Page Ten

TH E MI CH IGA N DA IL '

Se temp b 17 1956I;

ap nmTerMICHGN AL


WORKOUT - Margaret Smit
sur le cou de pied" at the Barr

THE BALLET LESSON
'j[HE outmoded idea that one She is past-president of the Ce-
has to go to New York or Hot- chetti Council of America, which
lywood to study dancing meets fosters a graded system of danc-
daily disproof n the person of
Syvia Hamer. ing patterned after educational
Mrs. Hamer, who has been institutions; and she has been
training Ann Arbor rsidents and awarded a Licentiate from the
students in the art of dance for Imperial1Society of London, neces-
24 years, is a vigorous and in- sary for teaching in any of the
formed teacher-artist who devotes British Commonwealth nations, a
the major share of her time to procedure which she calls "more
cworking with both amateur and advanced than anything in Ameri-
3 professional dancers, Most com- ca, where untrained people can
pletely interested in ballet, she teach if they want. In London, you
possesses a thorough training as have to prove that you can teach"
aoth performer and teacher in Mrs. Hamer numbers the fol-
x classical dancin that .she has lowing among her teachers: Kath-
'upplemented through the years erine Forbes of the American M
~; with enthusiasm, study and hard S'School of Ballet; Mary Skeaping
w orkand Peggy Van Praagh, both ex-
Is ballet dyin? Not for Mrs. balletmistresses of the Sadlers
HIatmer, and most certinly not Wells Ballet Company; and Mar-
in the United States. "Ballet's just I garet Craske, Cechetti's pupil. 
tarting in this country,"'she "These are the people I've 'stu-
says. "People are iust beginning died with'," she says. "I've 'taken
to be conscious that it's a scien- lessons' from many people that
tifie art and that you need to be the public recognizes more easily,
scientifically trained to practice but there's a difference between
it." And by' "scientific," Mrs. Ha- 'taking lessons' and 'studying,'"
mer means dance trainig which
h practicng "pose sur le oine,Y A R incorporates a knowledge of hu- AT THE moment, Mrs. Hamer is
h rp SYLI binnE nan anatomy, the knowledge be- preparing to resume her posi-
*e* benginecessary to "bring out con- tion as Artistic Director and Bal-
inuity of movement." letmistress of the newly formed
"As a performer, you have to Ann Arbor Civic Ballet. The group,
know what muscles to use and which had its inception last
how to use them. And as a teach- spring, is what Mrs. Hamer calls
er, you have to watch your pupils' "a sign of the new interest in bal-
development and know when to let. All of a sudden ballet compa-
speed them up, when to slow them nies are starting to form. Ours is
down, The training must coordin- the first civic ballet in Michigan,
ate with the normal growth and but I've heard of three others that
development of the child." have since emerged - in Oregon,
New Orleans and Georgia.
YLVIA HAMER doesn't even re- "We're trying to prepare a place
member when she began danc- for the local people to dance, so
ing, but just recalls that it was they won't be running off to New
"slipped in, My family was very York before they're ready. In this
musical and I was forced to study way they can acquire both ade
the piano. I didn't like it, so my quate training and stage pres-
sther let me take dancing les- ence."
sons instead, opposing mother's Mrs. Hamer notes that rot only
family, who objected to dancing." has ballet began to become an
At 22, she joined the Albertina- American art, the entire picture
Rasch Ballet Company, an Italian of dancing has chaned in the
soup in which she was the only United States in the past few
American girl danced in New years. "When I began teaching, no
York for two-and-one-half years, ballet dancer would have dreamed
after which she returned to Mich- of doing tap, but there were so
can to smrry Ellsworth Haer. many calls for tap that I had to
now a local theater manager, learn it. Today, dancers realize
It was then that she decided to that while tap may not help their
teach, although, as she puts it, ballet work, it will iot harm it
I could dance, but I needed to either.
tudy more before I could teach; "The call these days is for
I needed to learn anatomy to know the all-around professional, who
wisat the body was made of and knows ballet, can do tap, Spanish
how it worked." and character dancing, and who
has spent time studying mime,"
MONG teachlers, Mrs. Hamer Mrs. Hamer recalls the summer
s a highly respected worker, of 1954 when she taught in Holly-
Once a month she goes to Chica- wood. "Some of the kids had come
go to coach professional dancers out all the way from Michigan to
and teachers who travel from the take lessons - and who did they
o younger class members, Miss Smith does a "pose 2nd arabesque" Southern and Western states to end up studying with? - Sylvia
work with her. Hamer of Ann Arbor, Michigan,"

ADMIRERS - Watched by two

'It CII S IiELP - Mrs tHamer adjsts hips for proper place-
Wc t l f les "a I' Serconi ."

1ZYING HIGH - Pamela Magoon executes a ' U anae .fete en ava.ny-