Cecchetti Ballet Method: What Is the Cecchetti Ballet Method?

The Cecchetti method of classical ballet is a training technique developed by the Italian ballet maestro Enrico Cecchetti (1850–1928). His method emphasizes regimen, elasticity, strength, and a true mastery of ballet technique and history.

At the peak of his career as a professional ballet dancer, Enrico Cecchetti was considered an unrivaled ballet master. Born in 1850 in Rome, he rose to prominence in the late 1880s in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he became a principal dancer of the Mariinsky Theatre under the direction of Ivan Vsevolozhsky. He would also dance for St. Petersburg's Imperial Ballet, where he was similarly regarded as a virtuoso thanks to his performance in works like The Sleeping Beauty.

He transitioned to teaching in 1902 when he became director of the Imperial Ballet School in Warsaw, Poland. It was then that he developed the classical ballet training method that bears his name. He later assumed directorship of Milan's La Scala Theatre Ballet School, where he taught a new generation of ballet students. He died in Milan in 1928.

The Cecchetti method has origins that trace back to the years before Cecchetti himself graced the ballet stage.

• A lineage of teachers: Maestro Enrico Cecchetti developed his namesake ballet technique following studies with his own teacher, Giovanni Lepri, in Florence. Lepri's own teacher was Carlo Blasis, a giant of nineteenth-century Italian ballet. Cecchetti also drew on his own professional-level experience as a ballet dancer. He taught some of Europe's leading dancers via ballet classes in Russia, Poland, and his native Italy.
• Many acclaimed students: Cecchetti's legacy as a ballet teacher became cemented following his death. He trained many of the top ballet dancers of the twentieth century, including Tamara Karsavina, Vaslav Nijinsky, Alicia Markova, Anna Pavlova, Olga Preobrajenska, Serge Lifar, Dame Marie Rambert, and Ninette de Valois.
• Ballet societies: Numerous ballet societies have also dedicated themselves to propagating the Cecchetti technique, including the Cecchetti Council of America, Cecchetti USA, the Cecchetti Society (which later folded into the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing), the National Ballet School of Canada, the Royal Ballet School, and the Australian Ballet School (which issues an Enrico Cecchetti Diploma to those who can pass rigorous ballet exams).

The Cecchetti method of classical ballet training emphasizes several traits in ballet dancers.

1. 1. Elasticity: Cecchetti ballet dancers of all grade levels are taught to demonstrate flexibility and pliability.
2. 2. Strength: Whether they are practicing barre, pirouettes, or pointe work, Cecchetti students must show the strength needed to sustain a career on a professional level.
3. 3. Musicality: The Cecchetti method emphasizes ballet dancers' synergy with music. Choreographers trained in the Cecchetti method design dances to serve the musical score.
4. 4. Mastery and understanding: Cecchetti students do not memorize techniques by rote. They learn the building blocks of each technique and are taught to have an appreciation for the history of ballet.
5. 5. Artistry: Ballet dancing is an art form, and Cecchetti ballet dancers present as artists, not mechanical technicians.

The Cecchetti method is a technique for teaching classical ballet students. It is one of several prominent training techniques including the Bournonville method, Vaganova method, and Legat method. As such, the Cecchetti method is one of many entry points into classical ballet. It is not a different type of dancing.

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