home<celebration dance company<requirements & auditions<Company B
Apprentice<A<B<C<D
Pointe Work Guidelines

Celebration Company Requirements for Company B

Company B Ballet Curriculum
Continue to improve skills learned in Company A level.
Improve musicality: Dancers must move in rhythm with the music.
Dancers are placed in Company B level for a minimum of two years.

Teachers will focus on the following skills during Company B ballet classes
Don't know French? Click here for our Ballet Dictionary.

Barre
• Continuing all previous barre work
• Introduce: Grand rond de jambe jete, fondu with tombe, grand battement- balancoire with pique.

Center
• Continue tendu and degage exercises and add pirouettes.

Adagio
• Add grand rond de jambe.
• Show good use of epaulment and control.
• Add balance entournant and pas de basque.

Allegro
Introduce:
• Royale.
• Echappe to one leg (ending in coupe).
• Echappe battu.
• Entrechat-quatre.
• Ballonne.
• Changema entournant.
• Saute basque.
• Contreremps.

Pointe
Teachers insist that feet are presented and extend out
• Pointe work should be a minimum of three times a week.
• Releves in all positions and on one leg.
• Echappe.
• Sous-sus.
• Detourne.
• Releve passe.
• Assemble soutenu.
• Bourree.
• Jete fondu.
• Pique to sous-sus.
• Passe.
• Arabesque: Teacher insists that feet present and extend out into the pique with a straight leg, then hit position.
• Pas de bourree: with lifted knees.

In order to move up to Company C, the Company B dancer must demonstrate:

1. Proper posture and alignment at all times
• Shoulders down, ribs in.
• Hips down and aligned.
• Knees straight and lifted.
• Supporting side lifted.
• Weight forward in the ball of the foot.
2. Extension of no less than 90 degrees.
3. Ability to hold leg at 90 degrees in all directions with proper posture, turnout, and pointed feet.
4. Ability to balance in sur le cou de pied and passe en releve for a given amount of time without the use of the barre.
5. Demonstrate excellent musicality during barre exercises.
6. Demonstrate excellent balance in center during adagio with the leg no less than 90 degrees.
7. Pointed feet at all times: NO EXCEPTIONS.
8. Beginning to show good use and understanding of epaulment.
9. Ability to maintain correct upper body positions during petit allegro.
10. Ability to maintain control upon landing petit allegro and grand allegro.
11. Show improvement in petit allegro with battu.
12. Demonstrate excellent suspension in the air during petit allegro.
13. Demonstrate very high and very stretched jumps during grand allegro.
14. Clean double pirouette on demi pointe.
15. Clean and controlled single pirouette on pointe.
16. Smooth transitions through movements.
17. Straight knees when going onto pointe. Bent knees are unacceptable and may cause the dancer to be taken off pointe after an evaluation and conference.
18. Demonstrate excellent posture while performing pique to any given position: present pointed foot, reach and extend leg and foot, pique onto a straight leg and hit arabesque position.
19. Have an excellent attendance record for class and rehearsals during previous year.
20. Maintain positive attitude in each class during previous year.
21. Demonstrated excellent work ethic and enthusiasm during previous year.

Photography by Mandy Neeley, PHWD Company D dancers