BALLETTAN on tour (Part 1)

As you might have noticed in the "About Me" section of my blog, I consider myself an aspiring dancer, or at least I'm trying to be. I am currently part of a mini dance company named BALLETTAN and I think it is about time I told you about it.

 Our Central Square BALLETTAN poster

One of my dance instructors, Yiannis Margaronis, is the founder of this company. Undertaking the roles of artistic director, choreographer and ballet master, he has a number of performances in his history since the company was first established in 2004, earning it a good reputation throughout the city of Thessaloniki. Quite a few dancers have passed through the company, this being my second year, but at the moment there are only four of us. Initially, someone would probably ask themselves "how in the world can you have a dance company consisting of only four dancers?", but in my opinion, I think we couldn't be better off.

This year we have been working on a new two-pieced perfomance, the first one named "Looking back, I moved on", the second "In my present I stand alone". The preparation behind these choreographies really helped us grow as dancers and the experience gained could only have a positive effect. The fact that there aren't many of us may have its difficulties, mostly limiting choreografic options, but on the other hand, I think that we have an advantage that other companies in Thessaloniki aren't fortunate enough to have. Our strong point is the bond between us, not only as dancers, but as friends. The fact that we can communicate well in such an environment and help each-other without the slightest hint of jealousy or competitiveness, takes our relationship beyond the typical dancer-to-dancer relationship.

BALLETTAN: Me, Fenia, George and Mika

Last week, April 21st, we presented this new production for the first time to a new audience in Orestiada. It was the first time I was travelling to another city for a performance, and the nerves were coming down hard, because it's harder to impress an audience that is watching you for the first time and doesn't know you personally; in Thessaloniki performances, all your friends and family come to see you, and only few of them will point out weak points. Everyone else will just comment on how lovely you looked and how they were blown away by the music.

When we first arrived in Orestiada, a car came to pick us up and take us to our hotel. It was only a five minute walk, but they insisted on driving us. That's something I definitely won't forget; how hospitable and accommodating everybody was. They treated us as if we were top-notch principle dancers, always with a smile on their face, ready to satisfy our every wish. It was strange being treated like that. It didn't feel normal. But I was glad to see that at least some people in the Greek Arts field can be real professionals.

Fenia & George mucking around on stage

Later that day, after we had eaten lunch and taken a nap at the hotel, the four of us went to find Yianni at the theatre for our rehearsal. We had been informed in advance that the stage floor was wooden, so we had rosin with us, just in case it was slippery. Unfortunately, once we stood on the stage and started examining the friction with different ballet steps and turns, we knew we had a problem. Even after rubbing rosin on the soles of our shoes and socks, some parts of the stage still remained slippery. There wasn't really anything we could do about it though, and that's when the tension started to rise.

We started our warm-up lesson, and then continued with a placing walk-through of the choreography, just to get used to the new dimensions. We later changed into our costumes and prepared for the dress rehearsal. While I was in the wings, waiting for the music to start, I could feel my legs trembling and found it hard to stand still. I ignored the feeling, knowing it would all disappear once I was on stage. But when I stepped out, it was still there. I finished my first appearance, it still hadn't budged.

I couldn't put my finger on what was bothering me during that dress rehearsal. But I could see that the others were having the same problem as me. "This is a disaster", was all I could think of, seeing myself and my dance-mates making mistake after mistake, after mistake. The floor was slippery, the lights were too bright, the music sounded different, our energy was lousy. As the dress rehearsal came to a close, I was left with a rotten feeling, thinking that tomorrow's performance would be, if not like today's uncoordinated rehearsal, then worse.

Pointe shoes 101

As last week we covered the history of the point shoe, this week's post is going to be about the most important parts of the point shoe and what they are for.


The first thing to understand is that every dancer's foot is unique, meaning that toe length, arch flexibility and strength varies from one pair of feet to another. For that reason, pointe shoe manufacturers make more than one model of pointe shoe, with each one offering a different fit, as well as custom made shoes. However, regardless of the shoe manufacturer or model, each pointe shoe has two important structural features that enables dancers to rise on to the tips of their toes: a box and a shank.


Box
When we talk about the box, we're referring to the hard enclosure at the front part of the shoe that encases and supports the dancers feet. The front part of the box is flattened, forming a platform and enables the dancer to balance. Satin covers the exterior of the box (as well as the whole pointe shoe) for an aesthetically pleasing look. However, some dancers take the satin that covers the platform off, to make the shoe less slippery.


Shank
The shank is a rigid piece of material that is placed on the inside of the shoe and supports the arch of the foot when on pointe. It is usually made from leather, plastic or layers of glued-hardened burlap. The flexibility of the shank is determined by its thickness and type of materials used. Standard pointe shoes usually have a full shank, where the shank covers the full length of the shoe, or a fractional shank (covering half or 3/4 of the foot). Pointe shoe manufacturers offer a variety of shank materials, making them stiffer or more flexible, depending on the model of pointe shoe.


Other than the box and shank, there are a few other essential parts that define the modern day pointe shoe.


Sole
The sole is constructed from a single piece of leather that is attached to the shoe and reinforced by stitching along the edges. The sole overlaps and secures the fabric of the shoe's satin exterior fabric. Depending on the shoe model and manufacturer, some pointe shoes have soles with a scraped surface, enhancing traction, whereas others offer smoother soles to reduce traction.


Ribbons and elastic band

With every new pair of pointe shoes, the dancer receives two ribbons and elastics. These are to secure the best fitting of the shoe. Most of the securing is done by the ribbons. The two ribbons wrap around the dancer's ankle in opposite directions, overlapping one another so as to form a cross at the front. They are then tied into a double knot that is tucked under the ribbon on the inside of the ankle to hide it from view. The elastic keeps the heel of the shoe in place against the foot when the dancer is on pointe.
The locations where the ribbons and elastic should be sewn is critical, as incorrect placing can result in a poorly fitting shoe. As every dancer has different feet, there is no completely correct place to sew them, but they should be placed where they offer the most support and comfort to the dancer's feet. After purchasing a new pair of pointe shoes, the dancer must determine the appropriate locations for the ribbons and elastic bands and then sew them onto the shoes.

Gaynor Minden Pointe Shoes

Of course, dancers must break in their new pointe shoes to make them softer and more flexible in some places, to make dancing on pointe a little easier and more comfortable. There is a wide range of methods for breaking in pointe shoes, including bending the shank with your hands to make it more flexible, watering the box and then wearing the pointe shoe so it can take the shape of the dancer's foot, striking the box with a blunt object and many more. Generally, it is known for dancers to nearly "destroy" their new shoes to make them wearable.

Bloch TMT Pointe Shoes

Of course, all this, along with the amount of time and strength a dancer consumes dancing on pointe, causes the pointe shoes to become weary and not very long-lasting. Dance students will usually get three to four months out of their shoes, whereas a professional may go through up to thirty pairs a month.


 For the past few years, however, pointe manufacturers such as Bloch and Gaynor Minden have been researching on how to make pointe shoes longer-lasting and more comfortable without requiring breaking in. Gaynor has been experimenting with new materials, such as plastic and foam, while Bloch's new TMT technology, allows the dancer to mold the pointe shoe to the shape of their foot by heating it up and then placing it in the fridge to cool and stiffen.




Source: Wikipedia
Photos: Wikipedia

What are Pointe Shoes?

The first thing somebody notices when watching a ballerina dance is how on earth she can stand on the tips of her toes and dance around effortlessly. Let me explain how this is possible. This is the work of the Pointe Shoe, the specially designed ballet shoe that female ballet dancers wear when performing pointework.

Today's pointe shoes

Initially, pointe shoes were developed to make ballerinas appear weightless and sylph-like on stage and have evolved throughout the years to their current form, enabling dancers to stand en pointe for a long period of time and perform difficult steps. They are usually worn by female dancers, although men may wear them when performing unorthodox roles, such as The Ugly Stepsisters in Cinderella, or men performing as women in dance companies like the Les Ballets Trockadero. They are normally produced in pale pink shades, although they may also be found in a wide variety of colours.

Maria Taglioni in La Sylphide

The first dancers to rise up on their toes did so with the help of the "Flying Machine", invented by Charles Didelot in 1795. This invention lifted dancers upward, enabling them to stand on their toes before leaving the ground. The audience took to this delicate and elegant quality, making choreographers and teachers seek other methods to help dancers rise onto the tips of their toes.


As dance processed into the 19th century, the emphasis on technical skill increased, as did the desire to dance on pointe without the help of wires. The first ballet dancer to dance en pointe was Maria Taglioni in La Sylphide. When she performed this role, her shoes were nothing more than modified slippers; the soles were made of leather and the sides and toes were darned to help the shoes keep their shape. Additionally, as the shoes of this period were not supportive, dancers would pad their toes with cotton for comfort and rely on their foot and ankle strength for support.

Anna Pavlova

The next different form of pointe shoe appeared in Italy in the late 19th century. Instead of wearing the narrow, sharp-toed shoe of the earlier models, dancers preferred shoes with a flat, sturdy platform at the front end of the shoe. This model also contained a box -made of layers of fabric- for supporting the toes and a stiffer, stronger sole. They were manufactured without nails and the soles were only stiffened at the toes, making them almost silent.


The beginning of the modern pointe shoe is often attributed to the early 20th century Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, one of the most prominent and significant dancers of her century. Pavlova had particularly high, arched feet, making her prone to injuries when dancing on pointe. They were also tapered and slender, resulting in excessive pressure on her big toes. To help the situation, she would add toughened leather soles into her shoes for extra support and would flatten and harden the toe area to form a box. While this made it easier for her to dance on pointe, her peers considered it as "cheating".

Today's pointe shoes come in different styles, frames and sizes, catering to every dancer's    needs. In a following post I'll write about the essential parts of the modern day pointe shoe, as well as how to find the right pointe shoe for yourself.



Source: Wikipedia
Photos: Google Photo Search

Curtain Call

Have you ever stood on a dance stage? Have you felt that rush that flows through your body as you perform in front of all those people? It's something so powerful it pulls you into a whole different world.

The stage to me has always been something very intoxicating. No matter what experience you've had, at the beginning of every show, it's always intimidating and scary. While you're waiting in the wings, your stomach is tied in a huge knot and you forget all the steps you've memorized in rehearsals for the past 6 months. But once you step onto that stage, something changes. I don't know what it is, the bright lights, the audience in front of you, the music pumping through your veins, everything suddenly feels different. You forget your surroundings and all that's left is you and the magnificence of the stage. It's like a drug. You experience pure bliss while you're dancing and once the performance is over, you drop back down to reality and everything just seems plain and hollow. You need to feel the rush only the stage can provide you with.

Personally, I feel powerful on stage, like I can do anything. I may be an amateur dancer, but when I'm out there, I'm more powerful than any professional. I really believe the stage has this strange force I can't explain. Just walking out on it, even when it's empty sends chills through my spine.


That's one of the reasons I love dance. It is a performing art. Your role is to entertain your audience by becoming someone else through yourself. You become the character you are portraying, and the magnificence of it is that, in reality you might not resemble that character in any way, but you have the oppurtunity to become that person and give a part of yourself to your role.


Someone once said, "On one side there is Drama, on the other there is Music; In the middle there is Dance." This quote could not describe my feelings towards dance any better. Although the art of Music and Drama are fascinating on their own, in my opinion they lack the greatness of Dance. This art form has the ability of combining acting and music with movements of the human body and simultaneously tells a story, without uttering a single word. It is something that cannot be compared with any other performing art. Either it is an all-time classical ballet, such as Giselle, or a new creation of contemporary dance, the message is always passed on to the audience. And each spectator might understand something different about the choreography before him. But in the end, the feeling that is delivered is the same.


That for me is the power of Dance.

Dancer Profile: Polina Semionova

Since this blog is about anything to do with dance, every so often I will be posting a biography of a professional dancer who has made an impact on the global dance community and even the general public. So, as this is the first time I'm covering a dancer's profile, I am going to introduce you to my personal favourite, the lovely Polina Semionova.

Polina, born in Moscow, Russia in 1984, is currently a classical ballet dancer and Principal Artist with the Berlin State Opera. She is considered a prima ballerina, an honorable title that few dancers achieve and is one of the youngest dancers to acquire this particular kind of recognition.

Semionova studied dance at the Bolshoi Ballet School, located in Moscow, a school known for its strict methods and extremely disciplined pupils. She also has a list of top-rated ballet awards in her history; including a gold medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition 2001, First Prize at the Vaganova-Prix Ballet Competition in St Petersburg 2002, and Junior Prize at the Nagoya (Japan) International Ballet Competition 2002.

After graduating in 2002, Polina joined the Ballet Staatsoper Berlin as a principal, where she was invited by artistic director Vladimir Malakhov, becoming the youngest principal dancer in the company's history at the tender age of 18. During her first season, she was given the lead roles in The Nutcracker and La Bayadere, following the role of Tatiana in Onegin.

Since then, she has danced as a guest star with many companies, including the English National Ballet in Swan Lake and as Aurora in the Sleeping Beauty with The California Ballet. She has received impressing reviews and is thought to be one of the most beautiful dancers of our century.

Personally, the reason I think so highly of Polina Semionova, is the fact that she has it all. Most ballet dancers have a strong and weak point, making some roles suit them more than others. But when it comes to this Russian ballerina, I can never find a negative feature. From her amazing feet and extensions, to her graceful arms and powerful expression, she always manages to take my breath away with each performance.

Everyone Can Dance

Dance. A word with a strong and deep meaning, that can be interpreted in many ways. People perceive the meaning of dance differently, depending on their relationship with this form of art. Usually, whenever people think about dance, the first thing that comes to their mind are ballerinas in tutus with outstanding extensions dancing Swan Lake. Although ballet dancing is a very demanding and competitive form of dance, when it comes to dancing for fun, I believe that it's a lot more simple than people actually believe.

What do I mean? I'm trying to say that dance plays a significant role in a human being's life. You might not know it, but you actually dance more than you think. I'm not saying you do eight pirouette turns for fun without realizing it, but you do dance, even when you think you don't. For example, think of a toddler that is just beginning to take his first steps. How many times have you seen babies bending and stretching their knees to the rhythm of the music they happen to be listening to? I'm sure their mothers didn't teach them to do that. Or how about later on in life, when people just like yourself go out to bars or night-clubs. You hear the music playing loudly, you like the melody and before you know it, you're step-touching to the beat. To make my point, I believe that dance can be cultivated and perfected if one chooses to train in dance, but the ability to dance is inherent in humans. We have the rhythm inside of us.

Because of the above opinion, I have decided to make this blog's theme about people and their relationship with dance. As I am an aspiring dancer, with training in classical ballet and contemporary dance, The Dance Scene will be covering topics mostly about classical ballet, with a touch of contemporary and jazz dance themes.

The purpose of this blog is to educate you about dance. In Greece, this stunning form of art is underdeveloped and underestimated, something I find to be very disappointing, considering the fact that our music and drama history is fascinating. Through weekly posts I aim to show you what the performing art of dance is all about. Either it's personal theories or experiences, educational techniques or interviews with people that have studied dance, I hope to interest you and get more of you to understand and enjoy dance  the way I do.

So for the time being, until I come back with a new post, enjoy this video about the meaning of dance.

"To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more potent, more beautiful. This is power, this is glory on earth. And it is yours for the taking." - Agnes De Mille