BALLET FOUNDATIONS AND CONTEMPORARY DANCE, JAZZ DANCE AND SPANISH DANCE

Abstract

          Ballet is an ancient form of dance that has been taught for centuries. This form of dance includes structured and organized movements which have the same standard around the world. Dancers must use their bodies and muscles properly and correctly to execute these movements. In this article, the author aims to study if ballet foundations can contribute to contemporary dance, jazz dance, and Spanish dance by referring to the seven basic principles of classical ballet  proposed by Joan Lawson. These seven basic principles comprise 1. stance 2. turn out 3. placing 4. laws of balance 5. basic rules 6. transfer of weight 7. co-ordination. The author has found that these seven principles contribute substantially to contemporary dance, jazz dance, and Spanish dance. Apart from these seven principles, the author has also found that there are other four components which can help develop dancers’ skills. They are physiology, emotion, cognition, and society, all of which enable dancers to better adopt their ballet foundations to contemporary dance, jazz dance, and Spanish dance and develop their dance skills for their professional career in the future.