Both Sides of the Mirror

Both Sides of the Mirror starts with the premise that skeletal equilibrium promotes harmonious musculature, which in turn makes harmonious movement possible. Early training establishes neuromuscular patterns that form the foundation of later technique. If the training is sound, the young student may become a graceful dancer who is challenged to extend technical skills further and further.

This second edition, published in 1992, incorporates kinesiology, biomechanics and physiology into the theories of ballet. Paskevska places the technical explanations within the spirit of the art form. The book contains material on the progression of training, which it uses to illustrate the possibilities and limitations of the body while cultivating balanced self-awareness for dance students and performing artists.

Chapters include: Introduction: A Personal Statement; Physical Requirements; Posture and Placement; Progression of Training; Sequence of a Ballet Class; Barre Work; Positions; Port de Bras and Arabesques; Weight Transference and Jumps; Principles of Turning; Pointe Work; Style; Classical and Modern Dance. Includes 47 illustrations.

Anna Paskevska was born in Russia and studied in Paris with Olga Preobrajenskaya, at the Paris Opera and in London at the Royal Ballet. She was a charter member of Western Theater Ballet and appeared in films and on British television before coming to reside in America in 1966. Paskevska is author of the book Ballet: From the First Plié to Mastery, An Eight-Year Course.