The Joffrey Ballet School's Ballet-Fit

The Joffrey Ballet School's Ballet-Fit

The world-renowned Joffrey Ballet School makes the art and joy of ballet available to everyone. Let Dena Simone Moss and Allison Kyle Leopold teach you everything you need to know to get in shape, beautifully sculpt your body, and truly appreciate the art of ballet. They'll let you in on all their secrets, including: -A demystifying explanation of ballet terms and positions -Tips on finding the right instructor and studio-and feeling comfortable once you're there -Hints on ballet attire-including finding, choosing, and tying pointe shoes -An exhaustive directory of where to find ballet publications, audio and videotapes, books, dance wear, schools, and studios. Perfect for the beginner and the veteran balletomane, The Joffrey Ballet School's Ballet-Fit offers an inside glimpse into the mysterious and beautiful world of ballet. Ballet-Fit is for the adult beginner ballet student, "whether 17 or 70." The authors admit the atmosphere in most ballet studios can be a bit intimidating, but say it needn't be. We concede that if you hang around your local ballet school or dance studio, at first glance, it probably will seem to be filled with long-legged, lean-limbed adolescents, with tight little hair buns, stern little faces, and rumpled leg warmers around their ankles. But ... chances are the 23-year-old stretching on the floor isn't a budding ballerina but a law student who finds beginning ballet a relaxing break from her books. As for the thirty-something woman at the barre, very likely she's a new mother who's thrilled with the stronger, firmer, more flexible body she has developed since she began classes. A combination of confidence-boosting ballet instruction and fitness facts, with plenty of photographs (although all in black and white), Ballet-Fit offers a multitude of tips for beginners. You'll learn what to wear to class, the best way to break in a new pair of pointe shoes, and how to prevent injuries. And you'll even learn the proper pronunciation of the French dance terms, from arabesque to temps de flèche . For folks who don't live near a ballet studio or dancewear store, there's a helpful directory of magazines, catalogs, videos, audiotapes, and Web sites. Ballerinas, as dancer Allegra Kent put it, "have the strongest, most beautiful, and very probably the most envied bodies in the world." With Ballet-Fit and some dedication, you can work your way toward becoming a toned, flexible balletomane , too. --Erica Jorgensen Ballet dancers are different from you and me. They start taking class in childhood and continue throughout their professional careers and often into retirement. They devote years to study, rehearsal, and practice. This book is for the rest of us. The authors, a Joffrey Ballet School instructor and a magazine editor who is a ballet student, have designed it for those "not heading for a performing career but...pursuing ballet with the...goals of fitness, relaxation, and pleasure in mind." Aimed at the adult beginner, it provides sensible advice and clear explanations of what to expect in and from a ballet class. The language of ballet is translated into lay terms and the movements are described in words and photographs. There is a step-by-step outline of a home ballet workout, a discussion of pointe work, and a chapter of frequently asked adult ballet questions. A "Ballet Fitness Source Directory" highlights publications, audiovisual materials, dancewear and footwear suppliers, schools receptive to adult students, and more. Highly recommended for all public libraries.?Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Dena Simone Moss is an attorney and teacher at the Joffrey Ballet School. Allison Kyle Leopold is a magazine editor and ballet student. Both live in New York City. JOFFREY SCHOOLS BK OF BALLET P 1 F rom Barbells to Ballet Slippers: If you're considering a ballet class, read this first    BALLET FITNESS IS TOTAL FITNESS--body and mind--not just for your teens but for a lifetime. Overwhelmingly, as our needs and expectations from fitness have evolved, adult beginners are flocking to ballet class not just for their bodies, but for their heads. And, overwhelmingly, the ballet-fitness world is embracing adults of all ages and abilities.The increasing number of ballet and ballet-based fitness classes represents one of the biggest shifts on the workout scene in years. Five years ago, ballet was a word you probably didn't hear often--except perhaps in elite circles. Now it seems that half the world has given up aerobics for some form of ballet-based dance.We're not surprised by this melding of ballet and exercise, as a longer, more lithe, more fluid and feminine look--a dancer's look--has edged aside the bulkier, more muscle-bound body ideals of the last decade (fitness trends do run in cycles). It's a look that's not achievedby heavy-duty weight training (which tends to build bulky muscles) or high-impact aerobics (all those injuries)