Teaching the 'Queen of the Dryads' variation to adult ballet students
- Apr 9, 2025
- 3 min read
One of the weekly classes I teach at Dragonfly Dance is Ballet Repertoire for Level 3+ (that's dancers from early intermediate in the Dragonfly Dance system of levels). It is an adapted repertoire class designed especially for adult dancers, and gives them a chance to:
learn more about the ballet canon, including specific ballets, variations, and pas de deux, trois, quatre etc
advance their technique
put their technique into practice
develop artistry and musicality
and just to enjoy the pure joy of dance
The class is every Tuesday night at 8pm at Dragonfly Dance, 80 Anzac Highway, Everard Park (just 10 minutes south east of the CBD).
Last night, I started teaching the Variation of the Queen of the Dryads from Don Quixote. It's a beautiful adagio variation that gives dancers the opportunity to work on their port de bras and epaulment (something I love), and developing control and lightness. It also has those famous challenging Italian fouettes at the end.
We'll be working on exercises in class to build up the movement pathways, repertoire of steps, and conditioning to master this gorgeous variation. I also give adaptations for dancers of different levels, so don't worry about the more challenging steps. I'm more interested in the presentation and execution of the steps and expression of artistry and musicality than having everyone attempt advanced steps.
Keep an eye on this blog post, as I'll be adding more to give you tips and insight into this ethereal solo.
Below are some links for those in my Tuesday 8pm Ballet Repertoire class in case you want to watch or practice at home. Also, inspo for other dancers :)
I've included links at the end for Two versions of the Queen of the Dryads variation from Don Quixote, plus a music link.
Here's is a little about the variation:
This variation was created by Alexander Gorsky for his 1900 version of the ballet, which is a modern adaptation of the original 1869 production by Marius Petipa. Gorsky’s version includes a dream sequence where Don Quixote, having battled
the windmills and various beasts (including a giant spider), falls into a deep sleep and dreams of being in Dulcinea’s enchanted garden.
The Queen of the Dryads is a character Gorsky created for this dream scene, where she is surrounded by beautiful dryads, or tree spirits, in a magical, ethereal setting. Along with the Variation of the Queen of the Dryads, Gorsky also added the Variation of Amour and the Variation of Dulcinea, which are set to music composed by Anton Simon. The rest of the ballet’s music, including the famous themes for the main characters, was composed by Ludwig Minkus.
Dulcinea is Don Quixote's beloved, a symbol of his idealized and chivalrous vision of love. Amour represents the god of love, adding a playful and enchanting presence to the scene. The three variations—of the Queen of the Dryads, Amour, and Dulcinea—are all part of the dreamlike garden scene, each representing a different aspect of Don Quixote’s fantastical world.
The Queen of the Dryads’ variation is characterised by its regal and ethereal qualities, with long, sweeping movements that highlight the dancer’s line, control, and grace. The movement quality is fluid, capturing the dreamlike essence of the dryads. The music by Anton Simon is beautifully lyrical, culminating in a dramatic sequence of Italian fouetté turns, showcasing both strength and elegance.
Video links
Music links
Link to my playlist for this quater's repertoire class, including the music for the Queen of the Dryads variation
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