Mime in Ballet

Book excerpt: With the ever-increasing emphasis on the more athletic aspects of ballet technique, students tend to underestimate the importance of detailed hand movements and small, intimate gestures. Studying the exercises in this book will help to guard against the loss of a precious part of our ballet heritage. Truthful motivation is the key to expressive gesture and these gestures need to be as carefully studied and as clearly controlled as a pirouette or entrechat.