Ballet for dummies

Foolish Assumptions

Ballet Dancing from the Top

Curtain Up! Welcome to the Ballet

Ballet for Life

In the Beginning

Watching Great Choreography for Inspiration

Gathering Your Ballet Materials

Staying Healthy and Avoiding Injury

Getting Started: It's Easier Than You Think

Why Being a Ballet Novice Helps You Enjoy Ballet

Stocking the Tools of the Trade

Finding the Right Practice Space

Practicing on a Ballet-Friendly Floor (or the Next-Best Thing)

The Barre Essentials

Dressed to Dance

Choosing Ballet Slippers

Keeping Your Hair in Its Place

More Ballet Paraphernalia

Getting Toasty: Warming Up Your Body

Getting Grounded: Floor Stretches

Strengthening the Stabilizers

More Strengthening: Floor Barre

Leaping into Ballet Basics

Finding the Correct Ballet Stance

Walking Like a Duck: Proper Leg Alignment

Practicing the Positions of the Feet and Arms

The Graceful Ballet Hand

Music, Maestro!

Finding Musical Options for Each Exercise

Counting It Out

Belly Up to the Barre

Basic Barre-Tending

Standing at the Barre: Starting Position

Small Knee Bends: Demi-Plies

Adding Bends

The Port de Bras

Rises to the Balls of the Feet (Releves)

Big Knee Bends (Grands Plies)

Extending the Legs (Battements Tendus)

Drawing Circles on the Floor (Rond de Jambe a Terre)

Practicing Your One-Legged Balance (Retire and Releve)

Stepping It Up at the Barre

Melting into a One-Leg Knee Bend (Fondu)

The Pas de Cheval (Horse Step)

Striking the Floor with Your Foot (Battement Tendu Frappe)

Getting a Leg Up

Extending Your Leg Slowly into the Air (Grand Battement Developpe)

Kicking Your Leg Up, Controlling It Down (Grands Battements)

A Combination for Developpes and Grands Battements

Stretching Out Your Legs on the Barre

Focusing on Releves

Center Floor, Anyone?

Getting to Center Floor

Mapping Out the Room

Positioning Your Body in Battement Tendu

Lifting Your Leg Slowly (Developpe

Adagio)

Lifting Your Leg Behind (Arabesque)

Lifting Your Leg Behind with a Bent Knee (Attitude)

An Adagio Combination

Ballet's Tasmanian Devil: The Pirouette

It's All in the Spot

The Pre-Pirouette: Turning on Two Legs

Turning on One Leg

Traveling Turns

Whipping It Up: The Famous Fouette

Linking It Together: The Steps Between the Steps

Galloping in the Air (Chasse)

Gliding between Steps (Glissade)

Doing the Three-Step

Getting from One Place to Another

Faking It Gracefully (Coupe)

Ground Control to Ballet Dancer

Small Jumps on Two Legs (Petit Allegro)

Small Jumps on One Leg (More Petit Allegro)

Brushing Your Feet into a Jump

Traveling Jumps

Getting More Air Time

Doing the Impossible: Stationary Jumps

Jumping Across the Floor (Grand Allegro)

The Reverent Stretch and Bow (Reverance)

Living the Ballet Life

Partners Aren't Just for Square Dancing

Partnering 101: Finding Her Balance

Promenading

What Did You Have for Dinner Last Night? Lifting Safely

Don't Try This at Home! Lifts to Look for in Performance

Exploring Choreography

Classical Ballet Constants

Applying the Steps to the Great Choreography

Dancing with a Modern Flair

Basic Guidelines of Choreography

Getting Inspired by Others

What the Heck Are They Saying? The Art of Ballet Mime

Telling a Story with Gestures

Understanding the Basic Principles of Ballet Mime

Mastering the Most Common Gestures

Famous Examples of Ballet Mime

Watching Ballet in Action

Getting Ready

Arriving Early

Can I Wear a Codpiece to Romeo and Juliet?

A Pre-Ballet Food-Lover's Manual

Knowing Where to Sit

and Getting the Best Ticket Deals

Who to Bring, Who to Leave at Home with the Hamsters

Ballets to Attend

or Avoid

on a Date

Understanding What You Are Watching

Life in the Wings

Unstrung Heroes

The Ballet Orchestra

Basking in the Afterglow

The Part of