Ballet with Julie Kent

LENGTH: 70 min. LEVEL: Advanced SPACE: Large

Julie Kent is a careful, measured, and warmly nurturing teacher in this class, featuring three young women from American Ballet Theatre. From pliés at barre to the révérence, the session lasts for 1 hour and 10 minutes, with 45 minutes spent at barre.

Kent builds the sequences to warm up the large-muscle groups all over the body first and to concentrate on exacting footwork and allegro toward the end of barre as well as toward the end of class. The dancers wear soft shoes for the first 53 minutes. Then they switch to pointe shoes, which they work in for the remaining 17 minutes; one center-floor combination emphasizes the use of pointe shoes almost exclusively.

All of the combinations are constructed to give variety and texture. Kent demonstrates everything while also naming the steps (even pre-professional dancers don't always catch it all on one try!). Kent bonds with the dancers as well, especially during a concluding, improvised révérence for the excellent pianist, Robert Boston.

A lovely class that will warm you up, and energize you with knowledge and consideration.

Music: Robert Boston

Dancers: Gisele Bethea, Rachel Richardson, and Remy Young

Category: Ballet