Youth Ballet Class versus Reperatory Class versus Variations

[TheCheckWriter]

Our ballet school has a class called reperatory, where the dancers learn choreography from different ballets. I'm wondering how this "rep" class is different from a youth ballet class, where students seem to do the same? How is it different from a variations class? Does one perform only with a youth ballet group or do rep groups do this as well? Does it depend on the school? Are they all basically the same thing but with different names? Also, do schools that teach classical ballet generally refrain from having their rep students perform? One school in our area has their youth ballet performing throughout the year, not in a competition dance team sort of way, but in a much more sophisticated fashion (think art museum venues), but another local school refuses to let their rep students do any performances because they are a "classical" ballet school. I am completely confused. Can someone clarify?

[gcwhitewater]

Repertory class is learning a group choreographic piece. The piece is usually from one of the classics but can also be from a contemporary piece. Variations class would be learning a solo piece. I am not sure what you refer to as a "youth ballet class". For me a ballet class, or lesson, is where the student learns proper execution of physical vocabulary and refines their "tools" which would not include learning a specific piece of choreography. Variations and/or repertory class is where they use those "tools" to learn a piece of choreography. Rep class specifically is an opportunity to learn how to be an effective member within a corps. I feel variations and rep are an important part of the education of a dancer both physically and historically.

[TheCheckWriter]

Thank you for explaining the difference between variations and rep. Core versus solo makes sense. The youth ballet in our area sounds more like a combination of rep and variations as they learn and then perform their core and solo pieces a few times a year. Is it true that for most classical schools that performing in this way should be, or is, discouraged? Again, the youth ballet I'm referring to is not anything like the dolly dinkle dance shows that one might imagine when thinking of ballet shows. These are intermediate dancers who have auditioned for youth ballet and now take additional hours and rehearse additional hours in order to take part in these performances. Is there a reason my school believes a classical ballet program should never perform? Our rep class used to perform but that is no longer the case since a change in direction and philosophy.

[backstagemom]

Interesting questions. I'm curious about this as well. DD's studio has variations, but not rep (unless it's in the higher levels and I'm just not aware of it). She is going to audition for Gelsey Kirkland's SI, and I noticed one of their programs is a Reperatory SI.