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Favorite Books to Learn Common Dance Terms
I have been reading more “theory” of ballet dance books and have been loving it! It’s absolutely fascinating and it brings more depth to my everyday ballet classes. There is something to be said of approaching ballet from different learning viewpoints.
The main way to learn is by doing, aka kinesthetic. Then listening to classical music or even to your teacher talking is auditory learning. Lastly, you can learn from visual means, which includes seeing or reading.
I find for me, especially as an adult with mom brain, that combining all three learning styles really helps me get more deep into my ballet practice.
If you don’t have a lot of time, then I highly suggest you start with these three books!
Top Three Ballet Terminology Book List
All these books are beautiful books that will help you dive deep into classical ballet. These books feature dance terminology with pictures so you can grasp the written language of ballet and the visual aspects as well.
Below you will find a deeper breakdown of these books and what you can expect from them. But first, let’s dive into WHY you should spend the time reading these ballet dance terminology books.
Why are Reading these Books About Common Dance Terms Important?
Reading is obviously a passion of mine, hence the name Plies and Books. So it was an obvious leap for me to start including books to learn more about dance. I think all adult beginner ballet students should read dance books. It helps you to get a better grasp on what you are doing each time you take a ballet class. Let’s break down the reasons. 👇
Know What the Teacher is Saying
This goes without saying, that the very first adult ballet class you attend is OVERWHELMING. The teacher is saying words in a completely different language, the movements are unnatural, and you want me to hold my turnout the whole time?!
It can be a lot. If that first class you took was a flop, don’t worry. Mine was too. And I’m sure thousands of others were as well.
The more you practice the more you will start to understand the language.
That’s where the books really have helped me. Being able to see the words and how they were spelled and visualize the movement has tremendously helped me in class. Do my frappes still look out of control? Yeah, kind of. But I have a better understanding of the movement after reading about it.
Understand What the Dance Position is Supposed to Look Like
What I really love about these books is that it is basically ballet dictionary with pictures! This can be great for reference if you are practicing from home from memory or going over any corrections that the teacher gave you at home.
If you need help with how to take ballet notes, make sure to check out this blog post here.
Alternatively, you can also look up most ballet movements on YouTube. Make sure to use trusted sources so you aren’t learning incorrect techniques.
Practice Visualization
This may seem silly at first, but visualizing dance steps can help you perform them better in real life. There are a few main steps to visualizing a dance movement.
1. Have a clear idea of the dance step
Having one of your dance books nearby will help with this! You can also record yourself in class or look on YouTube to learn how to complete the step correctly.
2. Be very detailed
Do you know the position you start in, what are your arms doing, where is the right foot and left foot, and what is the upper body doing?
You get the idea. Ballet is all in the details, so to properly visualize you need to make sure you understand clearly what exactly you are doing.
3. Add the emotions and feeling
How will you feel if you complete this step successfully? Visualize the outcome of the step and what it will feel like in your body.
4. Start taking action
Visualizing is great, but the next step is to take action! To create the life of your dreams you need to take action and start building it.
If you need help creating actionable goals, then start here with this blog post that will teach you step by step how to create ballet goals.
Follow Correction Easily
Another way that reading books help your dance is that it allows you to follow correction easier. If you have already read about second position and seen it in your book, then when the teacher offers you correction, you will already have a better understanding of what you need to do with your body.
This goes along with understanding the language of ballet. It will make it so much easier in class if you already know basic ballet terms.
Take Ballet Notes
Reading dance books has helped me with this so much! If you have ever tried to jot notes down after your adult ballet class, and are frozen in horror because you actually don’t know how to spell any ballet terms, then you NEED to start reading a dance terminology dictionary.
This will help you take notes that you actually understand later on and will further cement the concept of the step into your brain.
If you need a place to take ballet notes, then grab my FREE ballet planner below! 👇
It’s time to dive into the actual books now!
Ballet Terms Books for Beginners
I will be breaking down each book with a quick pros and cons list, so you can decide which book is good for you to get started with.
1. A Dictionary of Ballet Terms Leo Kersley and Janet Sinclair
This pocket-size book is perfect to take along with you to class or to a performance. It has interesting anecdotes about specific ballet performances. This comprehensive book is geared toward ballet goers.
Pros
- Travel size
- Simple definitions
- Line Sketches
- References popular ballets steps are found
Cons
- Not Comprehensive
- Geared toward true beginners
2. Ballet Companion by Eliza Gaynor Minden
This is a comprehensive reference book that is filled with beautiful photographs. It has tons of practical advice from choosing your school to guiding you through a whole ballet class. It is less of a dictionary and more of a beautiful book that every adult ballet beginner should read.
Pros
- Comprehensive reference book for ballet terms
- In-depth coverage on all ballet topics like class etiquette, how to buy ballet shoes, and more!
- Must have read for adult ballet beginners
- Professional dance photography for steps
Cons
- Geared toward younger readers but still great information for new adult ballet students
3. Classical Ballet Terms: An Illustrated Dictionary by Richard Glasstone
This robust dictionary covers over 560 classical ballet terms with a focus on correct spelling and grammar.
Pros
- Mega list of over 560 ballet terms defined
- Historical background and the linguistic origins of many terms
Cons
- Outdated photos
- Limited photographs of positions
4. The Classic Ballet: Basic Technique and Terminology by Lincoln Kirstein, Muriel Stuart
This book is a must-have addition to every ballerina library. It has nearly 600 line drawings detailing body position, balance points, movements, and steps of classical ballet.
Pros
- A comprehensive review of almost 600 classical ballet terminology
- A very detailed breakdown of terms
- Beautifully drawings of each position
- Best references for barre exercises
Cons
- Only Balanchine method
- No other cons, I love this book!
5. Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet by Gail Grant
This is one of the most popular dictionaries of classical ballet terms! This book defines over 1,100 ballet steps, movements, poses, and other ballet concepts. It breaks down each word phonetically and with a translation. It also includes how the movement or step is performed along with the purpose.
Pros
- Defines over 1,100 ballet steps
- The most in-depth dance terminology dictionary
- Easy and concise language
- Cross-reference guide to alternative names for similar steps
Cons
- There are not pictures for every position
- Very technical, it is a real dictionary, not a leisure reading book
6. Basic Principles of Classical Ballet by Agrippina Vaganova
This book features 118 illustrations with a deep dive into the Vaganova method! This book is a great add-on to the 100 Lessons in Classical Ballet by Vera S. Kostrovitskaya. It covers all basic terms and ideas from classical ballet.
Pros
- Very descriptive language
- Great diagrams
- Classical ballet book
Cons
- It only talks about the principles of Vaganova’s system
- Better when combined with other books
7. 100 Lessons in Classical Ballet by Vera S. Kostrovitskaya
This is a great guide for someone who has been taking ballet classes for a while and wants to include additional exercises at home. It is the complete 8-year curriculum of the Vaganova school and a great addition to any adult ballerinas library.
Pros
- Complete 8-year curriculum (lesson plans)
- Great way to train at home
- Good for people who learn best from reading
Cons
- Not a lot of images
- Does not go into detail about the exact movements
- Need a basic understanding of ballet terms
- NOT a dictionary
Should you use it digitally or physically?
For most of these books, I would recommend that you use the physical version because of the illustrations! It would be hard to see some of the details in the pictures and also sometimes they remove the photos in the digital format.
But specifically for the Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet, I would get it in both!
I love a digital book because you can use the search feature! That way if you are in class or want to look up something really quick, you can just pull out your phone or Kindle, and search for the exact ballet term you are looking for.
Ultimately you need to do what works best for you!
Did you enjoy this quick review of my favorite ballet terminology books? Make sure to share it with your ballet bestie so they can learn more too!
Keep dancing. 🩰
This is such a thoroughly researched article! I’m not a dancer but I can see how visualization would really help performance!
Thank you!
This is a great in depth post! I took ballet in high school and loved it! I can’t wait for my daughter to be old enough for ballet classes 😊
That’s amazing! My daughter is almost two years old and I can’t wait for her to take classes too! It will be our special thing together. 💗