CDC Apprentice Requirements

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Pointe Work Guidelines

Celebration Company Requirements for Apprentice Level

Apprentice Company Class Curriculum

Teachers will focus on the following skills during Apprentice Ballet classes:
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Barre
1. Correct hand placement on barre.
2. Correct foot placement with no rolling in.
3. Musicality: Dancers move in rythym with the music.
4. Correct knee alignment: Knees in line with the toes in demi and grand plies.
5. Head placement with arms.
6. Finish each combination with arms in low first position with head turned away from barre.
Tendu
1. Use of full extension in the foot by stretching through the metatarsal to the toes, back through the metatarsal and closing the tendu.
2. Pressing feet into the floor with the heel forward and toes back.
3. For tendus in second position, the legs should extend and close in a straight line to the side without any circular motion.
Degage
1. Straight legs and lifted knees, especially when leg is extended and held at 45 degrees.
2. Full extension of foot by rolling through to pointe, lifting off the floor, and roll down to flat with straight knees.
Rond de jambe
Ronde de jambe en l'air at 45 degrees.
Frappe
1. Double frappes.
2. Battement releves at 45 and 90 degrees; battement outside leg and releve on standing leg at the same time.
STRETCH
Passe
Developpe
Fondu
Fondu to releve at 45 degrees, lower in tondu, and close.
Grand Battement
1. Face barre for first half of year.
2. Place one hand on barre for second half of year.
STRETCH
Balance
Sous-sous and detourne to other side, balance in sous-sous.

Center Combinations
Tendu
1. Begin to teach correct head placement.
2. Begin to teach tendu arabesque.
Degage
1. Degage to side with glissade.
2. Use port de bras
Work on spotting for turns
Work on Pas de bourree
Pique to Passe Exercise
1. At the barre
2. Straight legs, lifted knees.
3. Connecting the passe to the knee and sliding it down the back of the leg to pique again.
4. Correct upper body placement with arms and posture.
Balancés
Petit Allegro
1. Start with slow plies with emphasis upon correct body alignment and stretching/jumping with straight legs, lifted knees and pointed toes.
2. Begin to teach glissade, jeté, then temps leve in all positions.
3. Plie, temp leve, land in plie and check for correct body alignment.
4. Changema
5. Echappe
6. Assemblé
7. Jeté
Grande Allegro
1. Simple sissone.
2. Saute arabesque, saute passe.
3. Pas de chat.
4. Chasse with high jumps and pointed feet.

In order to move up to Company A, the Apprentice dancer must demonstrate:

An understanding of proper posture and body placement
1. Plie with lifted stomach and elongated spine.
2. Port de bras with elbows lifted and arms in line with the bottom of the rib cage.
3. Cambre by stretching up and out of the hips in all directions (front, back and side).
4. Tendu with heel forward and toes back.
5. Ronde de jambe with straight legs and lifted knees, especially through first position.
6. Frappe with straight knees.
7. Developpe with correct hip placement: hips down and placed in line with shoulders.

Knowledge of accents in movements (i.e., tendu with accent out).

Ability to balance in passe on flat feet with correct posture and straight legs, lifted knees.

Port de bra in these positions: 1st and 2nd arabesque, and 1st through 5th positions.

Proper placement in center
1. During petit allegro, stomach should be lifted and spine elongated.
2. Close in 5th position in petit allegro.

Ability to pique, passe on a flat foot with a straight leg and lifted knee, while maintaining proper posture.

Musicality by matching movements to cues in the music.

Knowledge of pointed feet and turnout.

Maintain excellent attendance record for class and rehearsals while in Apprentice Company.