Dean Speer
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780813034386
- eISBN:
- 9780813046280
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813034386.003.0017
- Subject:
- Music, Dance
This chapter describes the career and teaching philosophy of Dean Speer, Founding Director of the Chehalis (Washington) Ballet Center and former Artistic Director of the Chattanooga Ballet. Speer's ...
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This chapter describes the career and teaching philosophy of Dean Speer, Founding Director of the Chehalis (Washington) Ballet Center and former Artistic Director of the Chattanooga Ballet. Speer's choreography has been filmed for national television, and he has conducted many workshops for teachers. He says that it takes three critical components to acquire a good technique: learning the vocabulary or steps, including common patterns such as the classic tombé–pas de bourrée–glissade–assemblé; mastering how each is to be done well; and internalizing it, which leads to authoritative performance. The technique then looks not as if it were imposed from without, but like it comes from within the dancer. Technique is the core strength of a good dancer.Less
This chapter describes the career and teaching philosophy of Dean Speer, Founding Director of the Chehalis (Washington) Ballet Center and former Artistic Director of the Chattanooga Ballet. Speer's choreography has been filmed for national television, and he has conducted many workshops for teachers. He says that it takes three critical components to acquire a good technique: learning the vocabulary or steps, including common patterns such as the classic tombé–pas de bourrée–glissade–assemblé; mastering how each is to be done well; and internalizing it, which leads to authoritative performance. The technique then looks not as if it were imposed from without, but like it comes from within the dancer. Technique is the core strength of a good dancer.
