Geeky Ballerina

Level 2 curriculum preview

ages 9+

 

Key principle is stability

Key vocabulary is alignment

• emphasis on lengthening the spine downwards

 

General guidelines:

• Most barre exercises use one hand on the barre.

• Challenge/build stability by letting go of barre often.

• 5th position.

• Open 4th position.

• All students should be able to maintain correctly placed 60º extension.

• Head coordination is 1/4 turn towards front foot, no tilt.

• Each unit takes one month.

• Ideal class length is 1.25 hours (1 hour 15 minutes).

 

Level 2 Unit 1

 

Barre

demi-plié in open 4th

grand plié in 1st

arm coordination in plié

forward stretches

tendu en croix w/ even timing

dégagé + piqué in same exercise

rond de jambe w/ accent in 2nd position

relevé to retiré(pause in sur le cou-de-pied)—only if hips can remain level

pirouette facing barre in cou-de-pied (retiré if/when hips remain level)

grand battement timing is grand battement battement 1, tendu 2, close 3, hold 4

 

Center

temps lié en arrière

Cecchetti 1st arabesque

balancé refined

piqué pas de bourrée en avant (timing needs to be slow to allow for clarity in footwork)

chassé en arrière

learn difference between grand jeté and saut de chat

party polka (gallop + skip) w/ 1/2 turns

 

Level 2 Unit 2

 

Barre

side stretches

dégagé exercise repeats en rise

petit battement w/ even timing, sur le cou-de-pied (wrapped) to derrière

fondu to tendu

 

Center

continuous relevés, including sous-sus

refine chaînés

refine glissade de côté from 5th

sissone simple (jump from 2 feet and land cou-de-pied devant or derrière)

sauté battu beginning and ending in 2nd position

 

. . .

 

Level 2 Unit 8

 

Barre

dégagé repeats en rise

frappé derrière

 

Center

tombé pas de bourrée en avant (pas de bourrée is w/o piqué to emphasize smooth movement)

waltz turns

sautés w/ full turn en l’air

 

Level 2 Unit 9

 

Barre

no new vocabulary

 

Center

échappé sauté w/ sustain in sous-sus in beginning

sissone de côté landing in tendu

 

Expectations to advance to next level:

• ability to maintain correct pelvis alignment (ASIS and PSIS nearly or completely level) when standing still in 1st, 2nd, and 5th positions

  • can self-correct when verbally cued, if needed

• performs tendu, dégagé, and rond de jambe with correctly engaged knee muscles