Ballet Teacher Companion 4+

Would have been way more easy if you just put videos instead of large lists

The name "Ballet Teacher Companion" for this app, is vague and misleading. As an ex-pro and now scholar/pedagogue, this app site pleads the questions, What method within which cultural aesthetic, what curricula, what lesson plan? Is it Vaganova? Bournonville? French? Balanchine, one of the English methods? Cecchetti? Or The usual: a mish-mash of ideas from uneducated ballet masters who -think- they understand ballet simply because they were dancers and memorized ballets and ballet steps -quite often- with the wrong reference and name?

Well, I've dowloaded the app, and it is...yep,as far as I can tell, it's a miss mash of techniques very vaguely based upon Vaganova, some French and the usual badly interpreted Cecchetti references. In the sample adagio it states, "Chassé devant". Well, Cecchetti introduced this "step" when he was modernizing balelt teachnique away from the classical ideal and towards the new modernism the Ballet Russe was introducing over a century ago, when he became ballet master there: it isn't classical and should -never- betaught in a clasical ballet lesson. Period. But, as we all know, sadly, it's taught (rather "given") everywhere. ... However, I can't tell you much more than that: the lessons are available by purchase well above the $50 mark. How are we to know what they are and are any good? By the sample intermediate adagio as a guide, there is -no way- I will risk my money as such! this is unwise and a big mistake in marketing.

The fact is, there are quite a few of these all over the appstore. I haven't found one that is sound in curricular basis, methodological reasoning or ability to function for students. This last part is most important. Few books and canned lesson plans can be translated onto students, even if they don't (for example) inaccurately use the term "coupe" in stead of sur le cou de pied". (which is so obscenely common, I get a headache whenever I hear yet another mediocre teacher use it.)

Here's the problem: a series of classes from one pedagogue or one individual cultural and methodological source can and will not served the vast majority of dancers at any given time. So, with this caveat, if you're a pro or ex pro who hasn't dedicated the miniumum of 4 years or so to advanced study of specificity of pedagoical system, download it. Its likely not going to be any worse that what you're already teaching, and might actually help....a little. But, iPad apps and canned syllabae do not a lesson make, any more than the lack of education most ex dancers have in making them teachers.

I give this app 2 stars only because the makers are well meaning. But, like all such apps, it fails due to the fact that canned classes are not designed for specificity of audience. Ergo, "Ballet Teacher Companion", -isn't- a ballet teacher companion. It is simply another way to make some money because a few ballet masters think their classes are good for -all- students. This abolutist approach is the root of it's failure.

Even though the app itself is free you have to buy literally almost everything.