Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet

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Pas de Deux Dance Studio's classes are based on the Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet, created by Enrico Cecchetti.

Who was Enrico Cecchetti?

Enrico Cecchetti (1850 - 1920) was a ballet dancer and teacher in Italy.  He was the student of Filippo Taglioni, whose daughter Marie was one of the first ballerinas to dance en pointe.


He studied the basic principles of ballet and and created a standardized method of teaching ballet that focuses on the theory behind the movement.

Characteristics of the Method

*  Flowing and Blending of Arms
*  Hands Flow Invisibly between Positions (no flipping of wrists) 
*  Long, Clean Body Lines
*  Connection of Feet, Legs, Head and Arms when Dancing
*  Fast Footwork
*  Smooth Transitions
* Maximizing Natural Turnout without Forcing It

All methods have differences in the names of arm positions, body positions, port de bras and arabesques, as well as different systems of numbering the corners and walls of the room.

Cecchetti's Influence

Some of Cecchetti's Students
*  Anna Pavlova
* Alicia Markova
* George Balanchine

Schools with Curriculum based on the Cecchetti Method
*  Royal Ballet School, England (many of the Royal Ballet's first dancers were students of Cecchetti)
*  National Ballet School of Canada
*  Australian Ballet School

RAD and Vaganova methods also incorporate some of Cecchetti's principles.