YOU dance performances for
Family Day

Celebrate Family Day on Monday February 20 by exploring movement together with some of The National Ballet of Canada’s artists. A movement workshop for the entire family is followed by an interactive performance by The National Ballet of Canada’s Apprentices. All events are free but you need to register.

Register Now >

Free Workshop for Teachers 

Also this month, school teachers can explore new ways to present the Ontario Dance Curriculum in a free workshop on Sunday February 26 taught by YOU dance Artist Educator Annemarie Cabri. To register email acabri@national.ballet.ca.

Date: Sunday, February 26, 2012 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (lunch is provided)
Location: The National Ballet of Canada, 470 Queens Quay West (Queens Quay, just west of Spadina), Toronto

YOU Learn

Larissa Khotchenkova and James Applewhite are dancers with YOU dance. 

Here they talk about learning how to work together in a Pas de Deux.

Watch  video >

Learn More About Larissa Khotchenkova >

Learn More About James Applewhite >

YOU Ask

Student and teachers can send questions to any of our YOU dance performers to youdance@national.ballet.ca. Your question may be featured in one of our upcoming newsletters.

A student at Lady of Assumption Catholic School asked:

What do you eat for breakfast before your rehearsal day begins? 

The answer: The dancers both male and female have a healthy breakfast including yoghurt and fruit, smoothies, protein shakes, jam and toast, muffins, and oatmeal.  Even if rushing out the door they make sure to fuel up as they know their body will expend a lot of energy in their work day.

 

YOU Move

The ballet term pas de deux means a dance for two people. When dancers dance together in a pas de deux there are opportunities for exciting partner work using turns and lifts. Learning to work together as partners takes a lot of practice to look effortless on stage.

Along with balance, core control and strength, partnering requires close cooperation and learning to move with another person.  Here is a fun activity for your students. Let your class pick a partner by standing elbow to elbow.  Now partners slowly turn to face each other and connect by straightening their arms and leaning in to each other with arms extended making a sharp bridge. This will require core strength to balance. By giving an equal amount of pressure to each other, partners must sense without using words when to decide to push away, and up, to break apart. Float and skip, or run and slide, to a new partner and start the process again by standing elbow to elbow. This weight sharing and focused exercise is all part of learning to dance in pas de deux work.

YOU Explore

Let’s explore an early dance that included partnering. Ballet started in the courts of King Louis XIV where customs and attire played a role in how dancers moved – or didn’t move –  and also how close one would or could get to each other. Research the story of the Galliard, both a musical term and a popular court dance.  This dance had a lift that really took dance partnering to a new level. See what you discover!

For more information about YOU dance workshops and performances please call YOU dance Artist Educator/Administrator Annemarie Cabri at 416 345 9686 x377 or acabri@national.ballet.ca.

YOU dance is supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The Apprentice Programme is supported by RBC Foundation. 

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The National Ballet of Canada
470 Queens Quay West
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 3K4
416 (1 866) 345 9595