A Ballet Class with Maestro Cecchetti Quiz

Answer: Rome

His parents were both dancers, and the young Cecchetti made his stage debut as a small baby in his father's arms. As a boy, he studied dance under well-known teachers, including Carlo Blasis, who was the most important ballet theorist of the 19th Century.

Answer: Bluebird in "Sleeping Beauty"

The role of the Bluebird is short (Cecchetti was never a premier danseur) but impressive. It features soaring leaps and brilliant footwork. The other roles were all created by Nijinsky, who was one of Cecchetti's students. Cecchetti continued as a dancer, mainly in character roles, into his sixties.

Answer: St Petersburg

He was initially a dancer, dazzling audiences with his brilliant footwork. He danced at the Imperial Theatre in St Petersburg in 1887, and remained there as Ballet Master of the Imperial Theatre from 1890.

Answer: Diaghilev's Ballets Russes

He taught at the Imperial Theatre school in St Petersburg from 1892 to 1910, where his students included Anna Pavlova. He then toured with the Ballets Russes for eight years, before settling in London in 1918 and opening his own school. He finally returned to the country of his birth in 1923, and the five years leading up to his death in 1928 saw him teaching at La Scala in Milan.
Diaghilev was a renowned spotter of talent in the ballet world, and said of his employee: "there is the old Cecchetti, master of us all, who carries the torch of classicism."

Answer: True

Fokine and Massine were the most exciting choreographers of their day, and stars such as Anna Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky were famous the world over. Cecchetti was also responsible for teaching and influencing such names as Agrippina Vaganova (founder of the Soviet style), Dame Ninette de Valois (founder of the Royal Ballet), Dame Marie Rambert, Alicia Markova, George Balanchine, Mathilde Kschessinskaya, Tamara Karsavina and Alexandra Danilova.

Answer: exceptionally graceful arm movements

In the era when Cecchetti taught, leg extensions above 90 degrees were uncommon, unlike today. While he did encourage swift and brilliant footwork, this was not a particular feature of his balletic theory. The arm movements (port de bras) which he taught, are particularly elegant, graceful and expressive. Royal Ballet choreographer Frederick Ashton said, "I would always insist that all dancers should daily do the wonderful Cecchetti port de bras."

Answer: shoulders and head

'Epaulement' is a very slight movement in the head and shoulders, which adds expression, style and a dynamic quality to the dancer's movements.

Answer: The Cecchetti Society

The Cecchetti Society was started by Dame Ninette de Valois and Marie Rambert (and others) and still exists as a branch of the UK's Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. There are affiliate branches all round the world, which train teachers in the Cecchetti style, and oversee a range of classes and examinations for children and adults.

Answer: false

Maestro Cecchetti devised a weekly programme, whereby each day had slightly different exercises, emphasising different aspects of the art. These were set down by Beaumont in "A Manual of the Theory and Practice of Classical Theatrical Dancing, (Méthode Cecchetti)" and are still performed today in ballet classes the world over.

Answer: 5th en haut

This arm position has many different names. As a Cecchetti method dancer I have always known it as "5th en haut". According to the Imperial style taught by the ISTD, it is called 'couronne'. In the Russian style it is known as '3rd position', and in the RAD style taught by the Royal Ballet School, it is simply '5th position'.

Answer: in front of the body, slightly lower than the left arm

There are 5 arabesques in the Cecchetti style. First, Second and Third are all on a straight supporting leg, Fourth and Fifth on a bent supporting leg. The arm positions are different in each case. These arabesques often have other names in other methods.

Answer: upstage right

The fixed points are extremely useful, both for following written notation, and for quick explanations from the teacher. Imagine a dancer standing centre stage, and facing the audience. Starting downstage right, and travelling counter-clockwise, the corners are numbered 1 to 4.

Then travelling in the same direction, the flat walls are numbered 5 to 8. So the audience is at 5, and the back of the stage is at 7. It is then very easy to give instructions such as "turn to face 2, point left arm to 3 and right arm to 1" without confusion.

Answer: a plié in 5th position

Every adage exercise begins with either a full plié or a demi-plié in 5th position. This tradition has been continued by the Cecchetti Society, and even in the simplest children's grade examination, the syllabus features this step. It enables the dancer to find her centre of balance, and to stretch the muscles fully before the more complex later demands of the sequence.

Answer: True

"Glissade de Mami" was a sequence recorded by Beaumont in the "Manual" and was named after Cecchetti's cat Mami. It features a difficult series of turns and balances. It is not the same thing as a 'pas de chat', which is a small jump in the manner of a cat, common to all ballet styles.

Answer: grand jeté en tournant

It means a turning, thrown step. This sounds complicated, but in fact is merely two grand battements, with a jump and a turn. The Russian school calls this a tour jeté (thrown turn) or a jeté entrelacé (interlacing). The French style refers to the same step as a jeté dessus (over).

I feel proud and honoured to have studied a style of dance with so much history and tradition. There are many teachers of the Cecchetti style around the world. Contact the Cecchetti Society in London, the Cecchetti Council of America, or one of the many other Cecchetti organisations around the world for more information.