When in Russia, relevé!

     I am very proud to say that I have completed my first week of classes! It was a bit challenging but gave me a much needed distraction from the chaos of the world. Last week I took five ballet classes that focused on the Russian or Vaganova technique. I decided to take the same class for four days and a random class on the fifth day. I wanted to imitate what a set ballet class could feel like so that I could see the benefits of having the same exercises for a few days. Then I wanted to use the fifth day as a test to see if I incorporated the trademarks of the Vaganova technique.
    The Mariinsky Ballet has a very rich history that dates back to 1738 when the official dance academy, the Imperial Theatre School, was founded. The official ballet company was established in 1740. What stands out about the Mariinsky Ballet is that it has changed it's name to mirror the changing political climate of Russia. I won't even begin try to begin to explain all that but this ballet company is evidence of the beautiful resilience and pride of the Russian people. Founded as the Imperial Russian Ballet, it was home to many famous traveling ballet dancers of Europe, then after the Russian Revolution the name was changed to the Soviet Ballet. In 1934 it was renamed the Kirov Ballet after Sergey Kirov where the name remained for many years after that. Finally, the Mariinsky Ballet is it's current title. Despite the many name changes, what has remained unchanging is the beautiful development of many technically strong and talented dancers that have been featured in companies throughout the world.  
     The technique of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet has both elements of the French and Italian methods. However, what makes it different from other methods is that it's syllabus is built around the idea of the Grand Pas de Deux from the ballets of Marius Petipa. The syllabus and curriculum of the school requires that the students work on the elements needed in a grand pas de deux, which they showcase in their graduation year performance. A major trademark of this technique is it's use of the entire body to  express.  This is what makes it so robust and challenging. The Vaganova technique is known for it's balanced gorgeous lines, athleticism, calisthenics and exqusite épaulement. 
     The class that I repeated four times was taught by Nikita Shcheglov, who is a ballet master and former first soloist of the company. It was approximately 50 minutes long and was mostly barre with a few simple center exercises. Russian exercises are known for their length and choreographic quality, but this class was made for professional dancers who have to dance in ill equipped spaces. It was still an amazing and difficult class however. His class had all the elements of a Russian ballet class. There was a very strong use of épaulement(head and shouldering!) in all the exercises. Where the use of the shoulders and head stood out the most was at the beginning and ending of each exercise. This is something I would like to add to my curriculum to develop the habit of starting an finishing  ballet enchainement/variations. This is a major element in all Petipa choreography as well. Shcheglov also changed the direction of the body both at barre and at center. I felt like this helped accentuate and sculpt the line of the body from the audience's perspective. Using effacé, ecarté  and croisé at the barre helps shape the lines of the entire body. The hardest part of Vagaova technique is the use of relevé. Relevé is used as a foundation to strengthen all the muscles of the legs and feet. The use of  relevé and pas de bourée helps develope beautiful foot articulation and balance. All of these elements were higlighted beautifully in Shcheglov's class. Repeating his class four times was beneficial and enlightening.  I wrote a few thoughts about the challenges and discoveries of each day. 

Day 1 Monday June 8, 2020-My first day was really rough! It has been so long since I took a true Russian class! I took a ballet class earlier today(11 am) but I still struggled with this class. I had difficulty with coordinating my épaulement with the change of the direction of the body at the barre. The center adagio was a bit rocky as well because I  didn't build a strong foundation of my standing leg at the barre. I was also too focused on remembering the combinations. I  had trouble with the Shcheglov's use of pas de bourée. I'm sure tomorrow will be more productive.

Day 2 Tuesday May 9, 2020- Today I decided to do a Pilates warm up before class, since I did not have class this morning. I have been doing Winsor Pilates for almost 11 years and it has been my secret weapon for strength training and alignment( Rest in Power Mari Winsor!). I noticed that class flowed a little better today. Whenever I do Pilates before a ballet class my balance is better and I feel more elongated and sinewy. Today I did better because I remembered the combinations and I just focused on my épaulement. I really did not do alot of body direction changes at the barre, only in the center. My fifth position croisé looked prettier in the center today.  I also did 300 calf raises before class and that helped with all the relevé/foot articulations at the barre. The calf raises also warmed me up for the small jumps in the center. Yesterday my feet felt floppy during jumps.

Day 3 Wednesday 10, 2020- I did Winsor Pilates again today. I also had class this morning so I felt really aligned and pulled up. However, today when I took my set class I avoided the last jump combination. I have lost a great deal of stamina dancing on floors that are not sprung for the past few months. I have recently been doing simple medium sized sissonnes for strength and stamina. I got the idea from ABT principal dancer Isabella Boylston, she posted a video on Instagram of her doing sissonnes in sneakers because she said she felt like her muscles had atrophied due to the lack of allegro center work. In the ABT National Training Curriculum, allegro plays a key role in muscular development, bone growth and stamina. Without consistent allegro work in ballet class one may experience easy fatigue during variations. Today I really felt that! I was completely out of steam once we got to the last soubresaut combination and I usually do very well with this step. It was a humbling experience that showed me the importance of allegro work in class. Yet another thing I realized I took for granted.

Day 4 Thursday June 11, 2020- No Pilates today. I am really depressed and feel out of shape so I decided to just do the barre portion of my set class. I had class at 11 am today as well. Today I focused on my coordination since I had memorized the class. The barre went beautifully. I used my sadness in my épaulement and in the adagio. The Russians are known for their amazingly expressive musicality. They have beautiful aplomb! They also use the port de bras in a lyrical way that brings tears to my eyes! I really felt that today. With all the craziness in the world, I used that as a tool to use all the music. I always imagine that I am dancing somewhere beautiful and open, far way from my stuffy living room.

​Day 5 Saturday June 13, 2020- Yesterday was a much needed rest day. I just did Pilates, some research and rested. It is so hard to stay focused on school. I did not do class until 2 am! (I am very nocturnal). It felt like I was the only one awake in the world, it was very calming. Instead of Shcheglov's class I decided to do another class from a current Mariinsky dancer. Maria Khoreva is a gorgeous new ballet star who has really shined and adjusted during this pandemic. She has been posting amazing classes that focus on variations, Pilates, cardio and other important aspects of ballet. I took her cardio barre, which was a Vaganova based barre without a break in between switching sides! The combinations were simple yet I was drenched in sweat because I had no time to rest. This was a really good class and excellent for warming up the entire body. This is a barre I would teach to students to build stamina. I am really tired after my first week of classes( grad school is so intense!) so this was a good way to "seal in" everything I learned. I was able to keep up in this class because of the four day set class I had taken with Nikita Shcheglov. Khoreva's class had many of the same elements Shcheglov's classes had, so this is why I was able to focus on my form and strength. Her combinations were also super simple so I did not have to focus too on my artistry. I will take this barre in the future since I have not been able to go to the gym for my cardio workouts. Today my épaulement was more natural(not perfect though!) and my feet felt more articulate and hand like. My entire body feels exhausted but stronger after this week. 

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     In conclusion this was a great start to my research. I have decided to take classes starting on Wednesdays. This gives me time to rest and post my diaries from the previous week. It was very hard ,but now that I know what to expect, my blog should begin developing a flow. What I love most about Russian ballet technique is how it uses elements from Petipa ballets as a tool for teaching technique. I feel we should be teaching students combinations, exercises and enchainements based on famous ballets to prepare them for future company repertoire. We should not just focus on Petipa ballets but also other famous choreographers like Balanchine, Forsythe, Wheeldon, Nureyev, Tharp, Béjart etc. Not necessarily the exact choreography, but combinations based off aspects of certain ballets. This would be very beneficial(and fun) for the students because it would prepare them company life. It would also make them a more well rounded and artistically chameleonic. The next series of classes I will be taking and researching will be Tamara Rojo's classes with English National Ballet!🤎