Level III Class Description
PNBS Student Division Class Descriptions
LEVEL III
Level III increases ballet vocabulary, body strength, and overall flexibility. We continue to increase barre exercises done with one hand, and more complicated center work, joining together more than one step. We also introduce head and arm positions that students must be able to coordinate with lower body movements.
Classes per week
- 3 technique classes (1.5 hr. each)
- 1 pre pointe class (45 min)
Technical Expectations
- Demonstrates core stability and proper alignment.
- Begins to have control of rotators throughout the barre and in center work.
- Able to hold rotators in small jumps and petite allegro.
- Able to accurately demonstrate a tendu in all directions.
Benchmark Steps and Positions for Level III
- Learn and execute connecting steps like Glissade and Tombé pas de bourree
- Combine three small jump steps in the center
- Proficient Passé position
- Knows 1st, 2nd and 3rd Arabesque positions
- Proper 45-60 degree extension of leg in the air
- Single pirouette Endehors from 5th at the barre and in center.
- Balancé turns
- Sauté arabesque
Pre Pointe
Students will learn basic pointe vocabulary getting them familiar with the steps and the positions.
Students are asked to work with a Theraband and to be responsible to bring it to class with them every week. These are used to strengthen and stretch the muscles necessary for achieving proper alignment on pointe.
Strengthen releves on one and two legs
It is possible that a student’s foot structure may not achieve the stability or flexibility to have a safe transition to pointe work and we will advise against it.
It is sometimes necessary to have a student in Level III spend a second year to develop enough strength for pointe work.
Behavior
We try our best to create a supportive, safe and positive experience for our students. We do, however, hold our students to high expectations. Our expectations are that a student is focused, well behaved, and follow the rules in and out of the classroom. We encourage them to be good citizens in the studio, kind to each other, and respectful to the teacher and pianist.
Journal
Journal writing is introduced and the student is expected to write down their corrections, new vocabulary words, and follow any assignments the teacher gives.
Ballet Terminology: Level III
Rotators refer to the muscles of the hip that create Turnout.
Turnout is the rotation of the leg at the hips which causes the feet to turn outward, away from the front of the body. This rotation allows for greater extension of the leg, especially when raising it to the side and rear. Turnout is an essential part of the classical ballet technique
Turnout is one of the most difficult things to master in ballet, because turning out is a very unnatural thing to do for most people. The dancer is taught not to only turn the feet out, but to turn the entire leg out from the hip joint.
Tendu means “tight or stretched.” A tendu is one of the fundamental movements in ballet where the working leg is extended along the floor until only the tip of the toe remains touching the floor. It can be performed to the front, side or back and usually begins in 1st or 5th position.
“All directions” refers to movement to the front, side, and back; also known as “En croix.”
Glissade is a classical ballet term meaning “glide.” It is a traveling, usually small, jump that is usually used to link other steps together. It can be considered an in-between step.
Tombé means “fallen” (from tomber meaning “to fall”). The dancer’s weight “falls” toward the working leg and lands in a plié. Tombé is often used as a traveling movement. The dancer extends a leg in any direction, executes the tombé, and moves toward the working leg. It is often seen in the combination: tombé, pas de bourrée.
Pas de bourrée is a classical ballet term meaning “beating steps.” A Pas de bourrée has many forms that mostly relate to the direction the dancer is moving or if the legs are bending or staying straight. It gets its defintion because a dancer doing a pas de bourrée will have his or her legs coming together for a moment before opening again.
Passé is a movement in ballet in which one leg passes (hence the name) the standing leg, sliding close to the knee. The leg ends up in a bent position, with the foot positioned right above the standing leg’s kneecap, making a triangle shape.
Arabesque is a body position in which a dancer stands on one leg–the supporting leg–with the other leg–the working leg- turned out and extended behind the body, with both legs held straight.
First Arabesque: the dancer in arabesque has the arm that is on the same side as the supporting leg extended out in front of their body, with the other arm extended side or towards the diagonal back.
Second Arabesque: the dancer has the arm on the same side as the back leg extended out in front of their body, with the arm on the side of the supporting leg to the side or diagonal back.
Extension refers to the ability of the dancer to raise his/her extended leg in the air, and have the strength and control to hold it there.
En dehors is a classical ballet term meaning “outward.” En dehors is added to other steps and terms to describe which way a step should be moving.
Balancé is a rocking step where a dancer moves while alternating balance between their feet. It is a three-step combination, and the rhythm is typically in three counts like a waltz. It has the motion of going “down, up, down” with the legs.
Sauté is a classical ballet term that can be used alone or with another term to mean the step is performed while jumping. When used alone, it simply means “jump.”
More Information:
Additional Ballet Terms and Definitions can be found online via the following link: