Ballet Program Core Principals
Ballet at Performing Arts Workshop
Performing Arts Workshop’s youth program offers expert tutelage in classical ballet to students between 3 and 18 years old. Our skilled faculty provides multi-disciplinary ballet training, prioritizing the Vaganova method, in order to provide our students with in-depth and holistic classical ballet training. PAW’s syllabus is specifically tailored across seven progressive levels, and is designed to provide a solid foundation through which aspiring ballet dancers can continue to build and grow, year after year. While our intention is to provide our students with the highest caliber pre-professional training, we also prioritize creating a healthy space for our students to safely explore and develop their artistry. Finding that perfect blend between discipline and joy is crucial to the entire faculty at PAW, so that we aren’t simply training strong dancers, but dedicated, passionate, and joyful artists.
Level progression is evaluated throughout the year, and requires that students are meeting both curriculums and attendance requirements as outlined in our policies.
Our youngest students begin with Pre-Ballet and Ballet Fundamentals, for children aged 2.5 - 6, during which time they focus on basic development of classroom etiquette, co-ordination, musicality, posture, épaulement, comprehension of basic positions, and a love for moving.
By the end of Level 1, students are expected to have furthered their knowledge of ballet vocabulary, technique, and posture, now practicing double handed barre work.
By the end of Level 2, students use one hand on the barre and will possess a knowledge of most barre exercises in classical technique. Students are expected to demonstrate a broadened knowledge of the core principles, technique, musicality, and proficiency in complex classical ballet vocabulary, as well as discipline and mature ballet classroom etiquette.
Level 3 students will be challenged to heighten their technical proficiency and master more complex combinations. A central focus of this level is on building strength in the feet, ankles, and legs so as to prevent injury and prepare dancers for pre-Pointe and Pointe work. At the end of this level, dancers begin pointe work. Students of this level will be individually evaluated for promotion onto pointe, and are encouraged to pursue additional forms of dance in order to deepen their understanding of movement and their practice.
Our advanced Level 4 and 5 students are those who have demonstrated a commitment to rigorous and consistent practice, and are continuing to evolve their technique and professionalism to the highest standard. Our advanced training program is especially ideal for those who wish to pursue dance at the college or professional level.
Click here for a full summary of our syllabus and individual Level expectations.
The Vaganova Method at PAW
The Vaganova method draws its earliest inspiration from the Russian Imperial Ballet School, founded in 1738, and was officially formalized by Agrippina Vaganova in the early 20th century. It is a style and method of classical training that heavily emphasizes technical precision, athleticism, fluidity of movement, emotive port de bras, and discipline. The Vaganova method has produced many notable, world-class ballet dancers, including Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Diana Vishneva, Natalya Makarova, and Ulyana Lopatkina.
Vaganova emphasizes a structured progression of training, allowing dancers to first focus on building a solid foundation and mastery of the fundamentals of ballet, prior to moving on to more complex elements. By breaking down the technique into clear, logical components, Vaganova ensures that dancers not only understand how to execute steps, but why they are performed in the most efficient and expressive way. This meticulous approach builds technically strong, injury-resistant dancers who move with grace, precision, and expressive individuality.
PAW’s teachers have trained in this method during their upbringing and careers and bring this knowledge, as well as their own various approaches and professional lived dance experiences, to the classroom. Accordingly, PAW’s students are asked to commit to consistent and dedicated weekly training (as indicated by their level placement), in order to develop their athleticism, endurance, technique, and discipline.
Interdisciplinary Training
While the core of our ballet program is rooted in Vaganova’s principals and our teacher’s individual approaches, we strive to provide our students with a comprehensive, well rounded dance education.
Our teachers take special care to also train our advanced students in the technical variations and basic positions of the Cecchetti, Cuban, and RAD schools, so they have the versatility to adapt to various styles of movement and artistry.
Along with ballet, we also encouraged our students to explore other forms of dance, including jazz, contemporary, modern, hip-hop, and more. By engaging with different forms of movement and technique, our dancers can become more versatile, adaptable, and well-rounded artists.
PAW Alumni
Performing Arts Workshop has been providing classical ballet training to students in San Diego for over 40 years, and is proud to have alumni who have trained and dance professionally with companies including Ballet West, American Ballet Theatre, Gallim Ballet, City Ballet of San Diego, The Joffrey School, Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and more. Click here for our full list of where our PAW Alumni have trained and danced!
