# How are ballet steps written down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 2, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-ballet-steps-written-down/371143 "2006-09-02T01:00:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-ballet-steps-written-down/371143/1 "2006-09-02T01:00:10Z")
Watching a tape of the “Jewels” ballet, and got to wondering how ballet steps themselves are written down for other dance companies to perform. (I know less than a thimbleful about ballet, except that the ladies are wonderfully feminine, and generally gorgeous.) So. Let’s say Tchaikovsky is commisioned to write Swan Lake. He does so, then a choreographer in the Russian ballet theater organization is tasked with creating the ballet dances. I read somewhare long ago, that there is a “language” (say, like cuneiform?) for writing down a ballet, replete with a vocabulary that describes all the steps all the steps which each dancer performs. I tried Googling for this language but couldn’t find it. Trouble is I don’t know how to search for it. One thing I did find is a statement that **most ballets are not written down.** Okay, but that’s just “most.” So, some are written down. The question is, where on the web might I see examples of this ballet language? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-ballet-steps-written-down/371143/2 "2006-09-02T01:16:40Z")
> **[Dance notation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_notation)** > > Dance notation is the symbolic representation of human dance movement and form, using methods such as graphic symbols and figures, path mapping, numerical systems, and letter and word notations. Several dance notation systems have been invented, many of which are designed to document specific types of dance while others have been developed with capturing the broader spectrum of human movement potential. A dance score is a recorded dance notation that describes a particular dance. > The primary use... Good basic place to start. Look for Laban or Labanotation. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-ballet-steps-written-down/371143/3 "2006-09-02T14:24:03Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] > **[Dance notation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_notation)** > > Dance notation is the symbolic representation of human dance movement and form, using methods such as graphic symbols and figures, path mapping, numerical systems, and letter and word notations. Several dance notation systems have been invented, many of which are designed to document specific types of dance while others have been developed with capturing the broader spectrum of human movement potential. A dance score is a recorded dance notation that describes a particular dance. The primary uses... Good basic place to start. Look for Laban or Labanotation. [/QUOTE] Thank you, **Telemark**. Just what I needed. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-ballet-steps-written-down/371143/4 "2006-09-03T00:44:38Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] Thank you, **Telemark**. Just what I needed. [/QUOTE] Nah, [this](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_389a.html) is what you need. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-ballet-steps-written-down/371143/5 "2006-09-03T01:10:29Z")
[QUOTE=PetW] Nah, [this](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_389a.html) is what you need. [/QUOTE] On second thought it’s not exactly as extensive as that wikipedia article, but hey, it’s Cecil. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-ballet-steps-written-down/371143/6 "2006-09-03T02:08:52Z")
[QUOTE=PetW] On second thought it’s not exactly as extensive as that wikipedia article, but hey, it’s Cecil. [/QUOTE] Agreed, and thanks. But try [Ask.com](http://Ask.com) like I did. Got more than I did from Google. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-ballet-steps-written-down/371143/7 "2006-09-03T02:19:29Z")
I searched [ask.com](http://ask.com) on Ballet notation See the results at [http://www.ask.com/web?q=ballet+notation&qsrc=0&o=333&l=dir](http://www.ask.com/web?q=ballet+notation&qsrc=0&o=333&l=dir)