Ballet Books, Dvd's, CD's for Character Dance

[Guest Ruth Z]

Hello Fellow Teachers:

 

I am looking for instructional dvd's and class music for character dance. I have searched and searched the internet and have found just about nothing so far. I do have two character class music cd's - one by Josu Gallestegui (I like it very much) and one by a college professor, Richard Wacko.

 

I do have the RAD children's syllabus character materials, but feel I need more. I've been asked to begin a character dance class for children ages 7-10 at the conservatory where I teach and I want to do a good job for the children.

 

Suggestions anyone?

 

Thank you,

 

Ruth Z

[vrsfanatic]

Hopefully someone will be able to provide you with great material as character class for ballet students is wonderful for their development.

[Victoria Leigh]

Ruth, I have a wonderful CD of Character Dance music. It is just titled CharacterDance. The pianist is Ramona Pansegrau, and the teacher Peter Pawlyshyn. I have had it for a number of years, and no clue where I got it, but it is just full of great stuff, which I use for pointe classes sometimes. It has barre work and center work, using Mazurka, Czardas, Polka, Spanish, Moldavian, Hornpipe, Russian traditional studies, etc. Long CD, with great variety of good things!

[Guest Ruth Z]

Hi Victoria:

Thanks so much for this information! I would LOVE to get my hands on this cd. Do you happen to know the record company that released this cd?

 

I do love character dance for children (many of my adult students love character as well!) because it is something that, while challenging, is a little more "forgiving" than formal ballet training and also a very pleasant change from our regular syllabus studies. I find it's an excellent way to get students to really listen and interpret the music.

 

Thanks again, Victoria and everyone. I'm having a great time exploring this site.

 

Ruth Z

[diane]

I also have not found many good character CDs, though I do have one of the ones listed above. (Josu Gallestegui )

 

What I do sometimes is to just take excerpts from ballets - Coppelia and Swan Lake come immediately to mind, ... there are of course many.

It does make for much work, putting them all together, and the tempi are not always constant (a real challenge for beginners!) but it is better than nothing.

 

-d-

[cantdance]

www.dancingflix.com has "Character Dance Class with Yelena Sherstnieva (Vaganova Ballet Academy)" for rental. They sometimes have extra copies for sale. Contact them at

Linda & Lois

www.DancingFlix.com

www.FlicketyFit.com

406.493.6778

I have requested many dvds from them and their rental service is great. I rented this dvd. It contains character steps at the bar and center with some partner combinations done by the students.

[Guest Ruth Z]

Wow - Thanks to Diane and Cantdance! I didn't even know www.dancingflix existed. I will certainly visit that site.

 

And the suggestion about reviewing the character dance in story ballets like Coppelia and Swan Lake is a very good idea also.

 

Have a great day,

 

Ruth Z

Edited September 1, 2008 by Ruth Z

[redthang]

Janet Springer, at Classical Dance Alliance, has published a new CD for character dance. You can contact her at

http://www.classicaldancealliance.org/Join/index.html

[Clara 76]

Welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers, redthang!!!!

 

As a Music Director of a college, I'm sure you will find our Higher-Education threads of interest. Do you study ballet as well?

[swanchat]

There is a review by Toni Bentley in this weekend's Book Review section of the New York Times about "Ballet's Magic Kingdom" by Akim Volynsky. She says " This is a fantastic book." It is about dance in Russia. I will be sending one to dd for her birthday! Of course, through Amazon on Ballet Alert!

[Guest Azelzion]

Hello Fellow Teachers:

 

I am looking for instructional dvd's and class music for character dance. I have searched and searched the internet and have found just about nothing so far. I do have two character class music cd's - one by Josu Gallestegui (I like it very much) and one by a college professor, Richard Wacko.

 

I do have the RAD children's syllabus character materials, but feel I need more. I've been asked to begin a character dance class for children ages 7-10 at the conservatory where I teach and I want to do a good job for the children.

 

Suggestions anyone?

 

Thank you,

 

Ruth Z

 

Hi, I have been a character dancer and teacher of character dance for many years. My ideal and mentor has always been the great igor Moiseyev. Check on the Moiseyev lists of Videos. Maybe on DVD now. The first one has a complete character barre and class material, though it is done on stage as a performance. When I invited Moiseyev to give a guest class for my dancers two years ago (actually Moiseyev had just died at age 101, but the new director of the Moiseyev company, Elena Scherbakova, gave a class with two of the Moiseyev dancer (boy and girl) that demonstrated. It was this very same class that I had on video so I was surprised she did not allow me to videotape the class when it was already on the commercial video.

This may be too advanced for your students of 7-10 but you can simplify the exercises and steps. Boys always love it.

The RAD syllabus for character is good for starters, but sort of bland and academic.

I would be happy to give you more advice, if you want.