1 grade Vaganova ballet class

[danamw4t]

Turnout is stressed from the very beginning with extremely easy, repetitious exercises. That, and posture, is all they work on pretty much. Western schools allow the students to more complicated steps without first establishing turnout, which is backward and ultimately self defeating.

[barcafootyfreak9]

Dance 101

[redlight5551]

3:24 first girl makes mistake

[dorarocks2010]

i have always admired the vaganova syllabus. i want to learn and take the exams one day

[LilyDancingStar]

They look like they are about 9 years old.

[CrystalSun88]

How old r they???!!!

[noachka]

@CrystalSun88 This is Grade 1, so they are 10-11 years old here.

[ssophoss]

so clean !!!! 

[AriaInTheSky]

For closet dancers like myself, this is great! Never know if you want a bloody good workout!

[AliciaGuitar]

It doesn't get any better than this! Every ballerina should watch Vaganova videos. Best school in the world!

[oreopie090]

how old are these girls??

[noachka]

@oreopie090 10-11

[LRBSballerinaz]

I love this, the girls are soooooooo much better than Royal Ballet School and people say Royal Ballet is the best in the world I mean lol this is UNBEATEBLE and all those girls on the vid are probably all in ballerinas in the bolshoi or the Mariisky !!!!!

[balletmaster002]

It is interesting, their knees are way NOT over toes. Meantime the school has been producing best ballet dancers for over 200 years with no injuries or need for cross training. I wonder who came up with “KNEES OVER TOES” IDEA-that it is damaging ballet training and health of young dancers. Statistics: in USA percentage of injuries in ballet same as in contact sport like boxing and football.

KNEES OVER TOES ?

Dmitri Roudnev

[AvalonMorley]

@balletmaster002 Mr. Roudnev, nice to find you here--I enjoy using your cds when dancing & teaching, so thank you. I'd be interested to hear more re. 'knees over toes' or not; it's been such an accepted rule for so long, throughout my long, very mixed ballet training & reading. The thought of the stress to ankles and knees, of 'forcing' turnout makes me almost physically afraid. But perhaps that is all incorrect. It's important to open ones mind, & look for actual results...to be continued...

[AvalonMorley]

@balletmaster002 Continued query to Dmitri Roudnev: I've noticed that Russian-trained dancers generally tend to have the derrière placed a bit further back in grand plié than other dancers (I'm referring to advanced/professionals in both cases). It seems that might remove some of the stress to hips, ankles and knees; trying it just now felt interesting, & I'm going to experiment with that slight adjustment. I'm also interested in statistics re. ballet injuries in various styles/schools/systems.

[balletmaster002]

@AvalonMorley On Plie- It is very clear on this video the knees do not go over toes and as you expressed the "derriere" is placed slightly back. This is an absolutely correct and natural placement, without forcing the turnout by tucking under. There is clip on my channel on this subject.

[AvalonMorley]

@balletmaster002 Just found your replies, and thank you very much. I will explore on your channel, & hope to learn more. (At my age, anything that might help keep me dancing, even just for my own enjoyment, is worth trying, & especially important to be better able to help young students improve.)

[AvalonMorley]

@balletmaster002 Another question: One Vaganova-trained dancer (from the state school & co. in Baku) whose class I took would give pliés (& maybe other exercises--it's been a long time, so I'm not sure) on one side only. We thought she'd forgotten, but it was on purpose. In these videos, the same thing happens, but it may be just for a demonstration video (as in demonstration classes for audiences). Is this normal practice in everyday classes? If so, is it only done for certain exercises?

[balletmaster002]

@AvalonMorley Yes this was probably a demo or exam. Although sometimes in school it is common to do plie or grande on only one side. I do not consider this good for training however and I have many reasons why.

[JdorexoxoDanser]

how old are theyy

?

[Princessjasmine9]

@JdorexoxoDanser I think I heard Grade 1 Vaganova students start at like 10-11 years old.

[joemiller99]

THIS IS DISGUSTING, all of these girls are going to have fake hips by the time they are 20. They crank sooooooooooooo much :(

[sf2006nl]

starving children in africa look better fed.

[SLYCoopaEatsChicken]

looks like they're all rolling like hell

[SoulMan381]

@SLYCoopaEatsChicken they are, their knees are not over their feet and its not real turn out

[SLYCoopaEatsChicken]

@SoulMan381 fuck, then why does everybody think they're such beautiful dancers?

[xxdramalover1xx]

wow

they look so thin :O

scary thin for that age

[sailormoon114]

i would probably be placed any where from the third to fourth grade if i went to vagonva

[MissInesM]

what beautiful dancers !!!!

[sailormoon114]

@MissInesM What position is ur fav/least fav ? I cannot stand fourth positon , however i belive im quiet fond of second positon

[huixue]

thanks for the music suggestions! I will try them out.

[georgeou]

It's a combination of nurture and nature. I don't think these are random little girls off the street. But you can have the best nature in the world and still have bad technique even if you don't have the right nurture, and it's clear these girls have been trained very well.

[dancingsprinkles2]

thsoe are some INSANE 4th and 5th positions they got going on. go them!

[ballerinagirl111]

how old are they?

[k8te1990]

@ballerinagirl111 they look 11 or 12 arnt they a bit to old to be in this grade

[ballerinagirl111]

@k8te1990 I don't know much about vagonava, (im ceccetti trained) but they look too GOOD to be in grade one of any method!

[k8te1990]

@ballerinagirl111 i am ceccetti trained as well what grade are you in

[ballerinagirl111]

@k8te1990 i'm not 100 percent sure if my dance school goes by official levels but there i'm grade 6

[sweetpoison94]

they lookin like dolls. its scary

[astghikaguero]

No one usually does. I've been dancing for 10 years and we never practice it at the barre.

[EsaMylly]

I can do better. :)

Go in KUNGLIGA SVENSKA BALETTSKOLAN STOCKHOLM. I dance there every day. :)

[MajorBunHead]

@EsaMylly calm yourself down

[fishyfish4444]

This music is slow, but is too stodgy. Yes, beginners need slow. Try Laura Hausmann's cds that are not so stodgy.

[vivimr]

How old?

[xjackybx]

how old are they?!

[kiroar]

I can't believe there is so much crap said, they are hurting their knees and ankles. in a plie your knee and foot should in the same direction. This is not at all inspirational. I'm pretty old scholl but this is just so wrong for those chlids.

[huixue]

I think if this was hurting these dancers as you say none of them would make it to the 3rd level, much less be admitted to the Kirov. I think it is important to remember that these children were selected from thousands for the potential of their bodies to do just this.

[Melbell411]

Ugh! I want my turnout to be that good! lol

[SLYCoopaEatsChicken]

@Melbell411 you want to be rolling all the time?

their knees aren't even over their toes.... you want that?

[BethelBreaksNecksx]

beautiful school. these girls are a big inspiration on me and dance.

[huixue]

I wish I could find ballet class music similar to what they use here. Everything I find is so jazzy...not at all what you need to develop the right dynamics. Any suggestions?

[danzter57]

roudnev

[huixue]

I have some of Roudnev's cds, but still, they are a bit fast for the lower levels.

[danzter57]

have you tried the best of ballet for ballet class?, i had to slower some of the tracks, but most of them are fine.

[familiafernandez98]

Yes! Mr John White teaches the Vaganova methad at his school in PA. His wife and their accompinist have put together some CDs:

Whitefether Productions, available on itunes. They are fabulous, especiallly for beginning students....slow tempos and long cuts

[huixue]

@familiafernandez98

thanks I will try these!

[fishyfish4444]

@huixue

Hi,

I know. Most CDs for ballet class are either too fast, or too jazzy, or if they are slow, they are dull. Try Laura Hausmann's. They are a good collection. If you do not want jazzy, get one from the collection that is all classics. I hoped we helped you.

[MsBeautifly3]

all 180 degee turnout :S

[gingerelanor]

It does look so extreme on some of them, doesn't it? Surely it can't be good for their knees at such a young age?

[OsipovaFan20]

they have natural turn-out so it´s fine, if they don´t turn out, they won´t develop the muscles

[sailormoon114]

@OsipovaFan20 yes but also i have been taught that , that much of a turn out can really hurt you techquine later on in your dance training so yu also want to be careful . but ill admit theyre turn out is to kill for

[SLYCoopaEatsChicken]

@OsipovaFan20 their turnout may be natural but it's not the big

you can tell that they DONT have 180 degree turnout

[OsipovaFan20]

i´d be intrested to know in how far they are in their 1st year? like are theyalmost done or somewhere in the middle? Or maybe just started at the school =O that would be impossible i think?..

[GawkyBallerina]

I think most of the videos you see on here are classes towards the end of the year. At the very beggining of their first year, they're mostly at the barre, using two hands, and they don't start pointe right away.

[balletzenaida]

why aren't they using pink tights? and why do they have great turn? of their legs?! ;_;

[cooky212]

when dancers are younger it is bettter that they wear socks so that the teacher can see the leg muscles working so that they learn good turnout and don't hurt themselves.

[balletzenaida]

Oh really, I have always used tighs xDDD

[cooky212]

where do you live? i always used tight too and i'm american i think it might a more european thing.

[balletzenaida]

maybe, I live in Mexico :P

[alinutza24]

I used to be a dancer in romanian ballet,it was hard I have to say,Our teacher left to teach in Paris and I stopped,to bad ,I wish i would have continued..

[jaduhon14]

this is really good i have been a dancer for 12 years now no lie!!!!!

[mauiballerina]

AMAZING!!!!! thats all I can say! ive been taking vaganova for 3 years and im like at their level!!!

[ZefforinaBallerina]

they would b about 7

one of my old teachers lubov nickonerinco or somehting like that used to teach at the school

she was amazing

she was a soloist for the kirov for 6 years

[Ppendu]

I heard they start at 10 at the Vaganova Academy.

[pointeoflife]

They start at nine or ten.

[ilydance4546]

They all are so stiff they need to relax

[ipawdluv]

Mmm, ballet is stiff, especially in Vaganova hun.

[tatschum]

They are stiff because they are in the first grade where they first learn control of their body. In later grades they will develop fluidity when they gradually learn how to coordinate arm and head movement with leg movement.

[Lilyluvhorses007]

yup- in time dancers learn fluidity of movement especially when they become more confident with the steps.

[maggs1994]

how old are these girls?

[Lilyluvhorses007]

10-11, the same age as 5th grade in united states schools

[anelacadillo]

who was teacher of this class?