The art of accompanying classical ballet technique classes

306 Pages·2016·12.58 MB·English

by  Yee Sik Wong

University of Iowa
Iowa Research Online
Theses and Dissertations
Summer 2011
The art of accompanying classical ballet technique
classes
Yee Sik Wong
University of Iowa
Copyright 2011 yee sik Wong
This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1192
Recommended Citation
Wong, Yee Sik. "The art of accompanying classical ballet technique classes." DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) thesis, University of Iowa,
2011.
https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.wygbzz36
Follow this and additional works at:https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd
Part of theMusic Commons
THE ART OF ACCOMPANYING CLASSICAL BALLET TECHNIQUE CLASSES
by
Yee Sik Wong
An essay submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the Doctor of
Musical Arts degree
in the Graduate College of
The University of Iowa
July 2011
Essay Supervisors: Professor Rene Lecuona
Assistant Professor Deanna Carter
Graduate College
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
_______________________
D.M.A. ESSAY
_______________
This is to certify that the D.M.A. essay of
Yee Sik Wong
has been approved by the Examining Committee
for the essay requirement for the Doctor of Musical Arts
degree at the July 2011 graduation.
Essay Committee: ___________________________________
Rene Lecuona, Essay Supervisor
___________________________________
Deanna Carter, Essay Supervisor
___________________________________
Kate Gfeller
___________________________________
Rachel Joselson
___________________________________
Volkan Orhon
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to extend my gratitude to Professor Rene Lecuona and Professor
Deanna Carter, supervisors for this essay, for their time, guidance and valuable
suggestions through the process of this project. I am also thankful to my D.M.A. essay
committee members, Professor Kate Gfeller, Professor Rachel Joselson, and Professor
Volkan Orhon, for their time and assistance.
I wish to thank The University of Iowa Youth Ballet and the Department of Dance
at The University of Iowa for exposing me to the field of ballet accompaniment and for
giving me opportunities to be practically involved and to experiment in the field.
My thanks also to Eileen Bartos, whose editorial expertise has made the written
style of this essay more elegant and presentable. Special thanks go to composer Lan-Chee
Lam from the University of Toronto and to Calvin Wong for their generous and timely
help with the editing of my musical selections.
Finally, I want to thank my family for their unconditional support throughout the
course of my doctoral studies. Without their constant help and encouragement, this
project could have never come to fruition.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1

Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................1
Objective of this Essay .....................................................................................2
Methodology .....................................................................................................3
Limitations of the Study ...................................................................................4
CHAPTER 1 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ...............................................................6
CHAPTER 2 APPLYING PRINCIPLES OF MUSIC TO BALLET TECHNIQUE
CLASSES .......................................................................................................16

The Structure of a Ballet Technique Class .....................................................16
The Role of the Ballet Teacher and the Role of the Accompanist .................17
Similarities to and Differences from Instrumental and Vocal
Accompaniment .......................................................................................19
Counting .........................................................................................................23
Tempo .............................................................................................................26
Phrasing ..........................................................................................................26
Musical Introduction .......................................................................................27
Phrase Endings and Cadences ........................................................................30
Switching Sides and Vamp .............................................................................31
CHAPTER 3 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ESSENTIAL BALLET
MOVEMENTS AND MUSIC ........................................................................33

Combinations at the Barre ..............................................................................35
Pliés .........................................................................................................35
Battements Tendus ..................................................................................36
Battements Dégagés ................................................................................39
Ronds de Jambe par Terre .......................................................................40
Battements Fondus ..................................................................................42
Enveloppés and Ronds de Jambe en l’Air ...............................................44
Battements Frappés .................................................................................45
Adage .......................................................................................................47
Petits Battements .....................................................................................48
Balançoire / En Cloche ............................................................................49
Grands Battements ...................................................................................49
Stretches ..................................................................................................51
Combinations in the Center ............................................................................52
Tendus in the Center ................................................................................52
Port de Bras and Adage ...........................................................................53
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Pirouettes .................................................................................................55
Petit Allegro .............................................................................................59
Medium Allegro ......................................................................................60
Grand Allegro ..........................................................................................62
Big Jumps with Beats ..............................................................................65
Turns en Diagonale (Chaînés) .................................................................67
Grand Pirouettes ......................................................................................67
Reverence ................................................................................................68
Pointe Class ....................................................................................................69
Slow Prances and Warm-Up ...................................................................70
Pas de Cheval ..........................................................................................70
Relevés and Échappés .............................................................................71
Grand Battement Fouetté Relevé .............................................................73
Échappé with Pirouettes from Fifth or Fourth Position ...........................73
Piqué and/or Soutenu en Tournant with Pas de Bourrée .........................74
Hopping on Pointe ...................................................................................75
Pas Couru and Bourrée ............................................................................75
Turning en Manège and Fouettés Ronds de Jambe en Tournant .............77
Piqué Turns and Chaînés .........................................................................78
CHAPTER 4 ADVANCED TECHNIQUE SPECIFIC TO THE BALLET
ACCOMPANIST ............................................................................................80

Waltz Pattern ..................................................................................................80
Arpeggiation ...................................................................................................81
Alberti Bass ....................................................................................................82
March Pattern ..................................................................................................82
Galop Pattern ..................................................................................................84
Melodic Influences .........................................................................................84
Tonality ...........................................................................................................85
Awareness of and Response to the Physical Accents of the Ballet
Movements .....................................................................................................86
Choosing and Modifying Pieces .....................................................................88
Aspects of Pianist Execution ..........................................................................89
Staccato and Legato .................................................................................89
The Use of Dynamics ..............................................................................90
The Ballet Accompanist’s Touch ............................................................91
The Use of Pedaling ................................................................................92
Interchangeable Music for Different Combinations .......................................96
Changing the Qualities of Music within a Combination ................................96
CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY AND FUTURE ..................................................................99
APPENDIX A MUSICAL SELECTIONS ......................................................................102

Musical Selection 1 .......................................................................................102
Musical Selection 2 .......................................................................................104
Musical Selection 3 .......................................................................................108
Musical Selection 4 .......................................................................................110
Musical Selection 5 .......................................................................................111
Musical Selection 6 .......................................................................................112
Musical Selection 7 .......................................................................................113
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Musical Selection 9 .......................................................................................116
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Musical Selection 10 .....................................................................................118
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Musical Selection 64 .....................................................................................215
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Musical Selection 95 .....................................................................................268
Musical Selection 96 .....................................................................................270
Musical Selection 97 .....................................................................................272
Musical Selection 98 .....................................................................................274
Musical Selection 99 .....................................................................................276
Musical Selection 100 ...................................................................................278
Musical Selection 101 ...................................................................................280
Musical Selection 102 ...................................................................................282
APPENDIX B ALTERNATIVE MUSICAL SUGGESTIONS ......................................284
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................289
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LIST OF TABLES

Table 2-1 How Dancers and Musicians Count in Different Meters. .......................24

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LIST OF EXAMPLES

Example 1-1 Knosp’s presentation of “Battement Frappé.”................................ 8
Example 1-2 Cavalli’s musical example............................................................... 12
Example 1-3 Unclear introduction........................................................................ 13
Example 2-1 An introduction for a polonaise....................................................... 28
Example 2-2a An introduction for a coda............................................................... 29
Example 2-2b Another introduction for a coda....................................................... 29
Example 2-3a A musical introduction using the harmonic progression I-V-I-V.. 30
Example 2-3b Another musical introduction using the harmonic progression
I-V-I-V............................................................................................ 30
Example 3-1 Sparse texture in J. Strauss’s operetta Der Zigeunerbaron.............. 39
Example 3-2 Specific dynamic marking in the excerpt from the ballet Giselle... 40
Example 3-3 “Half note–quarter note” rhythmic pattern...................................... 41
Example 3-4 The rhythm in the melody of Franz Lehàr’s waltz.......................... 42
Example 3-5 An excerpt from Chopin’s Waltz Op. 69 No. 1................................ 43
Example 3-6 The rhythms in a tango.................................................................... 44
Example 3-7a The rhythm of four single frappés................................................... 46
Example 3-7b The rhythm of four double frappés.................................................. 46
Example 3-8 The dotted rhythms in the Prokofiev example................................. 50
Example 3-9 The special rhythmic pattern in a polonaise.................................... 53
Example 3-10 The rhythm in the melody of My Fair Lady................................... 56
Example 3-11 The melodic shape of J. Strauss’s Waltzer Op. 367........................ 57
Example 3-12 The repeated rhythmic pattern in J. Strauss’s Waltzer Op. 367...... 58
Example 3-13 The rhythmic characteristic in a mazurka....................................... 58
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