Annotated Bibliography
Lydon, Kate. "Syllabus Strategies." Dance Teacher magazine. N.p., 1 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 May
2014. <http://www.dance-teacher.com/2012/08/syllabus-strategies/>.
Miscellaneous. This article reviews the issue of having a syllabus very clearly. At Patel
Conservatory in Florida, Peter Stark has worked to create a useful and unique curriculum for the
school. Stark has an impressive professional dance background, and faculty members with
similar and different artistic roots. Each age group has a different approach, and Stark is
constantly working to mold the program based on the ever evolving dance world.
I found this article incredibly useful and relevant. It covers all the main points regarding
the difficulties and rewards from having a curriculum based system within the school. Stark is
interviewed and discusses issues between faculty members, and even acknowledges that he gets
involved in the arguments over technique and styles. However, he emphasizes embracing those
differences between teachers and discovering how each background can provide positive training
aspects.
Stark emphasizes how important it is to have a curriculum in the school to foster success
in students. Without it, he says, successful students will appear here and there, but it will never
be consistent. Additionally, the team effort of teachers is incredibly important to a successful
program. However, the article is short and does not provide detailed information on the syllabus
and implementation.
Kirk, Fiona. "Progress Report." Dance Teacher magazine. N.p., 11 Dec. 2009. Web. 23 Apr.
2014. <http://www.dance-teacher.com/2009/12/progress-report/>.
Miscellaneous. This article covers the issue of teacher evaluations. It discusses the
benefits of assessing faculty members twice a year and how to go about the difficult and possibly
uncomfortable process. It serves as a how-to article, and provides examples from studio owners
who have implemented these strategies.
I found this article useful regarding the faculty management. The issue of implementing
a curriculum revolves greatly around managing the staff. I think this article provides insight into
how to approach the problem. Through the teacher evaluations, an honest discussion arises,
which leads into effective solutions and a greater respect between director and staff. Even if
teacher evaluations are not utilized, the structure of conversation and discussion is useful
regardless. One example of easing the tension of the meeting is to use a mutual evaluation form
to help springboard conversation and to see if the director and teacher are on the same page. The
goal is to be approachable and even keeled. The article is not directly pertaining to the subject
matter, and again is short. However, there are studios and directors listed, who could possibly be
contacted for further advice and insight.
Young, Deb. "Insight Into ABT's National Training Curriculum." . N.p., 1 Sept. 2010.
Web. 15 May 2014. <http://www.danceadvantage.net/abt-teacher-training/>.
Miscellaneous. This article functions more like a blog entry than formal article. It
discusses one teacher’s experience with the ABT Training Curriculum Certification. It begins
with her introduction to the curriculum, and then her experience in the training itself. She went a
step further with the certification, and worked to have her school become an affiliate of the ABT
National Training Curriculum, involving classroom exams for ABT examiners, often directors
from the company. Her experience was a positive one, and demonstrates the intense level of
work that goes into this kind of teacher training.
I found this article relevant because it provides an example of how a general curriculum
like that of ABT’s changed a studio owner/teacher’s life. It also provides insight into a day in
the certification training, which helps to understand the fundamentals of an ever growing ballet
curriculum. ABT’s National Training Curriculum is increasing in popularity with every year, as
teachers seek to find a unifying educational perspective for their schools. It also mentions that
the training is extremely useful even if you do not become an “affiliate”. The knowledge gained
can be combined with other styles and developed to suit your own student’s needs.
This article does not address organizing a curriculum from scratch in a well established
school. The author has a young school, and therefore only needed to complete training at the
first level (ages 3-10). The school was small and she was looking for direction. It does not offer
the similarities to The Ballet Studio’s structure, but provides an option when discussing a
syllabus and styles.
Kaplowitz, Risa. "A Studio Director's Change of Heart: Why Ballet Exams Work."
The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 8 June 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/risa-gary-kaplowitz/ballet-exams_b_1579507.html>.
Miscellaneous. This article discusses initiating a curriculum in a school that includes
level examinations. This practice is common in top tier company schools, but rare in small
private studios. Many feel it is impossible to train a group of students who have not been
previously auditioned and selected and then test them on their skills. Risa Gary Kaplowitz
discusses how she found a syllabus to be exactly what she needed to give her school an edge.
The article also contains a video from the Vagonova School in Russia, demonstrating the
extreme end of curriculum training. These schools hand pick dancers based on body type and
facility, and train them for years in a very specific training system. Kaplowitz discovers the
ABT Training Curriculum as well, and uses the exams to give her school consistent training and
clarity. She discusses how this curriculum has balanced out the ills many teachers face, such as
musical, stylistic, or technical preferences based on previous training. A clear, classical syllabus
removes those preferences and teaches students clean technique.
I found this article useful because it again discusses how a curriculum can be used in an
advantageous way. This story takes it a step further however, and visits the option of student
examinations. Students must memorize classes and combinations, and perform them flawlessly
to ABT staff members. Kaplowitz found this level of focus a wonderful addition to the class and
gave the students further purpose in their own training. A very interesting perspective on student
involvement.
Though this may not prove relevant for The Ballet Studio, it does provide valuable
insight. However, it is again tailored to the ABT curriculum, and does not go into detail about
implementation. It should also be noted that in this kind of scenario, creativity is diminished
within the classroom and learning material for recital performances may prove difficult and
overwhelming. When establishing a curriculum, these are factors to consider.
Lewis, Kristen. "How-To: Above and Beyond." Dance Teacher magazine. N.p., 13 Dec. 2008.
Web. 25 Apr. 2014. <http://www.dance-teacher.com/2008/12/how-to-above-andbeyond/>.
Miscellaneous. This article reviews how to go beyond the technical syllabus in a dance
studio and address the dancer as a whole. This includes the intellectual side of dance. Options
include: Film series, guest teachers, health days, trivia games, book clubs, stretch and study
parties, stage makeup seminars, choreography workshops, and others. All of these strive to
create dancers who can not only dance but also interact with the dance world. The article serves
as an inspiration piece to spark student interest and involvement with the art form.
I found this article interesting because it is the first to discuss how a dance curriculum
could be stretched to an even more productive size. Understanding the history and culture of
ballet and dance is an incredibly important part in dance training that often gets overlooked. In a
world where students are constantly overwhelmed with information, it is crucial to provide this
type of learning in a creative and social environment. Utilizing the social aspect that the studio
holds for many of the students is a great way to engage them in the curriculum. These kinds of
programs are very appealing to parents as well, who know that their time and money is going
into good use. It is important to remember that we are training dancers to be a part of the artistic
world, whether or not they become professional dancers.
Reference. The following list of books is a small example of the many ballet technique
publications available. These are an excellent way to begin research on a personalized and
unique curriculum, or could be required reading for all faculty members to ensure an
understanding of different styles.
Shorer, Suki. Suki Shorer on Balanchine Technique. New York: Alfred A. Knoff, 1999. Print.
Warren, Gretchen Ward, and Susan Cook. Classical ballet technique. Tampa: University of
South Florida Press, 1989. Print.
Foster, Rory. Ballet pedagogy: the art of teaching. Gainesville: University Press of Florida,
2010. Print.