Contents & Synopsis
Contents
· Foreword
· Introduction
· Real-Life Artistic Champions
· Ballet Secrets: Basic Pieces
· Your Arm: Artistic Rules of the Road
· Your Head: Artistic Rules of the Road
· All the Pieces Together: Ballet Positions
for Skaters
· Summary
· Photo Gallery
· Terms to Remember
· Index
· Book Orders
· Reader Comments, Please
· About the Author
Synopsis
Ballet Secrets for Skaters shows over 70 professional, black and white photos of a real figure skater learning ballet. This 192 page book teaches you upper body lines…with Ballet Secrets for your arms, shoulders and head. Small changes in these areas can make a big difference in your presentation on the ice.
Artistic Excellence in Motion
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In Real-Life Artistic Champions, you’ll meet two professional skaters who are world famous for combining dazzling technique with artistic elegance, creativity and emotion on the ice. Olympic Gold Medallist Viktor Petrenko and Ladies World Champion Yuka Sato describe their early training and the impact of artistic expression on their figure skating careers. You’ll receive practical advice from two of today’s leading professional skaters.
In addition, you’ll learn about artistry from a choreographer’s point of view. Award winning Broadway jazz choreographer Patti Wilcox describes a unique program she created for Viktor Petrenko that he performed live to music and vocals by Brian Lane Green.
In a candid and heartwarming interview, Viktor Petrenko describes how he learned to express emotion on the ice. “First, dance taught me how to present myself on the ice, and second, to understand how to express feelings to music,” says Viktor Petrenko. “…Those (figure skating) numbers you named earlier were my way of growing and trying something different. Every time I try to come up with something that has never been done before. That’s what I’m about.”
In the world of professional figure skating, artistic expression takes on a new dimension. It becomes the primary avenue for personal growth and creativity. Ladies World Champion and three-time World Professional Champion Yuka Sato learned a new style of dance to create a fresh look in a figure skating program. “Every time I skate, it’s a challenge,” explains Yuka. “Every single piece has its own reasoning. I would do something more…or better.”
After meeting the Artistic Champions, you’ll discover the Ballet Secrets. Each chapter follows the progress of 18 year old Lauren, a solo and synchro team figure skater. You’ll see a photo of a common problem…an artistic challenge…encountered by many figure skaters. Then you’ll learn a Ballet Secret that solves the problem.
A “Ballet Secret” summarizes the main point of each lesson. It’s a quick and easy phrase that helps you remember what to do. In addition, you’ll find a “Quick Check” in each lesson. It’s a special tip to help you avoid the most common pitfalls…when you’re out of dance class and back on the ice.
In this chapter, Lauren learns how to hold her arms overhead. At first, her hands are too close to her head and her elbows bend too much. Next, she locks her elbows and her arms are way too stiff.
Then she discovers the Ballet Secret for overhead arms. She creates a soft, graceful curve that frames her head. What an improvement!
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| Your hands look heavy and you appear tired when your elbows bend too much. | Your arms are too stiff if your elbows lock. | A gentle arm curve creates a soft frame around the skater’s head. |
Putting it all together
After learning all the Ballet Secrets for artistic arm and head positions, it’s time to put them to work. All the pieces come together in artistic poses you’ll use on the ice.
Ballet Secrets for Skaters describes the most common arm and head positions, from the basic First Position through the more challenging Fourth and Fifth Positions. You’ll learn the classic poses, such as an elegant Double Arabesque. In addition, you’ll receive ideas about the best times to use these positions in your figure skating programs.
 It takes practice to learn all the Ballet Secrets for a beautiful Fourth Position. |
 Fifth Position is a world famous ballet pose. |
 Two arms in front of the body at different heights create an artistic Double Arabesque. |
On the ice
When all the work is done, we have some fun. Lauren changes out of her ballet slippers and laces up her skates. You’ll see a photo gallery of beautiful poses on the ice.
An important note: All photos in the book Ballet Secrets for Skaters are in black and white.
 Two arms in front of the body at different heights create an artistic Double Arabesque. |
 Proper placement of the neck and shoulders will draw your eyes towards the graceful arm position. |
 Stand tall and hold your head up high as the audience applauds a job well done. |
Publication Data
Ballet Secrets for Skaters:
How to Hone Your Artistic Competitive Edge
by Barbara Denise Files
ISBN 0-9726723-8-9
Paperback 192 Pages
Price: $19.95
Features include:
· Concise Ballet Secrets
· Helpful Quick Checks
· Over 70 instructional photos
· Celebrity interviews and advice
· Terms to Remember
· Index
