I’m Getting My Bachelor of Arts in Dance Education

Well, ain’t that somethin’.

How a homeschooled girl with no college experience, no ACT or SAT test results, got into an accredited program through the Royal Academy of Dance with the University of Bath, that’s where I say, “Only God.”

My entry to their program was written via essay, so I thought it might be fun to share my essay with you. I was asked to write a review on Robert Glasstone’s Article called Technique, Virtuoso, or Gymnastic Stunts? I was asked questions about his main point, what I thought was worth exploring, and more.

So, without further ado, please enjoy my review and my BADE (Bachelor of Arts Dance Education) Essay Entry.

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Mr. Glasstone’s article, all based on Peter Martins comments and opinions on the performance of the legendary Margot Fonteyn, was thought provoking. I found it to be extremely fascinating in nature and very relatable to my experience as a student, professional dancer, and teacher. The title itself raised a number of questions, and as I read the article, I realized that his main argument was that technical skill must be partnered with artistry and personality of character: you cannot have one without the other and call it “dance.”

Technique is pure mechanics of movement, the science of physics and anatomy creating a number of shapes and flowing choreography that we call art. Well executed technique, in a magnificent jump or a triple pirouette, can be compared to that of what can be found in gymnastics, which is strength and incredible technical skill. But without artistry, without feeling, without depth of character, the steps are merely physical exercise. 

One of the points in Glasstone’s article that I found very interesting was Peter Martins’ comment on evolution, and how her dancing did not follow the lines of evolving technique. While Mr. Glasstone seemed to feel that the evolution of ballet was not relevant to the technique or artistry of Margot Fonteyn, I thought it was still a point worth exploring. 

As ballet masters and dancers began to push the boundaries of technique, the “tricks,” as the modern world calls them (multiple pirouettes, soaring jumps, etc.), seemed to take a front seat and currently, is more valued than artistry and feeling by young dancers. The value of artistic expression seems to disappear due to the cannibalization of technical skill. 

It’s disappointing that in the modern dance world, it seems as if students would much rather rely on the stunts and tricks ballet has to offer, than exploring the depth of their artistry. Perhaps this is because few people are willing to take a hard look inside themselves to find the artistry, the story within themselves and be vulnerable enough to express it. It saddens me to see such incredible teachers (in technique & artistry) begin to give up on their careers because dancers only want to be able to walk away doing seven consecutive turns; therefore, missing the entire point of the nature of dance.

I witnessed my favorite ballet master lose his love for teaching ballet because of the lack of respect for the artform by young students. If one does not have respect for the history and culture of a certain entity, can it truly evolve while keeping the foundation? In order for ballet to evolve in current society, we must maintain the balance between the exploration of technique and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. The two must be married in order to truly evolve as a complete art form. 

As a student, I have witnessed the frustrations of teachers who are unable to leave the “ballet that used to be,” and I have witnessed the joy of teachers who are bringing a new generation of dancers into a ballet that evolves with the times. Ballet was once for royalty, but now, while ballet is so accessible to people around the globe, the positions of companies remain the same. For instance, the moment I knew that ballet needed to evolve, was when I recognized that this artform, which I loved with every part of my soul, was requiring me to sacrifice my physical health, my mental health, my emotional health, and required a breaking of spirit, so to speak,  to take place. Even thereafter, when I joined a company it only seemed to get worse, when the artistic staff did not care about the well being of their dancers, including myself. 

My beloved ballet master later decided to retire because he felt that he was no longer valued in the ballet community, and though he wanted to see ballet become something greater, he felt that his opinion was no longer respected by the next generation. It broke my heart, to realize that there is, now, such a big disconnect between teacher and student and respect for the art form itself. This was when I realized that what I truly desired, was to see ballet evolve, not just by the amount of pirouettes my students did, not by how high they could jump, but by how healthy they could remain from young adolescence to adulthood, and balance it with flawless technique, breathtaking artistry, and joy.

In conclusion, I do agree with Mr. Glasstone’s argument: that technique without artistry is just a bunch of gymnastic stunts, and that the excitement is dead without expression of the soul. I believe that in some ways, the ballet world has evolved, both for positive and for the negative. Just because Peter Martin’s comments on how “terrible. Absolutely awful.”; Margot Fonteyn’s performance was, doesn’t mean he was the supreme authority. I know people personally who did see Ms. Fonteyn perform, and they would say it was nothing short of flawless in technical skill and artistry. Even Mr. Glasstone stated so in this article. Specifically, how does the evolution of ballet affect the modern dance world? 

 I find the topic of balletic evolution fascinating, because this is a very modern-day conversation in the dance community in the United States, as well as globally, through the power of social media. Everyone has their own idea of how ballet should be, how it should evolve, whether or not the art form should be brought into the modern world or left behind in history. But who would be the one to give the final say on which is the right way or wrong way? After all, isn’t it a matter of interpretation? But I do wonder, what did Mr. Martins envision ballet evolving into?