Updating the narrative of the traditional ballet technique class: how shifts in technique class structure can better meet the physical demands on dancers

Abstract:

There is a pervasive narrative in ballet pedagogy: ballet technique class can provide dancers with all the skills necessary to be successful artists and performers. Despite the increased demand for athleticism required for current repertory and performance schedules, not much time has been spent re-evaluating the effectiveness of the current practices in ballet technique class.

The integration of cross-training techniques into the dancer’s routine, primarily outside of class time, has been shown to reduce the risk of injuries and meet the current physical demands for dancers. However, cross-training outside of class can place restrictions on a dancer’s time and lead to overtraining and fatigue, two contributors to increased injury risk. In addition, the current ballet class structure prioritizes skill acquisition at the beginning of training resulting in increased fatigue towards the end of class when dancers are expected to produce the greatest power.

One underutilized resource available to dance educators is the already allocated ballet technique class time. This presentation proposes a first step in increasing the effectiveness of technique class: making small shifts to the order and length of ballet technique class exercises. In addition, the presenters will share their experience implementing these shifts in a freshmen intermediate ballet class during the Spring 2025 semester. Both student and faculty reactions and perceptions will be shared.

 

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Presented by Jennifer Deckert, Associate Chair, and Olivia Waldrop, Senior Instructor; University of South Carolina

 

Biographies:

Jennifer Deckert is an Associate Professor of Dance and the Director of the Betsy Blackmon Dance Program at the University of South Carolina. She teaches ballet, dance anatomy, and choreography, and oversees a program that prioritizes sound ballet training supported by innovative pedagogical approaches and evidence-based practice.

She holds both a BFA in Ballet Performance and an MFA in Ballet Teaching, Choreography, and Research from the University of Utah. As an educator and scholar, her work bridges performance, pedagogy, and dance science, emphasizing the integration of wellness-based training within the academic environment.

Before joining the University of South Carolina, Professor Deckert served on the dance faculty at the University of Wyoming, where she helped establish the BFA in Dance Science program and co-directed the Snowy Range Summer Dance Festival. She has been an invited guest instructor at numerous institutions and organizations, including Regional Dance America and the Duncan Center in Prague, Czech Republic.

Her research focuses on dynamic alignment, the effects of fatigue, and the application of dance science principles in training and performance. An active member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS), she has served as a member of the Board of Directors, as Chair of the Dance Educators’ Committee and regularly presents her work at international conferences. Professor Deckert continues to merge artistic excellence with scholarly inquiry to advance the field of dance education.

Olivia Waldrop is a Senior Instructor of Dance in the Betsy Blackmon Dance Program at the University of South Carolina where she teaches ballet, choreographs, and mentors student choreographers. Over the last decade she has expanded her creative practice to include screendance and film and, in 2024, received her 200-hour certification in Vinyasa Yoga.

She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine where she researched the integration of video projection into live dance performance. In addition, she taught ballet courses and workshops with an emphasis on dancer health and wellness, musicality, and artistry.

Olivia’s research focuses on redesigning ballet technique classes to meet the increased demand for dancers to be athletic and technically precise artists. Most recently, she was awarded the Innovative Pedagogy Grant by the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of South Carolina to support the application of her research by evaluating student performance assessment methods and the order of ballet technique class exercises.