284 steps

The purpose of „284 steps“ project is to record all 284 steps of classical theatrical dancing (and make them available) for future generations in case no one else is around any longer to teach them.

American dancer, choreographer and director of Margot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet Ken Ludden (born 1952) was taking class with Margaret Craske and learned about the approach that there are 284 steps of classical theatrical dancing that make up the standard language of ballet.

It took hundreds of years for this knowledge to be developed. Margaret Craske had been dancing with the Ballets Russes, where she had taken class with Enricho Cecchetti. She moved to the United States and was teaching internationally until she was over 90 years old. Dame Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nurejew, Alicia Alonso, Merce Cunningham, Anna Sokolow, José Limón were all taking class with Craske.

Margaret Craske mentioned in one of her classes that there are 284 different steps in the classes she teaches. In 2023, Ken Ludden is probably the last person on the planet still passing on this knowledge. All of the steps are used in the classes he still teaches on an almost daily basis.

You can see and listen to Ken Ludden teaching and explaining the steps and talking about the use or history how they came about. A Video playlist called „284 steps – step by step“ (CLICK HERE or see the video below) shows the recordings already published until today. We are recording the steps in alphabetical order.