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BRIEF HISTORY OF BALLET

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Title: BRIEF HISTORY OF BALLET


1
BRIEF HISTORY OF BALLET By Wendy Oliver
2
Ballet refers to both a dance genre and a
particular dance -A dance genre is a large
category such as ballet, modern, or jazz -Swan
Lake or The Rite of Spring are both ballets or
dances Ballet performances blend choreographed
movement with music and décor, and are performed
by dancers trained primarily in classical ballet
technique.
Photo by MR Legman
Indiana University Ballet
3
Ballet technique includes the following
characteristics -5 positions of the feet, using
turnout -use of pointed feet, with emphasis on
the feet -toe shoes for women -codified
positions of arms and legs -lightness, or pull
away from gravity -movements emphasizing balance
and elevation
Ballet uses French terminology such as -plié
(bend of the knees) -pirouette (turn on one
foot) -grand jeté (leap)
4
Traditional Romantic or Classical ballet is
typically done to orchestral music of the 19th
century. The choreographer follows the rhythm
and phrasing of the music, which was created
specifically for the ballet by composers such as
Peter Tchaikovsky and Serge Prokofiev.
Major ballet companies may have 60-80 members,
and are organized hierarchically, with the corps
de ballets at the bottom, then coryphees,
soloists, and principals at the top. Most ballet
companies showcase the works of various
choreographers in both traditional and modern
styles.
Milwaukee Ballet Company
5
Ballet first developed in Europe in the
Renaissance period. -In Italy and France,
dancing masters taught royalty and choreographed
entertainments for the courts -Italian
intermezzi (late 1400s) were interludes
between acts of plays that combined dance,
music, and drama -In the 1500 1600s, dancing
masters began recording their choreography.
Catherine de Medici was a great patron of the
arts, and commissioned many dance Works,
including Ballet Comique de la Reine, a six-hour
dance/drama involving both the Greek gods and
the Queen of France!
6
Renaissance Dance
  • Renaissance court spectacles were often ornate
  • They emphasized geometrical patterns
  • They used steps that were taken from the popular
    ballroom dances of the day, including the pavane
    galliard, volta, and others
  • Women and men did these dances together in the
    ballroom, but onstage, the womens parts were
    danced by men
  • Steps became increasingly complex, and dancing
    masters asked their pupils to practice them
    holding onto the backs of chairs for balance
    this is how the ballet barre developed
  • Dancing became stylish at all Renaissance courts
    in Europe, including those of Queen Elizabeth I
    and Henry VIII

7
Thoinot Arbeau, a French canon in the Roman
Catholic church, wrote one of the first dance
books, Orchesography, in 1589. It was a
collection of the standard social dances of the
time, and included correct social behavior and
positions of the feet. Clothing was bulky and
tight in the torso, restricting movement mostly
to the feet.
8
Over time, ballet became more professionalized.
In the early 1700s, two women, Marie Camargo and
Marie Sallé, broke tradition in the
male- dominated field.
Marie Camargo
-Camargo shortened her skirt to show off her
technique. She was known for her aerial
work. -Sallé was the first female choreographer,
and also simplified her clothing to make dancing
easier.
Marie Salle
9
In the late 1700s, Jean-George Noverre composed
150 ballets which emphasized acting over dance
technique. He argued that ballet should be
unified works of art in which all aspects of the
production contribute to the main theme, and that
bulky skirts and heeled shoes be elimin- ated.
Although none of his choreography survives today,
many of his ideas carried over into the Romantic
Era.
10
The Golden Age of RomanticismEarly-Mid 1800s
  • Romanticism was a movement involving all the
    arts, which rebelled against narrow ideas of
    morality and old artistic forms
  • Poet Lord Byron and composer Franz Liszt are two
    examples of artists from the romantic era
  • Two examples of famous romantic ballets are Les
    Sylphides and Giselle. Giselle was choreographed
    in 1841 by Jules Perot and Jean Coralli to music
    by Adolphe Adam. This ballet is still performed
    extensively today.
  • Romantics often dealt with longing for the
    unattainable
  • Giselle epitomizes this longing a young peasant
    woman falls in love with a man whom she can never
    marry, and she dies of a broken heart.

11
Characteristics of Romantic ballet-Dancing en
pointe-First tutus created-Women became
dominant-Sylphs and fairies supernatural-Ill-fa
ted love
Giselle
Women were also choreographing ballets at this
time. -Fanny Cerrito choreographed Gemma, about
an evil hypnotists attempts to seduce a young
woman. -Terese Elssler choreographed La
Voliere, about a woman who raises her younger
sister among women only.
12
Dancing En Pointe
  • Toe dancing, or dancing en pointe, was invented
    during the romantic era
  • Today, toe shoes are made with reinforced toe
    boxes that are stiff
  • In the 1800s, ballerinas wore soft slippers
    without support, but still managed to dance en
    pointe, due to their training
  • Marie Taglioni is the most famous pointe dancer
    of the era her style was light and airy

Marie Taglioni in La Sylphide 1832
13
The Classical Period of Ballet, late
1800s -Moved from France to Russia -Marius
Petipa, Frenchman, arrived in St. Petersburg in
1847 as A dancer, and eventually headed the
Imperial Russian Ballet -Choreographed many
ballets with fairy-tale plots using panto- mime
and special effects -Emphasized symmetry and
classical pas de deux -Most famous ballet is
Swan Lake, 1890, to music by Tchaikow- sky -The
Nutcracker is also from this period, by Lev
Ivanov -More demanding technical work was
created soloists often added their own steps to
show off
Swan Lake
14
Nijinsky in Afternoon of A Faun
Le Sacre du Printemps, reconstruction, Florence
Dance
Early 1900s The Ballet Russes -Michel Fokine
created a new style of ballet which moved
away from showy technique and pantomime -Blended
music, décor, and costumes to support a
theme -Became a choreographer for famed Ballet
Russes -Most famous work is The Firebird, to
music by Stravinsky -The Ballet Russes became
known for its modern style using famous visual
artists like Picasso to design sets and
costumes -Vaslav Nijinsky choreographed The Rite
of Spring to music by Stravinsky, causing a riot
in Paris in 1913
15

In 1933, George Balanchine came from Russia to
the US to start the first serious ballet company.
His style was a break From tradition he
created plotless ballets and focused more on the
music than décor.
Balanchines Agon
His costumes often were simple leotards and
tights. Although he died in 1983, his company,
the New York City Ballet, is one of the most
famous in the world today his ballets are
performed internationally.
16
Review by Dr. Roberta E. Zlokower January 24,
2003 Square Dance (1957) Music by Arcangelo
Corelli and Antonio Vivaldi, Choreography by
George Balanchine, Lighting by Mark Stanley,
Performed by Yvonne Borree, Peter Boal, and the
Company. This light, but dynamic, piece included
the vivacity of Peter Boal, whom I admire more
and more on each visit to NYC Ballet. Partnering
the elegant Yvonne Borree, he was focused, with a
huge presence, amazing leg lifts, and sharp
footwork. This choreography, brilliantly
conceived by George Balanchine, fused American
Folk Dance with Ballet. Balanchine wrote, "The
American style of classical dancing, its supple
sharpness and richness of metrical invention, its
superb preparation for risks, and its high
spirits were some of the things I was trying to
show in this ballet." (NYCB Notes). The essence
of Square Dance moves were extrapolated and
embellished for Baroque Italian music. With
freshness of spirit, the female dancers performed
for the males and vice versa, like a show for
each other, not competitive, but rather
seductive.
17
Arthur Mitchells Dance Theatre of Harlem -First
professional black ballet company -Originally,
many thought blacks could not do classical
ballet, but Arthur Mitchell proved them
wrong -After performing with Balanchine
for Several years, he left in 1968 to form DTH
-They perform both traditional and modern
ballets all their dancers are classically
trained in their New York studios
18
International Style in Ballet
  • In the mid-20th century, as world travel became
    more common, audiences and artists alike were
    exposed to the work of a broad range of artists
    and companies.
  • This resulted in a large sharing of repertoire,
    where ballet companies from many countries
    showcase works by internationally famous
    choreographers such as John Forsythe, George
    Balanchine, Jiri Kylian, Choo San Goh, Anthony
    Tudor, Twyla Tharp, and Glen Tetley. This trend
    continues today.

Australian Ballet in a Glen Tetley work, 2003
19
Contemporary Choreographers
William Forsythe works with pure, abstract
movement from the classical vocabulary, at a very
fast pace. Although American, he has spent much
of his time in Germany, where artists are
government-supported.
Twyla Tharp is a modern dancer who has
choreographed For ballet companies and Broadway.
Above is Mozart Clarinet Quintet, K. 581, 2002.
Second Detail, 1995
20
Jiri Kylian
  • Jiri Kylian, a Czech, is an independent spirit
    who choreographs using a ballet basis to which he
    has added modern elements including the use of
    the pelvis and torso
  • Although his work is abstract, it can be
    metaphorical and is often very emotional
  • He uses quick weight changes, high energy
    movement, and intricate partnering

Stepping Stones by Jiri Kylian, 1991
21
Ballet at the End of 20th Century
  • According to dance scholar Nancy Reynolds, ballet
    reached a high tide around the world in the
    period between the 1960s -1980s with a lot of
    innovation
  • Ballet at the end of the 20th c flourished in
    terms of social relevance, audience appreciation,
    and dancers salaries, although it did not
    maintain the high level of originality of the
    60s-80s
  • In addition, new technologies allowed extensive
    documentation of work

Alonzo Kings Lines Ballet
22
Ballet in the 21st Century
  • Classics such as Don Quixote and Giselle
    continue on
  • Local, regional, and national companies continue
    to perform The Nutcracker at Christmas time
  • Newer choreographers have more experimental
    styles, often borrowing from modern and other
    dance forms
  • Ballet in the 21st c has a global reach that
    shows its importance as a common language across
    cultures

Letitia Guerrero in the title role of Festival
Ballets Carmen, choreographed in 2003 by Victor
Plotnikov, Providence, RI
23
  • IMAGES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
  • www.Niu.edu/puaffairs/stepahead/6/images/ballet.jp
    g
  • www.mrlegman.com/images/ballet.jpg
  • www.indiana.edu/bchem/images/ballet.jpg
  • arts.state.wi.us/static/tour-aie/dance14.htm
  • www.jilliancrider.com/5-wcolours.html
  • memory.loc.gov/ammem/dihtml/diessay2.html
  • www.streetswing.com/histmain/gif/pavane1.gif
    (pavane)
  • 8. patriot.net/nachtanz/kreed/Caroso.gif
  • 9. www.earthlydelights.com.an/camargo_small.jpg
  • 10. http//nelly.johnson.free.fr/Danse/Dsalle.jpg
  • 11. www.mastersofballet.com/frafx/noverre.gif
  • 12. www.ballettonet/it-rep-giselle.html
  • 13. www.peopleplayuk.org.uk/collect...
    (Taglioni)
  • 14. www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/sd3p/lake.jpg
  • 15. www.florencedance.org/images/center/mnativo/09
    .jpg
  • 16. www.exploredance.com/pressphotos/squaredance-b
    orree.jpeg
  • 17. inkpot.com/classical/debusimages.html
  • 18. www.dancetheatreofharlem.com/agon.asp

24
IMAGES/BIBLIOGRAPHY CONTINUED
22. www.lyon-passionnement.com/sorties/danse/img/s
econd_detail.jpg 23. www.wanthony.com/Article20Ar
ch... (Jiri Kylian) 24. www.linesballet.org
(Alonzo King) 25. www.ridance.com/fbcarmen.html
(Festival Ballet) 26. http//atlanta.creativeloafi
ng.com/2002-03-13/arts_dance-1.jpg 27. Jack
Anderson, Ballet Modern Dance A Concise
History Princeton, NJ Princeton Book Co.,
1986 28. Reynolds, Nancy McCormick, Malcolm, No
Fixed Points, New Haven, Connecticut Yale
University Press, 2003.
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