There is no one method of ballet. Every ballet school and company uses a different method. Although to the average person, they might not be able to tell the difference. But to ballerinas, it's important to know which method they use so they properly perform the correct technique. Today we'll be talking about 3 of the most recognized methods: Vaganova, Cecchetti, and Balanchine.
VAGANOVA METHOD
The Vaganova method was created by Agrippina Vaganova. She was a ballerina at the Imperial Russian Ballet from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. In 1917, she became a teacher at the Imperial Ballet School where she began teaching her method.
This method is focused on the ballerinas dancing softly and delicately. However, Vaganova still wants their dancers to be strong and clean in their dancing as well. One of the biggest differences between Vaganova and other methods is that they are very focused on working on a pas de deux which is a dance of two. Another difference is that in the Vaganova method, there 8 levels that you must go through before you can graduate.
Thanks to Vaganova's work, Imperial Ballet School changed to the Vaganova Ballet Academy in 1948. The Vaganova method is most commonly used in Russia but there are also schools in the U.S and Europe that also teach this method.
CECCHETTI METHOD
Enrico Cecchetti was a ballerina with La Scala Milan in the late 1800s and was later joined the Marinsky Theatre in 1889. By the early 1900s, he taught at the London Ballet School and La Scala Milan where he taught the Cecchetti method.
The Cecchetti method is focused on the ballerinas learning the techniques with the basic skills they learn in their first year instead of just copying the instructor step-for-step. The ballerinas also are taught to think of their whole body while dancing instead of focusing on each body part individually. Unlike the Vaganova method, the Cecchetti method has 7 levels instead of 8.
The Cecchetti method is mainly taught in Italy where it originated. However, there are many companies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. that teach the Cecchetti method through the Cecchetti foundation.
BALANCHINE METHOD
George Balanchine created the Balanchine method in 1934. Balanchine was a ballerina with the Mariinsky Ballet then came to the U.S. to form the School of American Ballet. This method is also commonly known as SAB.
The Balanchine method uses free, more spread out movement. The positions are wider and less controlled compared to Cecchetti and Vaganova. This method is a bit more a contemporary style, unlike the regular classical ballet style.
No one method is the perfect way to go. Whatever method that you decide to master, you'll see the difference whenever you watch ballerinas from certain companies perform.
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