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Element: Ballet Conditioning

"Ballet Dancers always have slender bodies that are both strong and lean with lovely proportion and gorgeous body lines. One of the greatest secrets to a dancer's body is ballet conditioning which focuses on all muscle groups. In this unique program, your muscles will work smoothly in unison to create a long, streamlined silhouette with flat abs, a lean lower body and beautifully defined curves. Moving gracefully and fluidly through this series of exercises, you will strengthen and stretch your way to a dancer’s body.

Element is proud to support the Arbor Day Foundation. For every four Element DVDs purchased a tree will be planted (up to 20,000 trees annually). In addition to generating oxygen, trees provide air pollution control and decrease atmospheric carbon dioxide levels thereby reducing global warming. www.arborday.org

Elise Gulan has over 18 years in dance education including Ballet, Pointe, Tap, and Jazz. She was a principal soloist for the Virginia Ballet Company where she danced for seven years appearing in productions such as Copelia, Swan Lake, and Nutcracker Suite. She brought her love of expression through movement to her new career as a certified personal trainer and instructor of Yoga, Core Fusion® and Core Energy Flow®. Elise enjoys helping her students to find their inner strength and to energize their joy of life through physical and mental fitness."

Ballet Boot Camp Stretch

"This unique workout offers a varied, flowing mixture of stretches created to lengthen muscles, increase flexibility and release tight joints. This energising and strengthening workout will help you to build your center of power and develop your body's core muscle groups. You will elongate and strengthen your entire body, in particular your abdominal and back muscles, which are the foundation for enhanced fitness and athletic performance. For challenging ballet-based workouts check out Ballet Boot Camp 1 and 2."

Ballet Class: Intermediate & Advanced

"David Howard, America's foremost ballet master, leads some of the world's finest young dancers in an intermediate ballet class specially designed to expand the classical vocabulary, movement potential and kinetic awareness of the student. Dancers and teachers alike are given the possibility to participate in this unique class, which features Cynthia Harvey and Peter Fonseca, formerly with the American Ballet Theatre.

David Howard, ballet master, teacher and coach was a soloist with the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada. Mr. Howard opened his world famous school on Manhattan's upper west side in 1977. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association for Regional Ballet, and served as its President from 1976-1979.
He has been a guest teacher for New York's Metropolitan Opera, the Joffrey, Boston Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada and the Ballet de Marseilles. David Howard teaches and has coached many of the world's foremost dancers and celebrities including Natalia Makarova, Gelsey Kirkland, Valery and Galina Panov, Patrick Bissell, Cynthia Harvey and many others.

Lynn Stanford, ballet's top accompanist, has composed an original score, ideally suited to the needs of the dancer."

Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 1: Barrework for Beginners

"From head to toe, Finis Jhung gives you a fresh new view of the essential ideas of classical ballet that will transform your physique -- and your psyche. The emphasis here is on learning ballet from the inside-out, instead of outside in.

Exercises on this video:
1. Number One;
2. Turning out, demi plié in 1st position;
3. Isometric grand pliés, relevé;
4. Battement tendu en croix, 1st position;
5. Port de bras;
6. Battement tendu à la seconde, grand plié, relevé & balance, 1st position;
7. Battement tendu devant & derrière, demi plié, 1st position;
8. Working the foot, attitude à la seconde, relevé in plié, 1st position;
9. Battement dégagé & attitude à la seconde, relevé & balance;
10. Battement dégagé devant & derrière, stretches, 1st position;
11. Battement tendu en croix, demi plié, relevé & balance, 5th position;
12. Rond de jambe à terre;
13. Dégagé en croix, demi plié, 5th position, balance cou-de-pied derrière;
14. Fondu en croix, balance retiré derrère;
15. Grand battement devant, port de bras;
16. Grand battement derrière, tendu plie, relevé;
17. Grand battement à la seconde, demi plie.

Taught by Finis Jhung. Demonstrated by Jennifer Harmer. Music by Scott Killian"

Finis Jhung Ballet Technique: Art of Pointwork, Level 1

"Judy Weiss, or "The Queen of Toe Shoes" as she is affectionately referred to by reigning New York ballerinas, tells you all about the construction of the pointe shoe and how to find the shoe for you. Ashlee Knapp, now dancing with The New York City Ballet, shows you special foot and ankle strengthening exercises, how to correctly prepare your shoe and foot, and how to tie your ribbons. On this video: Introduction: Shoe construction; fitting the shoe; sewing the elastic and ribbons; strengthening exercises; preparing your foot and tying the ribbons Exercises: 1. Rolling up & down, feet parallel; 2. Rolling up & down. 1st & 2nd positions; 3. Rolling up in plié. 1st & 2nd positions; 4. Combining exercises 2 & 3; 5. Demi & grand pliés, relevés. 1st, 2nd, 5th positions; 6. Plié, relevé, balance. 1st position; 7. Tendu, relevé, demi plié en croix; 8. Quick relevés from 3/4 to full pointe. 1st & 2nd positions; 9. Sous-sus, placing the feet in 5th position; 10. Battement tendu, plié, relevé in 4th position; 11. Échappé sur les pointes, sous-sus; 12. Piqué pas de bourée, couru; 13. Échappé sur les pointes, sous-sus, pique pas de bourrée; 14. Échappé, plié in second, sous-sus, pique pas de bourrée. Introductory section, 14 barre exercises. Taught by Finis Jhung. Demonstrated by Ashlee Knapp. Advised by Judith Weiss. Music by Scott Killian."

Dancing for Kids (Baby Ballet / Tot Tap / Junior Jazz)
DVD

Ballet Class for Beginners
DVD
David Howard's Ballet Class for Beginners is an excellent learning and teaching tool especially designed by America's foremost ballet master to introduce the beginning dance student to the technique and vocabulary of classical ballet with the emphasis on posture, placement, and movement potential. Featuring Allison Potter with music by Whit Kellog.

The Video Dictionary of Classical Ballet
DVD
Now on DVD! The essential video dictionary of all classical ballet movements performed by some of the greatest names in American Ballet. Teachers and students alike find the Video Dictionary of Classical Ballet the most innovative and dynamic tool ever developed for learning and studying the movements of ballet. 4 1/2 hours on two DVDs, this set includes over 800 variations in Russian, French, and Cecchetti styles. Many of the movements are shown in slow motion with multiple camera angles and voice-over narrative description. This engaging program demonstrates the complete language of ballet: Positions and Directions � Barre � Linking Steps � Center Practice � Pirouettes � Adage � Allegro � Batterie � Pointe � Musical Enchainements. For easy reference, a printed index of all the movements and variations performed is included. This comprehensive guide is demonstrated by four of the most outstanding figures in American Ballet: � Kevin McKenzie (Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre, former principal dancer, ABT) � Georgina Parkinson (Ballet Mistress of ABT; former principal dancer, Royal Ballet) � Merrill Ashley (former principal dancer, New York City Ballet) � Denise Jackson (former principal dancer, Joffrey Ballet)

How to Be a Ballet Dancer / Ballerina
DVD

The Ballet Workout
DVD

Tchaikovsky Swan Lake / Makarova, Dowell, Royal Ballet Covent Garden
DVD

Ashton The Dream / Ethan Stiefel, Alessandra Ferri, Herman Cornejo, American Ballet Theater
DVD

Born to Be Wild The Leading Men of American Ballet Theatre
DVD

American Ballet Theatre Now Variety and Virtuosity (Dance in America)
DVD

Classical Art of Ballet : Basic Positions and Movements
DVD

Classical Art of Ballet
DVD
If your dream is to float across a stage like a ballerina - or you just want to explore the art of ballet - this is where it all begins! Join Chloe, a delightful young girl with hopes of becoming a dancer, as she takes her first steps in this breathtaking art form. The effortless grace of ballet is firmly based on a centuries-old language of basic movements and body positions. Enter an actual dance studio and watch as Chloe is introduces to these "Basic Positions and Movements". First come principle positions of the hands, feet, legs and head, followed by essential movements such as the plier (bending), relever (rising) and sauter (jumping). Fundamental dirctions of the body are also demonstrated, as are the four positions of one of ballet's most recognizable and beautiful figures: the arabesque. After learning the basics, Chloe has a magical encounter with a ballerina who introduces exercises which every dancer relies on to warm up the body and build strength and technique; these include degages, ronds de jambs, releves and more. Then it's on to learn how to turn, jump and combine steps to create a beautiful dance combination. Featuring magnificent archive footage of dancers past and present, along with graceful demonstrations by ballerina Veronique Saouter, this is a wonderful visual guide to the fundamentals and history of a glorious art. 

The New York City Ballet Workout, Vol. 2
New York City Ballet Workout
DVD
Peter Martins, Ballet Master in Chief of the New York City Ballet, and four graceful dancers--two men, two women--offer a beautifully produced, challenging, 90-minute strength and flexibility workout. The moving warm-up readies your muscles and makes you feel like a dancer. Most of the workout focuses on the abdominals and lower body (thighs, calves, buttocks), with exercises that ballet dancers use to strengthen and lengthen their muscles and condition their core. At the end, you learn patterns for a ballet routine which becomes a short cardiovascular workout. New York City Ballet Workout, Vol. 2 builds on what was best about the popular New York City Ballet Workout -- the graceful moves and gorgeous dancers--and includes the much-needed instruction and technique that was missing in the original. If you love watching or dancing ballet, New York City Ballet Workout, Vol. 2 is your workout. -- the graceful moves and gorgeous dancers--and includes the much-needed instruction and technique that was missing in the original. If you love watching or dancing ballet, New York City Ballet Workout, Vol. 2 is your workout. -- the graceful moves and gorgeous dancers--and includes the much-needed instruction and technique that was missing in the original. If you love watching or dancing ballet, New York City Ballet Workout, Vol. 2 is your workout.

Ballet DVDs

The New York City Ballet Workout
New York City Ballet Workout
VHS
Do you envy ballet dancers their long, lean bodies and graceful, elegant movements? This beautifully produced exercise video was developed by Peter Martins and the New York City Ballet with the New York Sports Club. First you watch the rippling muscles of four gorgeous ballet dancers (two men and two women) performing warm-up moves to classical ballet music. Martins uses ballet terminology in his cuing and no technique is taught, so it's look-and-follow if you have no previous ballet training. Next you get down on a mat for slow lower-body stretches. A difficult abdominal series is next, followed by "floor barre" exercises to tone the thighs and buttocks while still using the abdominals. After introducing moves to strengthen the back and upper body, Martins runs through a series of standing exercise segments using various ballet movements to strengthen the legs and postural muscles. The workout is...

The New York City Ballet Workout, Vol. 2
New York City Ballet Workout
VHS

Ballet Class for Beginners
VHS David Howard

Ballet Class Intermediate and Advanced
VHS David Howard

How to Be a Ballerina
VHS

Baby Ballet
VHS

Ballet 101 A Beginner's Class