Who's Mark?

Whether you're new to dance or a seasoned veteran, it's sometimes a little bewildering to have a teacher turn on the music and yell "Mark!"  It's probably especially odd if your name is Mark or you know someone named Mark.  I've witnessed a student ask, "Who's Mark?" more than once, and in advanced ballet, no less.

When a teacher says "mark," (and yes, it really should be lowercase) he or she is inviting the class to listen to the music and casually move through the combination to ensure understanding of the steps and musicality.  Students often mark combinations before performing them in class, and dancers sometimes mark through choreography at the beginning of rehearsal to ensure everyone remembers the steps.

Dancers have individual methods for marking steps.  Some perform all the steps, but with a lower energy level than is required to perform them full out.  Others shorten or simplify steps, like holding a flat passe to represent a pirouette.  Another method is performing the arm movements while standing in place.  Yet another is moving the hands to represent the legs and feet.  Marking does NOT mean do it sloppy or stand still and just listen.

Some teachers have preferences for how students mark combinations, but it largely doesn't matter as long as dancers use the opportunity to ensure they understand the steps, tempo, and musicality for the combination.

Beware of ballet-themed products

I'm sure everyone has seen ballerina dolls and pointe shoe-printed birthday party paraphernalia.  Young kids are often drawn to these products, and they can be really fun to play with and use for décor.  However, mainstream products with a ballet theme are often quite fantasized.  They are very different from the real thing, and if children who see or use them are involved in ballet, issues can arise.  I've seen more than one child have an argument with her parents because her leather ballet slippers are pale nude-pink instead of the neon rose she expects.
Here are a few things that ballet-themed products frequently get wrong:

1.      All pink ballet shoes are pale or peachy pink, not bright or dark pink.  From toddler's full-sole slippers to professionals' pointe shoes, no mainstream ballet shoe is brightly colored.  Barbie is notorious for having ballet slippers that are super pink (and often glittery), but most real ballet shoes just aren't made that way.  (Note: Some companies such as Grishko sell pointe shoes with satin dyed hot neon pink.  These are used by professionals for wild costumes for parts like flamingoes in Alice in Wonderland.  Shoes like these are never allowed at ballet schools.)

2.      Shoe ribbons are simple or nonexistent.  Ballet dolls and various illustrations show shoes that have thick (usually dark pink) ribbons attached, and the ribbons often lace up dancers' legs from ankle to near the knee.  I have no idea how this depiction became so ubiquitous.  It's absolutely incorrect.  About 99% of the time, flat ballet slippers do not have ribbons on them.  They are held to the foot with 1 or 2 pieces of stretchy elastic.  Occasionally dancers wear ribbons on their flat shoes for performances, but usually ribbons are reserved for pointe shoes.  The ribbons on pointe shoes are wrapped and tied just around the ankle, and the ribbons are overlapped, not criss-crossed up the leg.  Just about the only time the zig-zag ribbon weave pattern is seen in ballet is on the front of a bodice-never on the leg!

3.      Dancers wear their hair up 99% of the time.  Barbie is again notorious for performing solos and pas de deuxs with long blonde hair curling down her back.  It's common to see ballerina dolls and motifs that show dancers with pigtails or braids.  Barring the occasional character role, ballet dancers wear their hair in tight buns or similar updos on top of their heads.

4.      Wands are rare props.  Lots of ballerina drawings show dancers holding fairy wands.  Many famous ballet roles are fairies, but hardly any of them have wands (or really any props).  If the part involves doing magic or casting a spell, dancers usually use their arms to show this action.  It's also pretty common for the term "fairy" to be just a description of the character's name (such as the sugar plum fairy or dewdrop fairy in Nutcracker) and not relate to any actions she performs.

5.      Tutus are usually not pink.  There are a lot of tutus in ballet, but they are quite different from those on dolls.  Longer romantic tutus are more common than plater tutus in most productions, and hardly ever are any of them pink.  The only pale pink tutus I know of are usually worn by Nutcracker's sugar plum and Sleeping Beauty's Aroura.  The only time I've seen bright pink tutus is in Nutcracker's waltz of the flowers and some versions of Nutcracker's mirliton variation.  That's not to say there isn't a lot of pink in other ballet costumes (like the bodice of a peasant in Giselle or the unitard of a flamingo in Alice), but the vast majority of tutus are actually white.

Dance terms: Classes, lessons, and rehearsals

Every dancer has that parent or friend who asks things like, "When does your practice start?"  Trust me, I know how annoying it can be.  It's nice that they equate dance with sports (it is a sport, after all), but it sounds so funny to dancers.  Even though there is soccer practice and football practice, there is no ballet practice.

Here's the breakdown:

A dance class is where a group of students complete movements and combinations at the direction of a teacher.  Classes are usually pre-scheduled on a certain day and time and reoccur for a period of time (such as every Monday at 6pm from August through December).  Classes that are scheduled last-minute (such as a class held for dancers to warm up right before a performance) are called pick-up classes.  A class held one time with a well-known or celebrity instructor is called a master class or a workshop.

A lesson is a one-on-one (or two-on-one if it's ballroom or pas de deux) interaction with a student (or couple) and a teacher.  The term lesson is only used in dance if it's describing a private lesson (also sometimes just called a private).  Private lessons may be structured like classes with specific warm-ups, combinations, and cool-downs, or they may be more instructive (like a teacher shows the student a new step or focuses on improving one thing).

A rehearsal is a session with one or multiple dancers and either a director, choreographer, teacher, or rehearsal assistant.  During rehearsals, dancers learn and practice choreography to prepare for performance.  Even though dancers do practice their choreography, they rarely use the word practice to describe what they are doing.  Practicing is usually called running (as in, "we will run the dance twice").  The only time the word practice is used is when referring to a very specific action, usually involving sets or props (like, "you two need to practice handing the Nutcracker to each other").  Even then, it's just as common to hear a teacher say work on instead of practice.

Leotards for good posture

If you have rounded shoulders, you probably work hard to stand up straight and hold your posture.  Strong muscles are most important in building good posture, but believe it or not, the style of your leotard can also play a big part.

Halter, racerback, and high back/lower front (such as Yumiko Becky) styles all have a tendency to pull the shoulders forward.  The tension of leotards' tight fabric physically pulls on the body, and this provides resistance that can make it more difficult to maintain good posture.  High back/low front styles are especially tough because they also cover the back, making it difficult to see back muscles working and drawing attention to any slight hunch.  If you struggle with posture, consider avoiding these styles, especially for situations like auditions.

Low back/high front styles that leave most of the back open (such as Yumiko Sofiane) are best for encouraging good posture.  They lay flat across the front when the shoulders are pressed down and the chest is open, and low scooping backs show off the shoulder blades.  Even if your back is naturally curved (mine is), leos like these let other people see your hard-working back muscles rather than just the outline.  Directors are less likely to comment on your posture if they are able to see that your muscles are working.  Styles like these are perfect for auditions and rehearsals when you want to look strong and confident.