Scott Speck has conducted hundreds of ballet performances throughout the United States and Europe. He is Music Director of the Joffrey Ballet, Artistic Director of the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, and former Conductor of the San Francisco Ballet. Evelyn Cisneros danced for the San Francisco Ballet for 23 years and is the Artistic Director of the National Dance Institute of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Ballet Dancing from the Top 7

Chapter 1: Curtain Up! Welcome to the Ballet 9

Chapter 2: Stocking the Tools of the Trade 17

Chapter 3: Getting Toasty: Warming Up Your Body 31

Chapter 4: Leaping into Ballet Basics 47

Chapter 5: Music, Maestro! 63

Part 2: Belly Up to the Barre 73

Chapter 6: Basic Barre-Tending 75

Chapter 7: Stepping It Up at the Barre 97

Chapter 8: Getting a Leg Up 115

Part 3: Center Floor, Anyone? 137

Chapter 9: Getting to Center Floor 139

Chapter 10: Ballet's Tasmanian Devil: The Pirouette 155

Chapter 11: Linking It Together: The Steps Between the Steps 173

Chapter 12: Ground Control to Ballet Dancer 187

Chapter 13: Getting More Air Time 205

Part 4: Living the Ballet Life 219

Chapter 14: Partners Aren't Just for Square Dancing 221

Chapter 15: Exploring Choreography 235

Chapter 16: What the Heck Are They Saying? The Art of Ballet Mime 249

Chapter 17: Watching Ballet in Action 267

Part 5: The Part of Tens 281

Chapter 18: The Ten Most Commonly Used Ballet Steps 283

Chapter 19: Ten Best-Loved Classical Ballets 287

Chapter 20: Ten Great "Contemporary" Ballets 295

Chapter 21: The Ten Best Ballet Terms for Cocktail Parties 303

Chapter 22: Ten Fascinating Facts about Professional Ballet Dancers 307

Glossary of Ballet Terms 315

Index 323