Ballet Class with Gil Isoart

This at-home class is a beautiful example of work that can be done while out of the studio. Isoart shows how to use the supporting side of the body into a fully integrated posture. Note his use of turnout and his articulation of the lower legs and feet. He uses the supporting side not just from the hip downward, but from the inside shoulder right down to the supporting heel. The work is technical, yet a beauty emanates from purifying these details. Use the class to work on the quality of the 5th position, the quiet placement of the whole body, and the articulation the feet against the floor. Isoart also stresses integrated movement between the upper and lower body. This, while responding sensitively to the music, reminds us that despite the physical demands of technique, “ballet is not a sport, but an art.”