Kristen Moore

DCE 200
12/2/2021
“Am I in the Right Class?”: An Ethnography of Ballet over Zoom

When I was a little kid, I was deeply fascinated by the art of ballet. From the graceful

extension of limbs to the way dancers can push their bodies to the absolute limit while looking so

polished and graceful, it all fascinated me. Growing up I was a very thin, tall, and lanky child,

and I had a few people tell me that I even looked like I could pursue ballet, but I soon gave up on

nagging my parents about classes. It remained a childhood dream. Upon taking Dance

Appreciation, I knew that the class I wanted to take for my ethnography was a ballet class. The

readings we analyzed in this course only furthered this fascination and I was very excited to

finally satisfy my inner childhood wonder about the art of ballet.

I signed up for a night-time course of beginner ballet through Steps on Broadway, under

the instruction of Heather Hawk. She had fantastic reviews on their website, and I was happy to

see that she encouraged turning off your camera to increase your comfort. As I joined the zoom

link, I noticed that all of the other online attendees were scattered in age. There were some

dancers that looked as young as 13, and some that appeared over 60 years old. Several had make-

shift studios in their home, with bars even installed in to their walls. Taking in as much

information as I could, I also noticed for those who had their camera far away I could see that

they had on ballet slippers. I instantly felt out of place in my sweat pants, bare feet, and baggy

tee shirt. There were two camera perspectives for the live studio, and as more and more people

came in with leotards, ballet slippers, and even tutus, I felt more self-conscious, even with my

camera off. I immediately felt that I wasn’t experienced enough to be participating, and

embarrassed that I thought I could be a part of this NYC ballet culture.

 Kristen Moore
DCE 200
12/2/2021
In her article “An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance”,

anthropologist Joann Keali`inohomoku argues the meaning and perception of the word “ethnic”

and goes on to describe how ballet has it’s own culture and ethnic background. Ballet, seen as a

Euro-centric and primarily white genre, is never described as “ethnic” due to the primitive and

even barbaric connotation of the term (Keali`inohomoku, 54). How could a genre known for its

elegant forms, graceful extensions, and overall delicate aesthetic be considered an “ethnic”

dance? Even as Keali`inohomoku goes on to answer this question through the historic analysis

and common traits of ballet, I sought to find my own interpretations to this question during my

online class. To begin the lesson, Hawk walks the class, both live and over zoom, through a

warm-up as she lists off quick position names and several French terms I had never heard of.

However, even with my apparent confusion, everyone in the studio mirrored each other

perfectly, all creating perfect forms, with pointed toes, straight backs, and raised chins. Even as

Hawk recommend changing the order of steps or the complexity as needed, several dancers

chose to make the warm-ups more challenging than simpler. I noticed early on that in the studio

there was an unspoken competition between dancers, which I previously knew was a common

theme in ballet. If one dancer made their movements more complex, others would try to top them

instantly, stretching just a bit further, or moving just a bit faster. From a physical perspective I

was trying to keep up and enjoy what my body was discovering, but from a social perspective I

couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and less than the other dancers as they executed each move

flawlessly.

I went on to try and appreciate the class as much as I could, even though I was mostly

standing and watching others dance, trying to at least absorb as much as I could regardless. In his

essay “The Critical Appreciation of Dance”, Larry Lavender states that in order “to engage in
 Kristen Moore
DCE 200
12/2/2021
informed and appreciative talk…one [is] to start with focused and open-minded seeing

(Lavender, 246). Utilizing this type of observation, I did my best to put my own participatory

faults aside and focus carefully on the true art and commonalities from this ballet class to what I

have studied previously during this semester. All of the dancers, both in the studio and on

camera, held themselves with confidence and an incredibly tall posture. I’m positive that I was

taller than any person in that studio, but the way in which they held themselves as they danced

created this illusion of maturity, elegance, and length. Even just attempting the simple moves, I

felt my calves, back, and core ache as I tried to balance and extend the way the studio members

did. However, with the fun selection of Halloween music, as this session was just 3 days shy of

the holiday, alongside Heather Hawk’s fun and positive way of teaching I found myself enjoying

the class nonetheless. Even through simple observation and minimal participation, I found

myself able to appreciate and understand what it takes to execute ballet, even in an informal

setting.

Applying the new observation and analysis techniques I learned this semester, I was able

to study the art of ballet through a Steps on Broadway class. Even as my skills were lacking, the

energy in the room and the attention to detail found in every participant made the experience

informative and pleasing to observe.

 Kristen Moore
DCE 200
12/2/2021
Bibliography:

Keali`inohomoku, Joann “An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance.”

Moving History/Dancing Cultures: A Dance History Reader, Ann Dils and Ann Cooper
Albright, eds. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2001 (pp. 52-62)
Lavender, Larry. "The Critical Appreciation of Dances" The Living Dance: An Anthology of
Essays on Movement and Culture, Judith Chazin-Bennahum, ed. Kendall Hunt: Dubuque
IA, 2003.