Written by Robyn Jutsum

The Nutcracker is a beloved, treasured tradition. The holiday season and December at The Ballet Spot would not be complete without a trip to the Land of Sweets by way of this festive ballet. This year, things are much different, and while we may not be able to perform or attend the ballet in-person, we are nevertheless thrilled to bring this ballet staple to life!

Written by The Ballet Spot’s founder Eliza S. Tollett

Though I define myself as a professional dancer, I have always loved to teach. I have been fascinated by ballet teaching principles for as long as I can remember. As a kid, “play time” in my room, was actually my chance to pretend I was the ballet teacher; and as a college student, I organized extra ballet classes for my classmates in Modern Dance who wanted a little ballet advice. As a professional dancer in NYC, I took open classes from the best teachers not just for ballet training, but also for teaching inspiration.

My first teaching job was with Ballet School of Stamford, where I was fortunate to have the opportunity to teach both children and adults. On Wednesdays, I’d go from rehearsals in the morning with Brooklyn Ballet straight to Grand Central to catch the train to Stamford, CT. In Stamford, I’d teach children for 4 hours and finish my day with an adult Beginner/Intermediate ballet class. You’d think at the end of that day I’d be drained, but after leaving my adult ballet class, I always felt energized, inspired, and happy.

As I taught this Beginner/Intermediate class, added on some adult private lessons, and explored the adult ballet scene in NYC, I became more and more aware of some of the inherent issues associated with adult ballet. First off, there are very few working adults who have time or energy for a traditional 90-minute ballet class. Second, though a leotard and tights was not “required,” I could tell that the pressure to be in a perfect ballerina outfit was just not working for many of my adult students. Additionally, Beginner Ballet is never really beginner ballet – it’s usually far too advanced for a Beginner. But real Beginner Ballet is quite slow-paced, and not much of a workout. Finally, I disliked the way my adult students would judge themselves for not being perfect or not remembering a combination; and when I took other open adult classes, I was disappointed in the overall sense of “judgment” that fills the studio.

So in August 2017, I decided that I could solve these “problems” - I set out on a mission to create a judgment-free, fast-paced ballet class, that was really accessible to and interesting for adults of all levels from absolute beginner to advanced. I wanted anyone to be able to walk in off the street and take my class. This was the beginning of Cardio Ballet. I knew that if I could just get people to try the class, I’d be able to grow The Ballet Spot and turn Cardio Ballet into a phenomenon!

In October of 2017, I officially launched The Ballet Spot. Within a few months, it was growing. For about a year, I taught 3 Cardio Ballet classes every week in a small studio on W 72 nd Street. I still remember the first day a class was booked full – a Saturday in the summer – that was a huge milestone for me.

In October of 2018, Liz Hepp, a friend from college, approached me, saying she loved
what I was doing and wondering if I could train her to teach at The Ballet Spot. Around the same time, Janna Davis came to take class and expressed her interest in teaching as well. The next thing I new, I had two trained instructors, teaching their own classes in this unique style I had developed.

The Ballet Spot was BOOMING! It was so much fun to see adults of all backgrounds and experience levels, from all over NYC joining our classes and having so much fun.

And then in January of 2019, my husband and I decided to relocate to LA. This was a very difficult decision, but probably one of the best decisions I’ve made for The Ballet Spot. I realized that if I were to just stop the NYC classes, there would have been a lot of disappointed people. So instead, I hired three talented instructors, Jennifer Hite, Arzu Salman, and Rachel Schmidt to instruct and manage the NYC location. Together, we grew the business in NYC while I lived and taught my own classes across the country in Santa Monica, California.

Leading up to March of 2020, The Ballet Spot was taking off. We opened a second location in TriBeCa, which was building momentum, and all of our 72nd Street classes were booked full. We had added 3 additional instructors, Mary Kate Hartung, Ali Block, and Robyn Jutsum. But then on March 15, NYC shut down. We launched our first Zoom Live Stream class that same day.

We were one of the first studios to launch virtual classes in response to COVID. All of the instructors depended on income from jobs that were shutting down like dominos, and I did not want to be a part of that financial suffering. So, I guaranteed each instructor the pay they had made prior to COVID shutdown.

Since March, we have increased our virtual class offerings and also increased the opportunities for dancers to work during this crazy period of time: Robyn Jutsum is now also the Marketing Manager, Ali Block is also the Operations Manager, and Deepa Liegel, who joined our team in May, is now also the Class Content Coordinator. The team has continued to grow to include professional dancers from around the country.

Prior to March 15, we had 32 classes a month in our two locations in NYC and 24 classes a month in our Santa Monica location, all primarily Cardio Ballet. Now, we offer more than 100 virtual interactive Live Stream classes, ranging from Cardio Ballet, to Total Body Barre, Stretch, Pilates Mat, Ballet Sculpt and MORE!

It has been crazy and exciting to watch The Ballet Spot grow over the past 8 months and to meet and dance with people who we never would have met before. We now have adult dancers and dance fitness enthusiasts joining us from around the country and around the world – from India, Germany, Ireland, Amsterdam, Canada, and Australia, to name just a few.

This is only the beginning and we are so happy that you are on this ballet journey with us. Let your friends and family know about our classes and help us to grow our virtual ballet-loving worldwide community!

Written by Robyn Jutsum

We’re all about keeping our community strong and positive as we slowly inch nearer to the end of what may feel like the longest year ever. And we truly have so much to look forward to throughout November! We are welcoming Christine, our newest instructor, to our team, hosting our monthly Ballet for a Cause class on November 27th, and coming up next weekend, Sips and Clips on November 15th. With so much excitement, it is fitting that this month’s theme, Jewels, is equally as thrilling!

Jewels premiered on April 13th, 1967 at the New York State Theater. Created for New York City Ballet, the ballet is a plotless three-act ballet representing three different jewels: emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. Considered the first full-length abstract ballet, each jewel’s act is set to music by different composers. Emeralds to Gabriel Fauré, Rubies to Igor Stravinsky, and Diamonds to Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

The original cast featured many iconic names from New York City Ballet:
Emeralds was performed by Violette Verdy, Mimi Paul, Sara Leland, Suki Schorer, Conrad Ludlow, Francisco Moncion, and John Prinz. Rubies was performed by Patricia McBride, Patricia Neary, and Edward Villella. Diamonds featured Suzanne Farrell and Jacques d'Amboise. It is often noted that these dancers made the ballet what it is, brought it to life, as their persons reflected the essence of each jewel.

The ballet’s initial concept was rooted in the first production of Balanchine’s Symphony in C back in 1947. At the time, the ballet was christened Le Palais de Cristal, inspired by Balanchine’s visit to the world-renowned French jewelers, Van Cleef & Arpels.

Each jewel is described as follows by the New York City Ballet:
“Emeralds moves at Fauré's mesmerizing pace, while Rubies races like lightning through Stravinsky's jazz-inflected capriccio. With its symphonic Tschaikovsky score, Diamonds venerates the regality of Balanchine’s classical heritage.”

Balanchine specifically described Emeralds as a representation of French elegance, stating that Emeralds is “an evocation of France - a France of elegance, comfort, dress, perfume” (from The George Balanchine Trust). Rubies is a classic representation of Balanchine’s collaboration with Stravinsky. Balanchine and Stravinsky had a strong artistic relationship that has resulted in some of Balanchine’s most recognized works including Agon, Apollo, and Firebird. Diamonds is considered an ode to imperial Russia and its grandiose.

Written by Tristan Grannum

Professional dancers are usually known for their “out of this world” flexibility and strength. Almost every dancer at some point in their training had to work towards increasing their flexibility. Stretching is one of the most important activities an individual can do to prevent future injuries and increase overall mobility. Stretching benefits your physical health and can relieve soreness and pain of the body. If you are an active person you should never take stretching for granted.

One common misconception of stretching, is that before a ballet class or a workout a person should do stretches that push the limits of their natural flexibility. Practicing splits, or kicking your leg forcefully are not good exercises to do pre-ballet or pre-workout. Static stretching is not considered healthy if you are doing it before your physical activity. Before you begin doing a strenuous activity your main focus should be making sure your entire body is warm. Warming up is essential for stretching. Walking, jogging, jumping jacks, and planks are all exercises you can do that will help get your heart rate up, activate your core, and warm up your entire body.

Each person possesses different levels of flexibility and mobility. Some areas of the body tend to be tighter than others. Focus more time on the areas that need improvement. If you tend to be more flexible in a specific area of the body, focus on building strength in that area.

Written by Robyn Justum:

Whether accustomed to Charles Perrault’s original fairytale, the Brothers Grimm cautionary tale (no fairy godmothers there!), Disney’s 1950 cartoon, or the 1997 Rodgers and Hammerstein movie musical starring Brandy and Whitney Houston, most are familiar with the story of Cinderella. In the spirit of pumpkin season and bringing a little extra magic to October, we are happy to introduce Cinderella as this month’s theme for Cardio Ballet!

The ballet version of Cinderella has been reimagined countless times over the years. The first documented versions date back to 1813 followed by a London production in 1822. The one commonality that most productions have is the music of Sergei Prokofiev, composed in the early 1940’s to complement Nikolai Volkov’s libretto (storyline). The premiere of Prokofiev’s composition was in 1945 at the Bolshoi Theatre with choreography by Rostislav Zakharov.

Prokofiev began his score in 1941 but did not complete until 1944 due to World War II and his work on the opera, War and Peace. He writes of Cinderella, “... I see Cinderella not only as a fairy-tale character but also as a real person, feeling, experiencing, and moving among us...What I wished to express above all in the music of Cinderella was the poetic love of Cinderella and the Prince, the birth and flowering of that love, the obstacles in its path and finally the dream fulfilled.”

There were earlier versions of the ballet and earlier scores created based on the plot, including an 1893 premiere at the Marinsky Theatre featuring choreography by Enrico Cecchetti and Lev Ivanov, supervised by Marius Petipa (Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker), with music by Baron Boris Fitinhoff-Schell. The lead role of Cinderella was danced by Italian ballerina Pierina Legnani, and this version marks the first performance of a ballet in Russia to include the execution of 32 consecutive fouettées.

A few years after Prokofiev’s premiere, Frederick Ashton choreographed his own version to the score for the Sadlers’ Wells Ballet, adding a comedic layer that is often associated with the roles of the step-sisters. Ashton premiered his ballet in 1948 at the Royal Opera House, with Ashton himself dancing the role of one of the two step-sisters. Ashton’s Cinderella has been performed by many companies, including Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre (ABT).

Since the debut of Zakharov’s choreography, there have been many interpretations beyond that of Ashton’s. In 1979, Ben Stevenson introduced his version as a pas de deux between Cinderella and her prince. In this premiere, the prince was danced by Kevin Mckenzie, now artistic director of ABT. Stevenson later went on to premiere the full-length production with Houston Ballet and later, in 1996, with ABT. The ABT premiere included Julie Kent as Cinderella and Maxim Belotserkovsky as her prince. ABT premiered Ashton’s version in 2014, featuring James Whiteside as the prince, Veronika Part as the fairy godmother, and Hee Seo as Cinderella.

Written by Tristan Grannum:

Ever wondered what it’s like to take a professional Company Ballet Class? What we feel and endure physically and mentally?

A normal rehearsal day for a professional ballet dancer usually begins at 9 or 10 in the morning with a Company Ballet Class. Company Class is a daily ritual for most concert dancers. Class is the fuel we need to get through an arduous rehearsal day. It gives us a moment to brush up on our technique, it allows us to test different steps, and prepares us to “get in the zone”. The studio is your home and your colleagues are your closest friends. Each company dancer has a prescribed barre spot - a spot they have individually chosen where they feel most comfortable to take class. Some choose to have a spot near the accompanist, some near a significant other, or many choose a barre spot where they look the most aesthetically pleasing in the studio mirror.

Many dancers before the start of class have a routine that they follow. Depending on the individual, this routine may be comprised of a set of conditioning exercises (planks, pushups, stretching). For other dancers just lying on the floor in their warm-ups, resting while listening to music is their routine. The dancers you share the same barre with are referred to as your “barre buddies.” You build a unique bond with this set of dancers because each person looks at one another throughout class, either trying to figure out the exercise or just a simple facial expression to exude their current emotional state. Throughout the start of barre there are always ‘inside jokes’ among many of the dancers. It could go from someone innocently messing up the combination in front of you, to the director or ballet master/mistress making general comments criticizing the technique of the company. During many of the initial barre exercises many male dancers have push up contests while the director is teaching an exercise. You may also see a female dancer looking in the mirror fixing her hair bun with pins.

Professional ballet dancers have strenuous rehearsal days, and many incur injuries. Injured dancers usually modify a ballet exercise to their current physical ability or may just opt out of doing the entire exercise and stretch. This distinctly contrasts a typical class for a ballet student. As a professional you are allowed to determine which exercises are or are not necessary and beneficial for your body. Usually by the end of barre a majority of the dancers who were wearing warm-ups - booties, sweaters, and sweatpants - are now in a leotard and shorts or tights. Each dancer showcases their individuality through their dance attire - Some dancers follow the classic dance attire style and others go against the norm and wear unconventional dance outfits such as athletic shorts, scarves, or colorful tank tops.

At the start of center several female dancers change from soft ballet shoes into pointe shoes. Again, the decision to wear pointe shoes for center work depends on each individual dancer’s needs that particular day. Center work allows the dancers to move large in a musically dynamic way, akin to how they would dance in a rehearsal. Professional ballet dancers are not as confined to their technique in center work as they are at barre - they are allowed artistic freedom while still presenting a suitable professional level of technique. Dancers usually converse with one another in the back of the room as they wait for their group to do an exercise. There is sense of camraderie in the studio as a fellow dancer executes a step beautifully, and a sense of supportive competition for their colleagues.

Company class usually ends with a grand allegro or a grand pirouette exercise. These exercises bring out the best dancing of every dancer in the company. You see female dancers execute difficult traditional male steps, male dancers jumping with great ballon, and an elevated performance quality from everyone. At the culmination of company class you thank your accompanist and teacher and suddenly you are ready for your rehearsals.