Vaganova Choreographic Academy, St Petersburg

THE RUSSIAN (VAGANOVA) METHOD

"Natural talents are great, but they don't appear often enough to fill our theatres with good dancers. There has to be a method..."                              

- Gabriela Darvish on the Russian Method.

Bolshoi Ballet Academy, National Ballet School of Canada, Hamburg Ballet Academy, Vaganova Academy of Washington D.C.,  Cuban National Ballet School and professional ballet schools in Australia all use the Russian Training Method.

One important feature of the Russian method is the progressive manner in which material is introduced. This allows for the slow and steady development of the dancer, encouraging a true understanding of basic principles and a solid basis for advanced work. In this method, new work is introduced regularly so that young dancers exercise their minds as well as their bodies, developing the skills of adaptability and memory, essential for every dancer.

Early training focuses on epaulement, or the stylized turning of the shoulders and body, which instills in the dancer an intuitive anticipation of how best to use every part of his or her body to evoke breathtaking results, right down to the hands and eyes. The Russian Method's codified technical approach thus emphasises the simultaneous development of both technical proficiency and individual artistry, and a complete range of movemental expression that comes out of proper placement and a strong classical dance foundation.

Miss Reilly has a background not only in the Russian method, but also in its pedagogy. This is the result of years of study both abroad and in Australia.

LEVELS OF THE RUSSIAN BALLET SYLLABUS

The Russian Ballet Syllabus was designed to train dancers to a professional standard in classical ballet. Traditionally, children attend lessons 6 days per week from the age of 10 years, progressing through the 8 levels of the Russian syllabus by age 18. At age 18, a vocationally-oriented dancer usually graduates from school and commences a performance career with a ballet company. In order to preserve the integrity of the Russian levels, at MSCD we have divided the early years of study into two parts. Each part will take at least one year, with children attending 2-3 lessons per week.

For those that have studied other syllabi: It should be noted that the demands of the Russian levels are considerably greater the demands of the same level in other syllabi and that it is difficult to make comparisons. As a guide, please see the table below. Please note that ages listed are a minimum and do not necessarily reflect the average age of the class. Each child needs to work at the best level for them, and some children will be considerably older than the listed age, or spend more than one year in the same level.

The Russian Ballet Syllabus is comprehensively described in the book School of Classical Dance by A. Pisarev & V. Kostrovitskaya.

GUIDE TO LEVELS