XPost: alt.arts.ballet, alt.answers 
 From: twp@panix.com 
  
 Archive-name: dance/ballet-modern-faq/part1 
 Posting-frequency: bimonthly 
 Last-modified: Jul. 1, 2003 
  
 ================================ 
 Part 1 of seven parts 
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     Copyright (c) 1995-2003 by Thomas Parsons; all rights reserved. 
     This FAQ may be posted to any USENET newsgroup, on-line service, BBS, 
     or Web page, provided it is posted in its entirety, including this 
     copyright statement, EXCEPT that this FAQ may not be posted to any Web 
     page where such posting may result in assignment of copyright.  This 
     FAQ may not be distributed in part or in full for financial gain.  No 
     portion of this FAQ may be included in commercial collections or 
     compilations without express permission from the author. 
  
     This FAQ is provided as is without any express or implied warranties. 
     While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the infor- 
     mation contained in this article, the author assumes no responsibility 
     for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the 
     information contained herein. 
  
 ================ 
  
 Tom Parsons 
 Brooklyn, New York 
 twp@panix.com 
  
 ================ 
  
 New this release: URLs for information about dance and ballet in Mexico 
 in Question 1.7. 
  
 ================ 
  
 Contents: 
  
 PART 1: GENERAL INFORMATION 
  
     1.1. What is this group? 
     1.2. Is there a group for modern dance? 
     1.3. What is the difference between alt.arts.ballet and rec.arts.dance? 
     1.4. Are there any other ballet/modern groups? 
     1.5. How can I access this group? 
     1.6. How can I post to this group? 
     1.7. Are there any dance pages on the World Wide Web? 
     1.8. I'm only a beginner; should I just shut up and listen? 
  
 PART 2: GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT BALLET AND MODERN DANCE 
  
     2.1. What is ballet? 
     2.2. What is modern dance? 
     2.3. What is a ballet class like? 
     2.4. What is a barre? 
     2.5. Why do dancers take so many classes? 
     2.6. Why do dancers wear such funny shoes? 
     2.7. Do women really dance on their toes?  Why? 
     2.8. Why don't men dance on pointe? 
     2.9. Why do dancers stand with their feet turned out? 
     2.10. What is a tutu...and why do they call it that? 
     2.11. What are all these "positions?" 
     2.12. What is "placement?" 
     2.13. Why all that French? 
     2.14. If a female dancer is called a ballerina, what is a male dancer 
     called? 
     2.15. What is a "Prima Ballerina Assoluta"? 
     2.16. What are: a choreographer, a regisseur, a repetiteur, a ballet 
     master, and an artistic director? 
     2.17. What are the most popular ballets? 
     2.18. Where can I find books about dance? 
     2.19. Where can I find dance-related gifts? 
     2.20. Where can I find dance videos? 
     2.21. Where can I find dance-related clipart? 
     2.22. Where can I find recorded music for ballet? 
  
 PART 3: BALLET, MODERN DANCE, AND YOU 
  
     3.1. When should I start taking ballet? 
     3.2. When should I start taking modern dance? 
     3.3. I'm in my early twenties; it it too late for me to start a 
      professional career in ballet? 
     3.4. I'm 35 (or 45 or 55 or...) years old.  Is it ridiculous for me 
      to consider ballet classes? 
     3.5. I'm thinking of returning to ballet after --- years; how should I 
      start?  Are there videos I can buy? 
     3.6. I'm a man.  I feel funny about taking ballet classes.  I mean, 
      isn't it...er...a little...? 
     3.7. Okay, I'm starting ballet.  What equipment do I need? 
     3.8. I'm a guy!  Do I *have* to wear tights? 
     3.9. Where can I buy dancewear? 
     3.10. How can I make a tutu? 
     3.11. How do I find/choose a school or teacher? 
     3.12. How can I tell if a teacher is good? 
     3.13. If the teacher makes me feel good, won't I become overconfident? 
     3.14. I live in ----; where can I take classes? 
     3.15. I don't know a thing about ballet and I'm trying to select a 
      school for my child.  What should I look for? 
     3.16. What is this "Dolly Dinkle" business, anyway? 
     3.17. What about studying in a university dance department? 
     3.18. Where can I find out about Summer dance programs? 
     3.19. I took my first class and I couldn't understand what was going on! 
     3.20. I keep getting mixed up! 
     3.21. What is "B-plus"? 
     3.22. How can I learn to raise my leg over my shoulder, the way I see 
      other dancers doing? 
     3.23. When can my daughter start toe dancing? 
     3.24. I'm an adult beginner.  Am I too old for pointe? 
     3.25. I'm 5'7" (or whatever) high.  Am I too tall for ballet? 
     3.26. What is a career in dancing like? 
     3.27. My daughter's gym classes are interfering with her ballet 
      training.  What can I do to make the school listen? 
     3.28. How can I build a proper floor for dancing? 
     3.29. How high should a ballet barre be? 
     3.30. I'm job hunting.  Any tips for preparing a resume? 
  
 PART 4: BRIEF HISTORY OF BALLET AND MODERN DANCE 
  
     4.1. Who invented ballet? 
     4.2. I thought ballet was a Russian art. 
     4.3. When was the first ballet? 
     4.4. What is the oldest surviving ballet? 
     4.5. When was the first ballet school started? 
     4.6. How did ballet develop after the founding of that school? 
     4.7. Who was Noverre? 
     4.8. How did ballet develop in the nineteenth century? 
     4.8.1. Who was Carlo Blasis? 
     4.8.2. Who was August Bournonville? 
     4.8.3. The primacy of the ballerina 
     4.8.4. Ballet in Russia 
     4.8.5. Who was Didelot? 
     4.8.6. Who was Petipa? 
     4.9. Dance in the 20th century 
     4.9.1. Who was Diaghilev and what did he do? 
     4.9.2. Who was Fokine? 
     4.9.3. Who was Balanchine? 
     4.9.4. The beginnings of modern dance 
  
 PART 5: MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS 
  
     5.1. Is there a way of writing down dance, the way we write down music? 
     5.2. Is there software for doing choreography? 
     5.3. Is there software for my dance studio? 
     5.4. What is Contact Improvisation? 
  
 PART 6: READING LIST 
  
     6.1. Books 
     6.2. Periodicals 
  
 PART 7: ORGANIZATIONS 
     7.1. General 
     7.2. Organizations offering help with eating disorders 
  
 ================ 
  
 PART 1 
  
 1. General information 
  
 In a group as young as this one was when this FAQ was first written, we 
 didn't have enough data to identify "frequently-asked" questions, with a 
 few exceptions; hence many of the entries were answers to questions that 
 we might reasonably *expect* to be frequently asked, or at least wondered 
 about.  I chose to discuss things that I myself had wondered about; things 
 that, I surmised, beginners and non-dancers must wonder about (since this 
 group is specifically intended to include them); a few technical points 
 (well known to dancers but not to spectators); and a fairly extensive 
 history of ballet from 1489 to the close of the Diaghilev era.  Coverage 
  
 [continued in next message] 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)