Balanchine basics.

In the quiet of a studio at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, a series of well-orchestrated toes massage the marley floor in a succession of tendus that seem to create their own music. Suki Schorer, a former NYCB dancer, hands down the words of George Balanchine: "Dance has to look like the music." In this manner Balanchine's message has been relayed to the next generation of hopeful ballerinas. Their tendus and frappes precisely mimic the rhythm of Tchaikovsky played by the pianist in the corner.

Balanchine came to the United States in 1933 with a desire to create an American classical ballet company. He had to train the dancers who could help him accomplish this dream. His vision, supported by Lincoln Kirstein, eventually led to American Ballet Caravan, then Ballet Caravan, Ballet Society, and ultimately New York City Ballet in 1948.

Jillana, a former principal dancer under Balanchine, assures students that his technique exists not just at NYCB, but also in many noted companies. "It creates a dancer who can adapt to any other technique."

Jennie Somogyi, a current principal with NYCB, was first introduced to the Balanchine technique when she attended SAB at age 8. She quickly learned to focus on accent, phrasing, and musicality. Says Somogyi, "As a dancer you make the music and the steps fit to your body like a favorite pair of jeans."

The technique emphasizes precision to gain speed and control, as well as freedom when dancing choreography. One can't simply do a grand battement and close to fifth, for example. First, energy swells in the body, which pulls the posture up. You have to know how high the leg will go so that you are in control of your limbs, rather than letting your limbs control you. Then the leg lowers back to a tight fifth position without sacrificing proper posture. All is accomplished on top of the counts with no hesitation. Practicing this precision at the barre enables you to "let go, move big, and eat up space" while onstage, says Dana Hanson, a former NYCB dancer who now teaches at Pacific Northwest Ballet School.

"Balanchine would often start working on our technique by concentrating on only one step at a time," says Schorer. "It could be plies or tendus. Nothing complicated, but challenging to do as well as he wanted. Bigger exercises at extreme tempos help you to do very demanding steps in performance. But now, all of a sudden, they are possible because the more technique you have, the fleer you are to dance with abandon." Balanchine combined steps that have a double focus of technique and presentation. They force dancers to stay within the music.

Balanchine knew that every dancer is unique. "He appreciated his dancers' different abilities and personalities," says Schorer. "He brought out individual nuances by setting the choreography, then giving his dancers the freedom to develop it. He would tell us that a garden with only roses would be dull."

Referring to a saying of Balanchine's, Jillana translates in her own words: "When you are dancing, dance for now." Schorer adds, "What's in front of you is now, so dance fully in this moment and don't save anything for later."

ASPECTS OF THE TECHNIQUE

Placement: Dancers are taught to keep their weight over their toes and on the ball of the foot. "You can't move as quickly as necessary if your weight is on the heel," says Hanson. You have to be ready to pounce in any direction.

Plie: At the barre, grands plies are sometimes done in one count. This adds dynamic variation and tests reflexes. "Plie never stops; it is a collection of energy to go on, to make the next step happen," says Schorer. "Mr. B told us to be stingy with our money, but never with plie." When used in preparation for a turn, the weight is forward over the front leg.

Tendu: Tendu placement is directly in front or directly behind you. In tendu front, the heel leads, leaving the toes behind in a beautiful point. On the way back, the toes lead, leaving the heel forward for better turnout. "This creates a lengthened line to the leg," says Jillana, "and it allows one to move more quickly."

Fifth Position: Fifth positions are tight. Schorer says Balanchine wanted feet glued together. Precise positions are key for a clean look.

Upper Body: The arms always cross to move from en bas to high fifth, with soft elbows and wrists. The fingers are separated and delicate, while the hands slightly cup as if holding a small ball. "The hand is an extension of the arm," says Jillana. "Ballet is about creating line, and fingers held in wrong positions break that line."

High passe: The toe should be placed well above the dent in the knee of the standing leg to lift up the energy.

Musicality: In general, Schorer says, "Start quickly to announce the beginning, finish with a slight slowing to reveal and to present the end of the movement."

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Suki Schorer on Balanchine Technique by Suki Schorer (Knopf)

In Balanchine's Company by Barbara Millberg Fisher (Wesleyan Uni. Press)

Deanna McBrearty, a former dancer with New York City Ballet, is a certified fitness trainer.