Hours of dedication and pointy, pinchy shoes leads to the perception that ballet is a highly specialized form of dance, but Dance 1 students are using it to build a foundation of general skills as they work toward their first choreographed performance of the year.

“In our ballet unit, we start by learning about ballet history,” teacher Sydney Mooty said. “[That’s stuff like] when it started, how it evolved, and where it is now. We then learn our ballet vocabulary and start to learn [some] dance moves. As we progress, the ballet skills are used in dances and combinations at the bar and across the floor. We end our unit with them performing a ballet dance for their teacher and classmates to show what they learned.” 

For freshman Harshika Ahlawat, the structure of the unit is helpful because it gives her time to learn important information about ballet through history and vocabulary before getting into the actual dancing. 

“I didn’t know much about ballet before we started except for the basics, but now I’m being introduced to a lot of new vocabulary and terms that help me understand the different steps,” Ahlawat said. 

Students are slowly easing into the process of learning ballet choreography and there is lots of  room for improvement, but the learning process is always rewarding. 

“I love how even though my friends and I can’t fully achieve a pirouette yet, we always keep trying,” freshman Shradhdha Vivek said. 

And according to head dance teacher Nicole Nothe, when students finally achieve success, it’s all the more satisfying to them. 

“I love watching my dance 1 classes learn how to do a pirouette and seeing their faces light up when they turn for the first time,” Nothe said. “It is so awesome to watch!”