Out of thousands of choreographers and dance educators
throughout history, I have narrowed down my “Top Choreographers/Dance
Educators” to six individuals. In
looking at the Big 6, I notice a common thread between them: disruption. Each was disruptive to the world of
dance in wonderful ways. I admire
those who overcome adversity, follow his/her dreams, work tirelessly, and have
an all-consuming passion for the art of dance.
Today’s top choreographer/dance educator...
Agrippina Vaganova!
Agrippina Vaganova in the
pas de trois from Paquita. Saint Petersburg (circa 1910)
The goddess of ballet technique. Born in 1879, Ms. Vaganova spent her life studying ballet,
ballet performance, and proper ballet technique. Through her studies, she developed the Vaganova Method. The Vaganova Method takes the best
elements of Italian and French ballet, along with her personal Russian
education, and combines them to not
only give the dancer the best technique possible, but also gives them the
strength to prevent much injury creating the ultimate ballet virtuoso.
The Imperial Ballet School became the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet
and some of its graduates include: George Balanchine, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Anna
Pavlova...need I say more?
Although accepted into the Imperial Ballet School, ballet
did not come easily to her. She
worked tirelessly to perfect her technique taking an academic approach to
understanding dance combining how movement looked, felt, how others performed,
anatomy, etc. Her study was a
success and lead to her performing as Prima (leading woman) in the Imperial
Ballet. She retired early to focus
on her teaching.
Why I Love Her
I admire pretty much anyone who overcomes some form of
obstacle/adversity to accomplish his/her dreams, which she did ten times
over. However, Ms. Vaganova, for
me, goes beyond that.
I believe dancers, choreographers, and dance educators
should have an academic understanding of any technique being studied. Going to class and performing is
paramount, but the home study will give anyone that necessary edge that leads
to success. To read a book about the
history of dance, or read about a technique, watch videos, read biographies,
etc. can only deepen one’s understanding and enable dancers to become critical
thinkers, thus better dancers.
Ms. Vaganova was so exact in her academic understanding of
dance that she overcame her lack of natural physical ability.
This book, written by Ms. Vaganova, takes you through her
technique and would help any dancer refine what they know and create a
stronger foundation for his/her dancing. It is fairly short and is complete with illustrations and
“cut-to-the-chase” descriptions.
At times, she will even comment on the laziness of dancers, or the
ugliness of another technique.
Very honest, yet very good.
Needless to say, if you ever take my ballet class, expect
Vaganova!
Stay tuned for the remaining five and let me know who your
favorite choreographers/dance educators are! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment