Getting to know ballet basics and theatre etiquette. Presented for members of the Men of Color Alliance (MOCA) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in the spring of 2020. This presentation covers ballet basics and explores the stigma of men and masculinity in ballet. This presentation was given before a viewing of "Sleeping Beauty" from Russian National Ballet.

1. Contoso
S u i t e s
BALLET PREVIEW
UNLV - MOCA
1

2. Contoso
S u i t e s
WELCOME!
Overview
History of Ballet
Ballet Basics
Multicultural Focus
Ballet and Masculinity
What To Expect Attending a Ballet Performance
People of Color and Ballet
Ballet in Southern Nevada
Cinderella Preview
Discussion

3. Contoso
S u i t e s
HISTORY OF
BALLET
Ballet Basics
“An artistic dance form performed
to music using precise and highly
formalized set steps and gestures.
Classical ballet, which originated
in Renaissance Italy and
established its present form
during the 19th century, is
characterized by light, graceful,
fluid movements and the use of
pointe shoes.”

4. Contoso
S u i t e s
BALLET BASICS
Basic Moves
• Plie', plier. to bend.
• Releve', relever. to rise.
• Tendu, etendre. to stretch.
• Glissade, glisser. to glide.
• Saute', sauter. to jump.
• Elance', elancer. to dart.
• Tourne', tourner. to turn.
Advanced Moves
• Grand jete
• Pirouette
• Fouettés
Commons Dances
• Corps de Ballet (extras)
• Pas de Duex (man/woman
gender binary)
Emphasis on core strength,
balance, feet placement,
acting/reacting and musical
interpretation.
Ballerina=Female Dancer
w/leading role
Ballerino=Male Dancer w/leading
role
Danseur=Male Dancer
Danseuse=Female Dancer

5. Contoso
S u i t e s
SEATING PLACEMENT
● Always sit (in the audience)
where you can see the
dancers’ feet.
○ It is very off-putting not
being able to see the
positioning of the dancers’
feet
● The front row isn’t always the
best.
● You want to be more in the
middle or in the premium
seating if you can find afford it.

6. Contoso
S u i t e s
WHAT TO EXPECT AT A BALLET
Theatre Etiquette
Intermission
Costuming Staging
Backdrops,
live orchestra
No dialogue
(speaking)
Sometimes clapping
Sometimes laughter
(usually from antagonists
“the bad guy” or “evil
people.”)

7. Contoso
S u i t e s
-SPANISH DANCE
-FRENCH DANCE
-CHINESE DANCE
-ARABIAN DANCE
ETC.
MULTICULTURAL FOCUS

8. Contoso
S u i t e s
MEN IN TIGHTS

9. Contoso
S u i t e s
BATTLE OF THE
BULGE
● We are socialized
to “fear” the
penis

10. Contoso
S u i t e s
WHY TIGHTS?
 Function
 Muscle/Line
 Appreciation of human
form (sex appeal)

11. Contoso
S u i t e s
MEN IN TIGHTS
● Men in tights is OK when men
are being…
● Athletic
● Competitive
● Aggressive
*all traits associated with being
manly
11
● Men in tights is NOT OK when men
are being…
● Expressive
● Graceful
● Artistic
● Not in competition
*all traits associated with being more
feminine

12. Contoso
S u i t e s
BALLET AND MASCULINITY
https://youtu.be/yDx4gIWUIbo
https://youtu.be/uWX8J8O-6js

13. Contoso
S u i t e s
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THINGS GO WRONG?
Magic of Live Theatre
Performance “Gremlins”
• 2018: MOCA @ Ballet Folklorico (dancer fell, wardrobe
malfunction/zipper, broken mic)
• 2019: MOCA @ Taj Express (wardrobe malfunction/zipper)
• 2020: MOCA @ Cinderella (dancer fell)
• Each performance is unique
• Mistakes add a different
element to the performance
• Dancers especially risk injury

14. Contoso
S u i t e s
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND
BALLET
• Misty Copeland
• First African-American promoted to principal
dancer of American Ballet Theatre (2015)
• Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre
• Feature primarily black & brown dancers AND
dancers who do not fit the classical body type
for [Russian] ballet.

15. Contoso
S u i t e s
IN SOUTHERN
NEVADA
• UNLV Dance
• Nevada Ballet Theatre
(NBT)
• Las Vegas Ballet Company
(LVBC)

16. Contoso
S u i t e s
GET READY FOR CINDERELLA
RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/FGVFZBJ77SQ?T=2550
HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/FGVFZBJ77SQ?T=2925
> Est. 1989 in Moscow
“Each company tours as a smaller group,
because one of our goals is to reach audiences
in smaller places, not just large cities. We wish
to give people the opportunity to experience
classical Russian ballet, one of Russia’s great
cultural heritages as passed down to us
through the ages.”

17. Contoso
S u i t e s
QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, REACTIONS?
Thank you!