Table of Contents
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