full time coach
Here, on my channel I am sharing my passion with you all about the Vaganova technique amongst many other things related to ballet we all love.
It's a hard industry so I am here to help with my insights and knowledge to make it a little easier for you all, as well as to hopefully entertain you with my content.
Thank you for watching!
I hope you danced with me at the beginning ❤
You are so precious. You're a gift. The ballet student world is so lucky to have you. I was a balletomane from the 1960's on up. Everything you say is right. Plisetskaya exemplified a unique fire and brilliance yet she didn't even have good feet. There is a clip of Fonteyn as Ondine that is magical even though her extensions were low. Suzanne Farrell always exemplified and stressed movement. How a dancer moves. As brilliant as high extensions and lines can be, they can often take away from the actual quality of the movement. Of course at times they can enhance the quality of the movement also.
I love everything about your channel and you. The way you talk to the audience. Your channel is so professional and does so many things. The interviews are great and those incredible artists! Everything is great. P.s. I was dancing more wildly than you were when you were dancing!
So interesting! This is exactly what I found so intriguing in Gelsey Kirkland's autobiography: she had the feeling that Russian/European dancers had information she was lacking. Information that would help her to perform and understand the classics, their style and their characters. And she realized it had to do with things like the architecture that surrounds you and the history and art that is everywhere. Indeed, having a big frame of reference in art, history, etc. and really living those things in everyday life helps you to get a sense of style, of context and to interpret the movement and the music.
This is a very important subject and I'm glad that you are promoting it.
In addition to individual dancers taking the time to enrich their soul, and to spend less time on social media, what suggestions do you have for teachers to help their students express what they feel?
I would be very interested in seeing a video about the character classes at Vaganova. Is it the same as acting? How does the Vaganova character training differ from the Royal Ballet school's training or how any other famous school teaches that?
I've never taken a dance class in my life, but I am fascinated by this ballet world which is so mysterious to the general public (except maybe in Russia) so I really appreciate your channel.
Thank you for the video and for raising this topic! Have a great weekend!
I feel the "dulled perfection" when I watch some ballet competitions, naturally you would want an errorless, clean, technical performance and there is less space for artistry when you're in a competition. I hope dancers can be taught how to be in touch with their body in an artistic way. In the very end art is about stories and expressing the condition of being human, not the condition of a perfect 5th!
Very interesting commentary. I agree so much with what you say. But I look at a ballerina like Khoreva and she has one of the most incredible techniques and perfect bodies. But I find her portrayals in some roles as a bit shallow, or flat, as you say. When I compare to a ballerina like Makarova, the difference is night and day. But Makarova is a great coach. Sometimes I watch the répétiteurs at the Royal Ballet, and even some Russian rehearsals…who are teaching the steps down to micro movements…even as to where to place the eyes…to follow the hand in an arabesque when doing a penche, for example. I wonder if the difference is that in the past the dancers had the instinct to know how to add dynamics…the beautiful épaulement, for example. I know Fonteyn was famous for her “perfect” line …especially her arabesque… but I think she and her contemporaries each had their own distinct styles. Obviously during the Soviet era we missed seeing a lot of amazing dancers in or from Russia. I think the French ballerinas at Paris Opera Ballet. I don’t know - part of having a real talent should have that artist inside of you to begin with. A love of the music is critical. I sometimes think some schools try to iron out the individuality. Just some rambling ideas. I find some top ballerinas today have perfect technique but in their “spare time” they are practicing endless developés a la seconde even though they are already as high and technically perfect as possible. Or endless pirouettes on dehors on the right side.
Great that you're talking about this, Isabella! I like your channel and your smart ballet talks. I'm also a ballet teacher. I think expression is more or less absent in nowadays dancers also beacuse of the competitivness of the ballet world (and the world in general) - the demands of higher extensions, perfected lines... it takes away some space for expression. And going to competitions at a very young age, tryng to do some kind of ballet gimnastics... I have always been a very expressive, passionate dancer and I'm struggling to bring it out in my students these days (after corona is even harder).
It's always the time and the culture we live in that defines art. But yes, russians have both I think - they have passion and a hard working mentality.
12:32 - It's interesting because I studied Nihon Buyo, and there is such a heavy emphasis on artistry and sincerity boiled into every lesson. Nihon Buyo Dancers are basically necessitated to study their artform through an inter-disciplinary approach; so that includes literature, music, art, history, costume etc. and most importantly to look introspectively into their own lives to pull inspiration from. Performances have to be authentic and sincere insights into the "soul" and human condition.
Taking this even further, there are actually certain dances that are reserved for certain age groups (e.g. 'Mushi No Ne' - is reserved for dancers in their advanced old age, and 'Kurokami' is for women who are old enough to have experienced a long-term relationship and breakup). Personally I never enjoy seeing really young performers at YAGP attempting 'Black Swan' variations... I think maybe we can learn a thing or two from Nihon Buyo.
I really agree with you on all accounts. Thank you for sharing
I agree with you! 😊😊 thanks for sharing!
Your discussions are so unusual, so pertinent and fascinating. Thank you for bringing there aspects of ballet into the light.
Mischa never sacrificed anything of extraordinary technique to producing the thrill, awe and breathless response of the audience. He was a master of dance in every dimension. In his greatness he had exquisite technique as well as ultimate artistry. He came that way from Russia and only got better and better as the years went on.
Thanks for sharing. I’m in my late 40’s in adult ballet and probably hold back a lot because it’s like who does she think she is?….. she’s not training for anything. I love the thought of taking your artistry class because I don’t know how to let go or add something extra even though I feel it inside my body. And one day I want to go to your intensive! It’s on my bucket list. :)
Contemporary dancer here, it is so nice to hear this coming from a ballet dancer ❤
Thanks !! I love all your videos !! Thank you ! ❤❤❤❤
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You can apply this advice to so many things in life! Loved this video so much 🩰
To me artistry is most important. I always hope the audience can feel, what I'm feeling.
Hahaha I just saw that comment on your instagram. They definitely felt called out by your post for not being a well rounded artist.
Haha the dancing! Love you Isabella! You always make me smile 🎉
Yeah im not an artist but i need to get off my phone more😅 you are what you eat! I guess you have to feed yourself like an algorithm, your output will depend on what you put your attention to!
Amazing insights. I am a professional classical singer and voice teacher and have thought/said *everything* in this video. I’ve always though singing was slightly more comparable to dance than instrumental playing because of the embodied expression. Thank you for voicing the experiences of a kindred artist and teacher. 🧡🧡🧡
Thank you,
You go gurl 💃🏻
Love this video😍
I love to read books but you've definitely inspired me to experience and live life more rather than being on social media.
Also I loved the intro =D can't wait for your course on this!
I wonder if you ever had doubts or frustrations about your artistry and talent while you bridged your inner desire to express with your technique!
i completely agree with you, and wish i could have you as a teacher. one of my current teachers is actually holding me back on this, telling me to do less (less cambre, less extension, less movement across the floor) not because my expression is too dramatic but because i stand out in a group that is partly young and less experienced and partly as old as me but stiff and not willing to work hard on technique. also because our studio is really small and barely fits one grand jete.
-technique and expression go hand in hand and both should be given equal attention to.
-students who are dancing "too big" should be corrected on technique, not on how they fit in with the group. (except in choreo when you're trying to create unity).
-students who are dancing too small often just need some concrete tips on where to look or how to relax their face, or epaulement. and how their movements translate into a story or expression.
further thoughts: dancing too small may also be due to students feeling insecure or unsafe, when they aren't allowed to be themselves they will be less expressive.
the teacher that i talked about above, makes her class so that every exercise is a choreography. so she makes the most of the music and uses every accent. there's a lot of variation and the exercises are never boring. the downside is that the students are most often only corrected on the choreography/musicality and less on the technique. also we don't get to choose for ourselves which arms we do, whether we want to battu our jumps and how many pirouettes we're turning, nor if we want to stand in front or in the back. and also the leg height in adagios is prescribed, so that the more flexible students can never train to their own maximum but only to the maximum of the stiffest/ laziest student. i cannot understand this policy. once these students do a class by a different teacher they're often quite lost on what to do with arms and all the freedom of begin themselves... lol
Chilanya, please find a new teacher. Your teacher now is trying to block your light. Don't let her. Get another ballet teacher who will allow you to soar. Never let anyone or anything hold you back. Be wary of such oppressions. Sometimes people are trying to supress someone's outstandingness from their own lack without even realizing it. Believe in yourself deeply.
Isabella I’ve often wondered something when it’s time to go across the floor in like 4’s. Is it better to go for it and travel (say a waltzy pirouette combo) OR hold back so you can fit in 2 times instead of 1? (If you have decent space)
Some Esmeralda and Don Quixote performances that lack pizazz are really dull to watch
I really agree with you, electrifying performances really grab you even from a short clip on a tiny screen! I feel that way with baryshnikov, completely agree. Also when I first watched a clip of Suzanne Farrell's Diamonds, it was only the opening when theyre walking towards each other and i was transfixed. The moves... the air between the dancers seemed electric. For me some performances of Diamonds didnt give me that spell. The steps themselves are just walking, so I guess it s up to the performers and coached to make that poignant or dull. I also remember Makarova's coaching being brilliant!
Kimin Kim said he really worked hard on his Russian because he really wanted to understand what his teachers in the Marinski were saying! It was so rich he didnt want to miss it he said.
Yes , I agree the artistry follows the culture. Also Slav people are more direct and honest in expression during daily life and it shows on stage as well. In England on the other hand people are more reserved and indirect it might result in some flatness on stage. But we should not analyse just the one component. England seem to be better place for more dancers to flourish and have long careers.
interesting ideas. This deserves a conversation.
Excited for the artistry course!!!😊
Ohh meee too!!
I do not want to be an anonymous dancer.