Classification of the principles of ballet pedagogy: didactic, professional, and ontological levels
DOI: 10.23951/2307-6127-2026-4-7-15
The article addresses the theoretical conceptualization of ballet pedagogy as a specific field of professional education possessing its own ontology, didactics, and system of pedagogical principles. The study begins with a critical analysis of the widespread notion of ballet as an “art of the young,” whose pedagogical implications have remained insufficiently examined within academic pedagogical discourse. It is shown that the age-related and corporeal determination of the ballet dancer’s profession fundamentally shapes the structure, content, and objectives of ballet education, distinguishing it from anthropocentric models of general pedagogy. The aim of the article is to develop a scientifically grounded classification of the principles of ballet pedagogy based on the analysis of historical experience, contemporary educational practices, and the author’s professional pedagogical experience. The methodological framework includes works by classical theorists of general pedagogy, studies on the methodology of teaching academic dance forms, curricula, ballet and theatre scholarship, dissertation research, archival sources, and interviews with practicing ballet dancers and teachers. The research employs methods of theoretical pedagogical analysis, comparative pedagogical approach, pedagogical modeling, and participant observation. As a result of the study, an original three-level classification of the principles of ballet pedagogy is proposed for the first time, comprising the ultimate (ontological), didactic, and professional levels. It is substantiated that each of these levels reflects a distinct dimension of the pedagogical reality of ballet and cannot be reduced to the others. The study demonstrates that ballet pedagogy is oriented not toward universal personal development, but toward a purposeful artistic and bodily transformation leading to the formation of a stage ballet performer. It is concluded that ballet pedagogy may be regarded as an autonomous and internally coherent field of pedagogical knowledge within the framework of specialty 5.8.1 “General Pedagogy, History of Pedagogy and Education.” The findings may be applied in the development of educational standards, professional training programs, methodological foundations for research in ballet education, as well as in interdisciplinary pedagogical and cultural studies of contemporary theory and practice of arts education.
Keywords: ballet pedagogy, ballet education, teaching principles, professional dancer training, dance didactics
References:
1. Dogorova N.A. Stanovleniye i razvitiye pedagogicheskikh sistem v khoreograficheskoy kul’ture: ot XVII do nachala XX v. Dis. ... kand. iskusstvovedeniya [Formation and Development of Pedagogical Systems in Choreographic Culture: From the 17th to the Early 20th Century. Dis. ... cand. art history]. Saransk, 2006. 211 p. (in Russian).
2. Gromova E.V. Problemy baletnoy obrazovatel’noy paradigmy kak sfery nauchnogo znaniya [Problems of the ballet educational paradigm as a field of scientific knowledge]. Zdorov’e – osnova chelovecheskogo potentsiala: trudy VII Vserossiyskoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii 22–24 noyabrya 2012, St. Petersburg [Health as the Basis of Human Potential: proceedings of the 7th All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation November 22–24, 2012]. Saint Petersburg, 2012. Vol. 7, Part I. P. 122–124 (in Russian).
3. Dzhurinsky A.N. Istoriya zarubezhnoy pedagogiki: uchebnoye posobiye [History of Foreign Pedagogy. Textbook]. Moscow, 1992. 177 p. (in Russian).
4. Kraevsky V.V., Berezhnova E.V. Metodologiya pedagogiki: novyy etap: uchebnoye posobiye dlya studentov vuzov, obuchayushchikhsya po pedagogicheskim spetsial’nostyam [Methodology of Pedagogy: A New Stage. A Textbook for University Students Majoring in Education]. Moscow, Akademiya Publ., 2008. 393 p. (in Russian).
5. Slastenin V.A., et al. Pedagogika: uchebnoye posobiye dlya studentov vysshikh pedagogicheskikh uchebnykh zavedeniy [Pedagogy: a Textbook for Students of Higher Pedagogical Educational Institutions]. Moscow, Akademiya Publ., 2013. 576 p. (in Russian).
6. Gershunsky B.S. Filosofiya obrazovaniya: uchebnoye posobiye dlya studentov vysshikh i srednikh pedagogicheskikh uchebnykh zavedeniy [Philosophy of Education: a Textbook for Students of Higher and Secondary Pedagogical Educational Institutions]. Moscow, Moscow Psychological and Social Institute Publ., 1998. 432 p., ill. (in Russian).
7. Gershunsky B.S. Filosofsko-metodologicheskiye osnovaniya razvitiya obrazovaniya v Rossii [Philosophical and Methodological Foundations of the Development of Education in Russia]. Moscow, ITP MIO Publ., 1993. 160 p. (in Russian).
8. Vaganova A.Y. Osnovy klassicheskogo tantsa [Fundamentals of Classical Dance]. Leningrad, GIKhL Publ., 1934. 192 p., ill. (in Russian).
9. Bazarova N.P. Klassicheskiy tanets: uchebnoye posobiye [Classical Dance: Textbook]. Staint Petersburg, Lan’, Planeta Muzyki Publ., 2009. 204 p., ill. (in Russian).
10. Kostrovitskaya V.S., Pisarev A.A. Shkola klassicheskogo tantsa [School of Classical Dance]. Moscow, Iskusstvo Publ., 1986. 261 p., ill. (in Russian).
11. Uchebnye programmy Leningradskogo gosudarstvennogo khoreograficheskogo tehnikuma [Curricula of the Leningrad State Choreographic Technical School]. Leningrad, 1936. 82 p., ill. (in Russian).
12. Leontiev L.S., Monakhov A.M., Ponomarev V.I. Uchebnyy plan i programmy vstupitel’nykh ispytaniy Leningradskogo khoreograficheskogo tekhnikuma [Curriculum and Entrance Examination Programs Leningrad State Choreographic Technical School]. Leningrad, Leningrad State Choreographic Technical School Publ., 1928. 16 p. (in Russian).
13. Krasovskaya V.M. Stat’yi o balete [Articles on Ballet]. Leningrad, Iskusstvo Publ., 1967. 340 p. (in Russian).
14. Vsevolodsky–Gerngross V.N. Istoriya teatral’nogo obrazovaniya v Rossii [History of Theatrical Education in Russia]. Saint Petersburg, Directorate of the Imperial Theatres Publ., 1913. 463 p., ill. (in Russian).
15. Borisoglebsky M.B. Materialy po istorii russkogo baleta. 200 let Leningradskogo gosudarstvennogo khoreograficheskogo uchilishcha 1738–1938 [Materials on the History of Russian Ballet. 200 Years of the Leningrad State Choreographic School, 1738–1938]. Vol.1. Leningrad, Leningrad Choreographic School, 1938. 380 p., ill. Vol. 2. Leningrad, Leningrad Choreographic School Publ., 1939. 356 p., ill. (in Russian).
16. Filanovskaya T.A. Dinamika khoreograficheskogo obrazovaniya v khudozhestvennoy kul’ture Rossii XVIII–XX vv. Dis. ... dokt. kul’turologii [Dynamics of Choreographic Education in the Artistic Culture of Russia 18th-20th Centuries. Diss. ... doct. cult. sci.]. Vladimir, 2011. 388 p. (in Russian).
17. Zernova T.I. Vliyaniye razlichnykh form ranney professionalizatsii na lichnostnoye i intellektual’noye razvitiye podrostkov. Dis. ... kand. psikhol. nauk [The Influence of Various Forms of Early Professionalization on the Personal and Intellectual Development of Adolescents. Diss. ... cand. psychol. sci.]. Krasnodar, 2004. 194 p. (in Russian).
18. Ulyanova G.Y. Pedagogicheskaya podderzhka khudozhestvenno odarennykh detey v spetsializirovannom uchebnom zavedenii. Dis. ... kand. ped. nauk [Pedagogical Support of Artistically Gifted Children in Specialized Educational Institutions. Diss. ... cand. ped. sci.]. Krasnodar, 1999. 147 p. (in Russian).
19. Valukin E.P. Sistema muzhskogo klassicheskogo tantsa [The System of Male Classical Dance]. Moscow, TITIS Publ., 1999. 456 p., ill. (in Russian).
20. Valukin M.E. Evolyutsiya dvizhenii v muzhskom klassicheskom tantse [Evolution of Movement in Male Classical Dance]. Moscow, TITIS Publ., 1999. 456 p., ill. (in Russian).
21. Katusov E.A. Pedagogicheskiye printsipy v sovremennoy obrazovatel’noy khoreograficheskoy sisteme [Pedagogical principles in the contemporary educational choreographic system]. Metodologiya obucheniya i vospitaniya v khoreografii: sbornik materialov Vserossiyskoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii 1 aprelya – 30 maya 2016, Khanty-Mansiysk [Methodology of Teaching and Education in Choreography Proceedings of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference April 1 – May 30, 2016]. Khanty-Mansiysk, 2013. Pp. 78–83 (in Russian).
22. Bao Chang, Rusinova S.A. Osnovnye pedagogicheskiye printsipy pri podgotovke khoreografov [Fundamental pedagogical principles in the training of choreographers]. Vestnik Akademii Russkogo baleta imeni A.Ya. Vaganovoy – Bulletin of the Vaganova Ballet Academy, 2011, no. 1 (25), pp. 179–190 (in Russian).
23. Gribanova M.A., Vasilyev I.V. O metodologii pedagogiki baleta [On the methodology of ballet pedagogy]. Vestnik Akademii Russkogo baleta imeni A.Ya. Vaganovoy – Bulletin of the Vaganova Ballet Academy, 2018, no. 1 (54), pp. 79–84 (in Russian).
24. Alferov A.A. Pedagogicheskiye usloviya ispol’zovaniya videotekhniki v protsesse obucheniya klassicheskomu tantsu. Dis. ... kand. ped. nauk [Pedagogical Conditions for the Use of Video Technology in the Teaching of Classical Dance. Diss. ... cand. ped. sci.]. Moscow, 2007. 244 p. (in Russian).
25. Davydov V.P. Realizatsiya printsipa kul’turosoobraznosti v khoreograficheskoy pedagogike (na primere podgotovki spetsialistov-khoreografov) [Implementation of the principle of cultural conformity in choreographic pedagogy (based on the training of choreographic specialists)]. Vestnik KemGUKI, 2017, no. 41, pp. 166–174 (in Russian).
26. Shaydullina L.I. Organizatsiya protsessa obucheniya v russkoy khoreograficheskoy shkole [Organization of the educational process in the Russian choreographic school]. Pedagogicheskoye masterstvo [Pedagogical Mastery]. 2019. September 6 (in Russian). URL: https://www.pedm.ru/categories/3/articles/1732 (accessed 20 January 2026).
( 423.79 kB ) 
( 421.45 kB )
Issue: 4, 2026
Series of issue: Issue 4
Rubric: GENERAL PEDAGOGY, HISTORY OF PEDAGOGY AND EDUCATION
Pages: 7 — 15
Downloads: 127