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Accesible Artistry

VSD offers recreational and vocational paths for students. Both recreational and vocational students attend the same classes until they pass their Cecchetti grade IV exam, in passing they may choose to take the recreational “Cecchetti grade V” or audition for the vocational “Cecchetti Intermediate (level I)”.

VSD offers a wide range of classes, including but not limited to: Classical ballet, Pointe work, Character, Contemporary, Modern, Folk dances, Jazz and Theatre, Variations and repertoire, Improvisation and choreography, Pas de deux, Sewing and Costuming, Stretch and Pilates, Strength and body conditioning, and Upper body programme.

All students showcase their skills in an annual summer recital. Vocational students audition to participate in a yearly spring ballet. Additionally, recreational and vocational students both are encouraged to audition for our annual performance of “The Nutcracker.”

Vocational path

VSD's vocational ballet route follows a traditional Cecchetti schedule, embracing a different key principle practiced each day of a six-day week.

Here is each principle, as understood by our academy:

Monday: Les Assemblés, The Line of Aplomb. The plumb line refers to the vertical line in the center of a shape that establishes its gravity.

On Mondays, dancers focus on their line of Aplomb and developing personal balance.

Exercises include Coupé et Fouetté, Développé croisé avec relevé, glissade entrechat six de côté, Demi-contretemps, entrechat six de côté (en diagonale), and Pas de bourrée, entrechat six en tournant (autour de la salle).

Tuesday: Les petits Battements: Épaulement. Épaulement is also known as contrapposto or opposition in the body. Tuesdays develop a dancer’s opposition and “least action” principle, the idea that one should use the least possible amount of energy to produce the greatest possible action. Exercises include Pas de bourrée dégagé, petits battements dégagé, fouetté, jeté, chassé, and pas de chat.

Wednesday: Les Ronds de Jambe: Turnout. On Wednesday, students amplify their opposition into full spirals En-dehors, En-dedans, and En place. Students learn when to expand outwards, when curl inwards, and when to return to their original position.

Exercises include Double rond de jambe sauté en dehors, posé en avant, Deux (slow) gargouillades en-dehors, and deux (quick) gargouillades en-dehors.

Thursday: Les Jetés: Transference of Weight. Jetés are about weight transfer in air, whether forwards, backwards, inwards, or outwards. Dancers develop their ability to transfer their weight and the expression that comes from this ability.

Exercises include Jeté, relevé, posé, coupé, cinq fois, Glissade derrière, jeté à l'arabesque croisée, dégagé en tournant, and entrechat six

Friday: La Batterie et Les Temps de Pointe: The Aerial Plane. On Fridays, dancers develop their ability to utilize the Aerial Plane, or to “hang in the air”. This includes not only jumps, but pointe work as well.

Exercises include Adage Glissade Cecchetti, Pas de basque battu, pas de basque battu en tournant, entrechat quatre, and entrechat six.

Saturday: Les Grands Fouettés Sautés: Ballon. Our dancers’ final day of the week covers Ballon, or their ability to bounce. Saturday focuses on momentum and unleashes all principles of the past week.

Exercises include Temps levé, chassé en arrière deux fois, temps levé posé deux fois, jeté élancé à l'attitude, pas de bourrée renversé, assemblé coupé derrière, and entrechat six.

Vocational students are encouraged to live on-site until they've graduated from the Vocational program. Students living on-site participate in 5 hours of academics Monday-Friday, 4 hours of dance on Monday-Friday, and an additional 6 hours of dancing on Saturdays. Student dormitories are located across the yard from the VSD'S center studio building.

The School provides residence students a comprehensive meal program at The VSD Café located on the second floor of VSD'S center studio building. Vegetarian and gluten free options are always available, and The Café’s friendly staff can accommodate for any unique food allergies. Menus are designed to fuel the athlete/dancer with a full schedule. Students are encouraged to make recommendations and suggestions.

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋

Valor School of Dance (VSD) was initially founded in 1918 by Raffaele Valor. The Valor School of Dance has seen several generations of famous dancers, choreographers, costumers, and maestros in its 100+ years.

Raffaele Valor had kindled his love for Dance as a young boy living in Italy and had worked closely with the famed Enrico Cecchetti. In his twenties, Raffaele Valor moved with his family to the western United States.

The Valor family, being patrons of the arts, frequented the small local theatre nearest to their home. One evening, during one of these visits, Raffaele struck up a conversation with a woman just outside of the theatre. The woman explained to him that her name was Helen Winston, that she came to watch the ballerinas perform nearly every day and practiced her own dancing outside the windows. Hearing this, Raffaele asked her to perform a dance for him.

Raffaele was so baffled by her performance that he had sworn to her at that very moment that one day he would open a ballet school of his own and she would be his very first student.

Raffaele had lost contact with Helen by the time he founded his school eight years later, but named the school after himself in the hopes that she would remember his name and come attend. Helen Winston went on to become the first graduate of Valor School of Dance to become a Prima Ballerina.

Valor School of Dance's history is steeped in artistry, passion, and commitment. This legacy carries over to modern day with Valor School's unique style that blends Cecchetti's traditional focus on dancers’ health and technique, Valor's love for dramatic artistry, and the belief that dance should be accessible to all passionate enough to try. Valor's style embraces a dancer’s natural forms and shapes rather than a stretch of their physical capabilities.

Curious about student life? Click here. (To be added)

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