1. This PowerPoint will help you to:
Technique
This PowerPoint will help you to:
Give examples of technical skills specific to ballet and contemporary by identifying technical exercises and their relationship between the exercise and the style of dance.

2. Ballet Exercise Plié http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O9mBG9vm44
Relation to ballet
In French, plier (plee-AY) means "to bend." There are two ways to do a plié. The demi-plié is a half-bend of the knees. The heels must be kept firmly on the ground. The demi-plié is very important for jumping and turning, providing the push for height or spin, and the cushion for landing.

3. Ballet
Exercise Preparations for pirouette: Relevé (meaning to lift) Spotting (use of the head, see top video)
Relation to ballet
Relevé- rising from any position to balance on one foot on at least demi-pointe. A good relevé will enable the dancer to perform more turns. Spotting will stop the dancer from feeling dizzy.

4. BALLET/Contemporary Relation to Dance Style Exercise
Tendu or contemporary Brush:
Relation to Dance Style
Tendu is a brush of the foot where the extended foot never leaves the floor. The working foot slides forward or sideways or backwards from the fifth or first position to reach the forth or second position, stretching the instep. It forms the preparation for many other positions, such as the ronds de jambe, pirouette positions and strengthening the feet for pointe work.

5. Contemporary
Exercise Contraction and release
Relation to contemporary Builds up the stomach and back muscles for work in the centre (standing) and allows the dancers to move with the breath.

6. Contemporary Exercise Spirals:
Relation to contemporary Allows the dancers to use the breath and not just forward and backward movement (like in ballet) but to revolve around the centre using their hips, torso, shoulders and head effectively.