‘ETUDES,’ BALLET : ABT to Perform a Classic Exercise in Education at the Center

Anyone interested in learning how a ballet works can get a good lesson tonight when American Ballet Theatre dances “Etudes” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

The setting is a ballet classroom. Young dancers are lined up at the barre, that wooden railing that runs along the mirrors at the sides of a classroom to help dancers keep their balance while they practice.

The ballet begins with the dancers practicing the five basic positions of the feet and arms and then moving on to some simple stationary exercises.

The audience learns the ABCs of ballet, even without trying.

After these exercises, the dancers move to the center of the stage for a harder workout away from the support of the barre. From then on, the ballet develops in difficulty and in excitement.

And the lessons continue.

In turn are seen a pas de trois (a dance for three) , a pas de deux (for two dancers) , a pas de quatre (for four) and a pas de six (for six) . The work ends in a blaze with the full ensemble executing rapid turns and bounding leaps.

“Etudes” was choreographed in 1948 by Harald Lander, a distinguished character dancer--and later ballet master--with the Royal Danish Ballet. During his reign, he brought international acclaim to the company and created a renaissance of interest in the works of RDB seminal choreographer August Bournonville.

The Danes danced a similar classroom ballet by Bournonville, “Konservatoriat,” when the company was here in June.

For music, Lander picked a series of keyboard exercises that Carl Czerny composed to teach young pianists digital dexterity. Or maybe to drive them crazy.

Czerny was a pupil of Beethoven and the teacher of Liszt. His piano exercises--also called “Etudes”--were freely arranged and orchestrated for the ballet by Knudaage Riisager.

As a ballet, “Etudes” is easy to comprehend. Its structure--from simplicity to complexity in clearly defined stages--is readily apparent, and this gives immediate and uncomplicated pleasure.

Additionally, the visual and musical tempos steadily increase, build excitement.

It also reveals how arduous the daily routine of a dancer is. These are, after all, some of the exercises that are practiced every day by every ballet dancer in every company in the world. For that reason, the work has been called a tribute to the training of a dancer. It is very popular and has been danced by ABT since 1961.

“Etudes” is about nothing but ballet. It shows the basic vocabulary and how a dance can be constructed out of nothing but that. Even so, the work grows quite quickly beyond a mere collection of sketches of correct positions to become interesting in itself.

After “Etudes,” anyone can feel more confident about appreciating dance just as pure movement, constructed out of a vocabulary specific to itself and offering pleasure in formal elegance and vivid rhythm.

Try this out with the other works on the program tonight--Agnes De Mille’s “The Other” and Glen Tetley’s “Voluntaries.” Or at the Friday program, which includes “The Other,” “Voluntaries” and Frederick Ashton’s “Symphonic Variations.”

Those who want to be told a story on top of all that can find one in “Giselle,” which will be danced four times this weekend. This work develops a plot with specific characters. It is a tale about innocence, deception, betrayal, madness, death and love beyond the grave. Sounds like a recent movie.

What: American Ballet Theatre.

When: “Etudes” and other short works on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m.; mixed repertory on Friday, Jan. 22, at 8 p.m.; “Giselle” on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 24, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Where: Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

Whereabouts: San Diego (I-405) Freeway to Bristol Street exit. North to Town Center Drive. (Center is one block east of South Coast Plaza.)

Wherewithal: $14 to $48.

Where to call: (714) 740-2000 (Ticketmaster).