Ballet 101 - A Beginner's Class

I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my 3 granddaughters, ages 5,6,7. They are taking beginning/level 1 dance classes. They love their classes so I have been looking for dance class type DVD's to supplement their classes. I printed out the excellent ballet terms list from the website listed on the DVD cover. The DVD is recommended for ages 7-adult (I would say 5-adult, depending on the child). I previewed this entire DVD. After watching many DVD's (from the library) on dance for children, I feel this truly stands out. The video production is quite good (there are a couple places where it momentarily cuts off the feet, but it is not really a problem). The teacher speaks slowly enough and reinforces her instructions with visual presentations using two young dancers to model the positions. There is a lot of info presented but dancers are encouraged to take their time and learn a few steps at a time. There is a warm-up on the floor, at the barre and centre (French terms). The instructor, Jennifer Nunes, explains how and why each warm-up activity is done. As the class proceeds, she carefully explains, using two young dancers to demonstrate the different moves. She takes her time describing the position of different parts of the body in the various moves which I found quite helpful. Towards the end, she presents a simple combination of steps describing them as they are performed. There is soft piano music in the background. This is filmed in a professional studio, it appears. This is what I have been looking for. I like the fact that they have more DVD's of progressing difficulty also. I highly recommend this!

This is exactly what i wanted, having never attended a ballet class in my life.I bought this dvd having read around the Amazon reviews, to find what people were recommending for people who were complete beginners. I started with it today, and I was very pleased. It is a perfect bare bones beginners ballet class.I recommend it for complete beginners and people who, or their kid, want to take ballet for a test drive. Those who did ballet in the misty past would also benefit.As you are engaging the muscles in your legs for most of the class, I found it a pretty good workout as well.Technique is all in Ballet. After working with this DVD for a bit, I plan to arrange a private lesson with a Ballet teacher, just to help me ensure what to aim for with respect to turn out, legs and hips, posture and alignment etc. I need to do this as a complete neophyte. For anyone who has done ballet in the past, this may not be necessary.

I should begin by stating that if you want to develop really good ballet technique, it's really important to find a good ballet school (professional ballet companies often have schools attached which offer excellent instruction). That said, not everyone lives within striking distance of such a school, and even those who do might want a little guidance for practice at home. Ms. Nunes' sound introductory DVD offers a good starting point for these students and for those who seek step-by-step explanations of basiv ballet technique.Ms. Nunes devotes a good portion of the video to explaining the first foundations of ballet technique: at the barre, the five positions of the feet and first three positions of the arms, plie, releve, tendu, degage, arabesque, passe, and grand battement; at centre, all five positions of the arms (port des bras), first arabesque, bouree, balance in passe, glissade, and pas de chat.Between the barre and centre segments, she includes a brief guided stretch.Different teachers might introduce different steps at centre in a beginning class, but Ms. Nunes' selection fits well within the range that one might encounter. Her explanations of glissade and pas de chat, in particular, are excellent.Following the first few steps at centre, Ms. Nunes offers a brief introduction to petit allegro including small jumps in first, second, and fifth position (without changement). She closes with a very accessible and rather lovely bit of choreography (it's always nice to finish a class feeling like you're actually dancing!) and a brief reverence with a little explanation of what reverence is.Her teaching approach emphasizes the elements of good technique -- good placement, keeping the shoulders and hips square, turning out from the hip, building turnout and flexibility slowly without forcing them, and so forth. Her demonstrations are clean and easy to follow, and she gives simple combinations that should not be difficult even for very new students to remember. Epaulement is only briefly mentioned and the use of the head is not covered, but those are often not introduced until students have been studying ballet for a while.At around 45 minutes in length, "Ballet 101 - A Beginner's Class" comes in slightly shorter than your average introductory class at a good ballet studio. However, for brand new students -- especially those who aren't already physically active -- that might not be too bad.Production values are very basic, but the no-frills approach allows viewers to focus on technique. The steady camera work also mostly prevents movements from becoming "lost" on screen (occasionally, a toe or a hand makes its way out of frame). This makes following along fairly user-friendly.That said, an index that would allow users of the video to easily return specific segments for review would have been a nice touch. It seems like the DVD might have been ported from VHS tape, as at one point Ms. Nunes suggests that viewers pause the video for review prior to moving on to choreography.No video can substitute for the guidance and corrections offered by a qualified teacher in person. However, as a support to classes or an introduction for would-be students who don't have access to a ballet studio, Ms. Nunes' "Ballet 101" is a good start.

I was a competitive figure skater a decade ago but balance and flexibility are the only skills that remain. I want to apply to a ballet school but this requires basic knowledge so before auditioning I want to be able to follow along with this dvd series perfectly. I am fond of the classic music selection and lovely instructor! (I already ordered the other 3 plus "Ballet for Beginners with David Howard" for additional confidence.

I am taking a once a week class and am a rank beginner. It's week three and I want more help. This video is exactly what I needed! The moves are clear, the lanquage is too. It's so close to the stuff I'm learning in my adults beginner class I feel like I'm taking class more than once a week. I can focus on my technique and at my own pace too!