Notable Feet JoAnna Kneeland: The Therapeutic Barre
In the late 1950's, a ballet student from South Africa named JoAnna Kneeland recognized that efficiency of movement and breath influenced the success of her students. Teaching in her studio, Imperial Studios in Boca Raton, FL, Kneeland questioned physicists at a local college about movement principles and applied their answers to her ballet classes. The result was "The Kneeland Method" that underscores the classes of many successful teachers of today serving in many prestigious schools and programs across the country. Several of those teachers list Kneeland as an influence but most don't credit her as a major contributor to their successes. Kneeland had her demons but her work was revolutionary in the field of dance. Perhaps the demons keep Kneeland's legacy from knowing its full potential.
Kneeland grew up in South Africa and studied locally. She entered a contest and received the money to travel to America to study dance in New York, but not the passport. At age eighteen, she bought a ticket to Canada then hitch-hiked to New York City with a truck driver who got her across the border without a passport or birth certificate. The details of Kneeland's trek in the city are sketchy but she eventually met up with wealthy Standard Oil heiress Rebekah Harkness who was in the process of establishing a cutting edge company and studio in New York City. Harkness supported Kneeland in her teaching and training of the school and company dancers. Dancers who trained at the Harkness House for Ballet Arts in the 60's took unique classes from Kneeland.
Kneeland didn't know at first how to identify her method of teaching ballet. Teachers from her past undoubtedly contributed to her intrinsic knowledge of how the body operated. After Harkness and marrying Ted Kneeland, JoAnna found herself in South Florida. The stars lined up for Kneeland as "The Kneeland Method" gained attention and her students flourished. But Kneeland's demons haunted her. She and Ted left Florida, the studio, and the debts. After Ted's passing, JoAnna and her young son needed income. She found her way into the regional ballet movement of the 1980's and met teachers of burgeoning companies. She became a guest artist and choreographer setting ballets and teaching her unique ballet classes.
"Up-to-go-down-to-go-up" is one of Kneeland's famous statements. Her study of anatomy and human mechanics led her to decipher jumping as a kinesthetic process that required dancers to rise on half-toe, lower slightly to gain impetus, and then push with gusto to get the most height from a jump. The movements were impercept-ible but important. The dancer must simply releve slightly, lower slightly, and then push off the floor employing this up-down effort to aid in achieving greater heights in jumps.
The term biomechanics was not as popular in the sixties as it is today. Kneeland's application of the science of kinesiology to ballet cut through traditional ballet methods and boasted a new pedagogy in the world of dance. Kneeland claimed that ballet was a simple matter of preparation, whether for class, performance, or jumps. "The Kneeland Method" prepared dancers for exciting, long lasting careers.
Curiously, no one will explicitly credit Kneeland for their longevity, just experience and training. The proof is vibrant in the resumes and backgrounds of so many professionals teaching the new generation of dancers. Kneeland's personality was as avant-garde as her theory of ballet movement, but the fact remains that her contribution to ballet in America is vital and alive. Kneeland's ideas about lengthening muscles from the base of attachment to the bone and expanding muscles from the center of the fibrous tissue was innovative for the 1960's. Many of Kneeland's former pupils are successfully guiding students through the quagmire of ballet by infusing Kneeland's concepts into their classes and lectures.
"The Kneeland Method" relied on the preparation of the dancer. Kneeland devised a warm-up series she called "Therapeutic Barre" to assist dancers of all genres with safe and complete preparation to perform or take class. "Therapeutic Barre" consists of specific movements in a particular order designed to prepare the body for movement in a safe and fruitful manner. The pattern and order are just as important as the movements.
"The Therapeutic Barre"
Torso Program
Forward Stretch: Stand with feet parallel. Bend forward from the hips with a flat back. Drop torso to legs, curve up through spine to stand. Repeat 4 times total
Back Bend: Face barre, both hands on the barre. Exhale and bend back, slightly bend the knees. Inhale and return to standing. Repeat 4 times total.
Side Stretch: One hand on the barre, feet parallel. Cross outside foot over supporting foot and curve body into the barre, outside arm overhead. Then step forward with foot and place back foot (toes under) behind the front foot, continue arching toward barre with outside arm overhead.
Upper Back Stretch: Facing barre, place both hands on the barre and walk away until back is flat. Hold the flat back for eight counts then arch the upper back and hold for eight counts. Repeat flat then arched back for single counts eight times.
Circular Stretch: From the waist, complete a full body circle once in each direction.
Foot Program
Foot Stretch: Facing barre, place right foot over left, top of right foot flat on floor. Bend left knee into the back of the right knee bending the right knee to stretch the top of the right foot. Repeat on left side.
Ankle Circles: Rotate ankle outward and inward on both sides.
Foot Push: (also known as 'foot peeling') face barre, roll right foot off the floor and gently roll over the top of the right foot, bending the right knee. Change feet by gently rolling the left foot forward and over the toes, bending the left knee. Repeat in a rolling fashion for a total of 16 times.
Calf Program
Runner's Stretch: Both hands on barre, lengthen left leg behind the right bending right knee. Keep both feet flat. Change sides by bringing the left leg up to passé beside the right and stretch the right leg behind the left.
Achilles Tendon Stretch: Both hands on the barre, place both feet together parallel about four feet from the barre. Lean into the barre and stretch the back of the legs and heels evenly.
Trudge Up The Hill: Both hands on the barre, from the Achilles Tendon Stretch, raise one heel then the other and switch over and over to create a 'trudging' motion. Be sure one heel is flat and the other is raised then switch for a total of 16 times.
Thigh Program
The Stork: One hand on the barre, raise the outside leg and catch the foot in the outside hand. Attempt to press the heel into the buttocks. Holding the heel into the gluteus muscle, gently raise the bent knee up and to the outside. Hold then release the foot and repeat on the other side.
Thigh Swings: One hand on the barre, freely swing the outside leg front and back in attitude for a total of 16 times. Repeat on the other leg.
Thigh Pull: Face the barre slightly angled to your right. Place right leg in attitude on the barre. Turn the foot of your supporting leg inward (pigeon-toed) as much as possible without creating pain. Repeat on the left side.
Groin Program
Passe: One hand on barre, passé (raise foot to knee with turn-out) then turn knee in, turn out again and place foot on ground. Repeat a total of four times then do the other side.
Corkscrew: One hand on the barre, complete attitude leg swings front and back on both sides.
The Squat: Facing barre with both hands on the barre, bend forward from the hips, bend knees to squat then roll up through the body to stand. Repeat a total of eight times.
Neck Program
Prow of the Ship: Turn away from the barre and place both hands on the barre behind you as close together as possible. With arms straight, carefully lean away from the barre and arch your back.
Center: Move slightly away from the barre. Clasp both hands behind your back lacing fingers together. Lengthen arms down stretching away from shoulders. Slightly move both arms to the right and hold, then to the left and hold. Return to the center and release.
Thrust: Stand with right foot in front of left in a slight lunge position. Raise arms shoulder high and bent at the elbows, fingers facing the center.
Bend the right knee deeper and lunge at the same time pulling the elbows back. Straighten right knee and return elbows to starting position. Lunge on the right again but thrust both arms straight behind while pressing the ribcage forward. Repeat for a total of eight 'lunge and thrust.'
Head Circles: Stand erect and complete slow head circles one time to each side.
Shoulder Rolls: Roll shoulders up and back eight counts, then forward and down eight times.
Finale
All Around Plie: One hand on the barre, feet parallel, bend forward from the hips then bend the knees deeply and roll up through the body to stand.
Body Lunge: Both hands on the barre, feet parallel, plie deeply on the right leg and stretch the left leg straight back. Turn from the waist TO THE RIGHT to look at the left foot behind you. Stand up, passé the left foot and place in parallel. Repeat with the right leg behind while twisting to the left.
While JoAnna Kneeland didn't invent these movements by any stretch of the imagination, she gave them memorable names and organized them into a safe, productive system. Above all, Kneeland most definitely contributed to the modern day science of kinesiology and how it applies to dance. Cheers, JoAnna~