Dancers Dream With Their Feet
Analysis of the Ballet Discourse through James Gee and Darcy Fiano
Introduction —
Ballet is an artistic form of dance known for graceful and fluid movements to express emotions or feelings. Stories can be told through famous ballets; like the Nutcracker or Swan Lake.
James Paul Gee, a literacy researcher from Southern California, states that a Discourse is a saying, doing, being, valuing, believing combination. It’s a form of life that integrates these characteristics together. Gee says that secondary discourses are learned later in life, and build off of the Primary Discourse. Since an individual’s primary Discourse is their base foundation of life, secondary discourses are practices that can be acquired later down the road.
In my case, ballet is a secondary Discourse because of when it became a big part of my life. In order to be in the Discourse of ballet one must acquire the necessary parts and pieces. These parts and pieces boil down to seven tasks for being in a Discourse. Darcy A. Fiano has come up with these seven building tasks through her research on how a little girl transferred language from her Primary Discourse at home to her secondary discourse at school. The tasks are the significance, practices, identities, relationships, politics, connections and sign systems that must be obtained to be considered in the Discourse. In the Discourse of ballet one must understand each and every part and grasp each building task to the fullest. Through analyzing Fiano’s seven tasks, different artifacts are useful to explain the aspects of ballet.
Artifacts —
Three artifacts will be used for this Discourse Analysis. They include a video, interview and ballet handbook. Through these artifacts and Fiano’s tasks, this analysis will help others better understand the necessary requirements to being in a Discourse. This analysis will work with his and Fiona’s ideas in the Discourse of ballet.
Entering and being in a Discourse takes time and hard work. There are many aspects of the Discourse to obtain in order to be considered fully in it. “A Discourse is a sort of “identity kit” which comes complete with the appropriate costume and instructions on how to act, talk, and often write…to take on a particular role that others will recognize” (Gee 7). In order to be considered in this secondary Discourse one needs to acquire the role of this identity.
Classical ballet training is an extensive process that requires physical strength, stamina and determination. Ballet training usually begins around the age of eight or nine (Ballet Austin 9) so that the ballerinas can form their basic techniques that will carry them into their ballet careers. Some of these techniques include balance, posture, isolating certain body parts, and rhythm (Ballet Austin 9). Being in the ballet Discourse means starting at an early age in order to progress at the appropriate rate. As the ballerina progresses these basic techniques pave the way for difficult jumps, balances and stretches.
“Dominant Discourses are secondary Discourses the mastery of which, at a particular place and time, brings with it the (potential) acquisition of social “goods” (money, prestige, status, etc)” (Gee 8).
Terminology —
A large part of ballet terminology is in the French language. Ballet terms are taught in French, since there are sometimes no exact translations into English. Part of being in the ballet Discourse is understanding these terms and connecting their names with the correct movements or positions. According to Darcy Fiano’s tasks it is extremely important for someone to know these practices and understand their significance. An individual who is in the Discourse must understand these practices as well as the six other tasks.
For example, the term “turn out” is very common in ballet (PsycheTruth 2:43). For someone who is not already in the Discourse, this phrase could mean a variety of different things. A ballerina’s hips should be in line with their shoulders and ankles and everything should be in one straight line from the side view. If the turn out is forced, then there is a tendency to have an arched back, instead of a straight spine (PsycheTruth 5:33). For someone who is in the Discourse, this is common knowledge and comes very naturally. Having turned out feet, a straight back and everything in a straight line is a position ballerinas are familiar with.
These practices are essential to understanding the nature of ballet, and takes time and dedication overall. Fully comprehending the positions and fluid movements of ballet can prove who or who isn’t in the Discourse.
Professional Ballet —
In the ballet Discourse, especially in the professional setting, there is an identity that an individual needs to have.
This identity comes with specific values and beliefs which are also a part of Gee’s Discourse definition. An interview with New York City Ballet’s ballerina Sara Mearns sheds light on her new found identity with ballet and her background in this Discourse. “The most important quality that one must have is self discipline. That goes for any athlete, and dancers are the top athletes. For dancers, this has to start at a very young age” (Mearns).
Dedication is an identity ballerinas need to have, and Sara proves this through choosing ballet school over college. Ballet is a self-disciplined sport and it is completely up to the individual whether they progress or not to the next level.
An individual in any Discourse must identify with certain aspects in order to prosper in their field. “My childhood was entirely dedicated to my dancing. I spent six hours in the morning at academic school, then left school early to go the studio and didn’t leave most days until 10pm” (Mearns). Ballet was a lifestyle choice for Sara, and she was clearly in the Discourse as she spent countless hours in the studio dancing. Just dancing for hours in the studio doesn’t automatically mean someone is in the Discourse. Participating in all aspects and being under the apprenticeship is what ultimately leads to full acceptance.
As Fiano discusses through Gee these values are important. Without having these values an individual won’t be considered in the Discourse. Ballerinas need to choose ballet as their identity which ultimately helps them succeed; they also must develop relationships with other dancers especially for big performances.
In conclusion —
The ballet community is a secondary Discourse that requires a combination of saying, doing, believing and valuing characteristics. In order for an individual to be fully in the ballet Discourse, there are seven tasks mentioned by Fiano one must acquire. In ballet, an individual must know the correct terminology that is needed to perform the dance moves. They must also be able to identify with different aspects of ballet and understand the relations hips with their partner of the opposite gender.
Full entrance into this Discourse takes time and dedication through the apprenticeship process. Through this analysis, ballet is proven to be a Discourse based on Gee’s definition and Fiano’s building tasks.
