Preparing For Ballet's Future.

The past decades have seen great changes in the dance world. While classical and neoclassical ballet remain popular, many ballet schools now offer classes in modern dance and contemporary styles to fulfill the demands of today's eclectic choreographers.

Other changes are not as positive. We now see "professional competitors" traveling from one competition to another--frequently without any stable attachment to a company--dancing the same repertory, often in front of the same jury! A growing number of promising young competition winners prefer to dance only as guests with two or three companies, performing a limited repertory of pas de deux that, all too often, they have learned from watching videotapes. It is common for these young virtuosos to have no idea what ballet their variation comes from, never having seen it or the ballet danced live. They often don't know who the original choreographer was, at what period the ballet was created, or who its original performers were. As for composers, they remain a total mystery.

Not knowing these things does nothing to develop dance artists, classical or otherwise. We may soon face a generation woefully ignorant of all dance and its place in history and society.

To avoid this grim future, we must continue to reform dance education. An enormous amount of energy, knowledge, and money--public and private--has been invested in training and educating young dancers, but little or nothing has been done to develop institutes for training teachers. The field is no longer dominated by the company's school, staffed with those who had performed the company's repertory. Today we must expect more of those who are going to be in charge of young people during their most vulnerable and crucial years. Whether affiliated with a company school or, more commonly, a private or state-supported institution, the faculty of the future must have a grasp of pedagogy, psychology, physiology, kinesiology, and dance history, as well as music, classical, romantic, and contemporary repertories.

A good teacher always patiently allows students time for development and growth. When results are not constantly at a high level, backers are very quick to reduce or withdraw their support, forcing the school or institution to take shortcuts to quality. A common shortcut is to offer scholarships to promising candidates spotted at international dance competitions; the result is often a graduating class filled with students who have been trained elsewhere and actually need only finishing. The effect this practice has had on the morale and the standards of the students and teachers at such institutes is not hard to guess.

Companies, as well, are under pressure from backers to do something new all the time, and company directors can easily choose from a virtually endless stream of dancers at auditions. Unfortunately, more and more ballet masters (not to mention choreographers) are beginning to take a hands-off attitude toward direct involvement in the development of young dancers.

Even if dance companies are not satisfied with the results of particular schools, they should give those institutions time and help. Education is a process that takes years and does not allow for abrupt changes. It's too easy just to sit back and criticize. I therefore urge companies to bear with these schools, allow them time, offer help in a positive way, and engage in constant dialogue.

My generation should make certain that youngsters are equipped with the proper knowledge to make the right decisions and be taught to respect the traditions that have made current progress possible.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Create more schools where a caring faculty allows young individuals to develop into well-balanced adults, who will be able to serve the dance profession.

2. Look into the methods of sports medicine, which is far ahead of us in training that achieves physical development and mental adjustment.

3. Train and employ dance pedagogues of the highest caliber who have a sound knowledge of what's needed to bring students up to the highest professional level.

4. Encourage a collaboration between schools and companies to provide students with well-balanced transition into the art.

Dance must be recognized as a perfectly normal and respected profession. It requires a long period of study that should lead to a comparatively short career, followed by a second career and a rewarding life afterward.

Jenny J. Veldhuis taught dance in Amsterdam; since retirement in 1988 she has acted as a freelance international ballet correspondent. This article was edited from a paper she delivered at the 1997 Prix de Lausanne.