For my final project I decided to do a form of dance and that form of dance I chose is ballet. I decided to choose ballet because every since I was a little girl I always admired the how graceful and elegant the dances carried themselves on stage. Throughout growing up I gain knowledge from friends who did ballet and pointe that it is not as glamorous as it is perceived. Ballet dancers go through excruciating lengths to be as elegant they can be on stage and I condemn their strength and persistence to do this form of dance. I believe ballet is one of the most beautiful forms of dance because ballet dancers practice to perfection and on stage you can definitely see how passionate they are about this form of dance. The history behind ballet began in the Italian Renaissance courts of the fifteenth century. The word ‘ballet’ stemmed from masked ball. Noblemen and women in the Italian Renaissance were treated to lavish events such as wedding celebrations were ballet dancing and music was incorporated to be an elaborate spectacle. During this time in the fifteenth century, dancing masters aka ballet teachers (instructors) as we call them nowadays would teach the court who participated in the performances. Also during the Italian Renaissance, the wife of King Henry II of France, Catherine de Medici adored ballet and began to fund ballet in the French court. With funding the French Ballet court, Cathering de Medici added to the elaborate festivals which she included to have the ballet have a theme meaning costumes, music, poetry, and décor that went along with it. A century passed, King Louis XIV also contributed into popularizing the form of dance. During King Louis XIV’s reign, he was a passionate dancer and danced many roles himself.... ... middle of paper ... ...ined with composer Igor Stravinsky on the ballet called ‘Rite of Spring’ which juxtaposed classical ballet meaning the work was completely different and they composed harsh music, they created a darker storyline than from classical ballets and introduced unfamiliar movements. Later through the century a choreographer and founder of the New York City Ballet, George Balanchine, further changed ballet. George Balanchine who is Russian immigrated to America introduced the ballet world neoclassical ballet, which is a form that develops classical ballet. Ballet today has grown from the Italian Renaissance but stills tributes to the original form of ballet. Ballet nowadays has many faces can be classical with traditional stories to contemporary innovations. Whichever a ballet can go, it’s still such a beautiful form of dance to display a dancer’s true strength and talent.
Ballet has been an art form since the late fifteenth century, but society did not truly see the impact of ballet until the nineteenth century. Modern day thinkers possess the idea that ballet began with tutus and pointe shoes, but it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that this opinion was observed. Ballet has come a long way. It has survived the turmoil of many wars and has changed itself by accepting new ideas and impressing the audience with its unique stylistic views.
Throughout the article, the author lists themes and characteristics of ballet performances to prove the extent to which ballet has to be regarded as ethnic. Providing support in form of statements about ritualism, flora and fauna that are often included in the performances, the author tries to demonstrate how wrong we are considering ballet to be out of culture. It has inevitable connections to the customs of nations that developed it. Thus, ballet cannot be regarded out of the culturally-historical paradigm, as far as it is deeply rooted in it.
Ballet traces back to the 15-century Italian renaissance court; Ballet is known as the mother of all dance due to its influence on any style of dance no matter how small. In the 15th century ballet was a form of entertainment for the Italian Renaissance court. These performances took place in balls and banquets. (“Ballet”) Ballet one of its first performances included aristocratic amateurs with poetry and song alongside the production. (“Ballet”) During the 15th century, France also became influence with ballet. (“A Brief History of Ballet - Illustrated by Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.”) The influenced of ballet in France was because of Catherine de Medici in 1533. (“Ballet”) She married the French King Henry II which allowed from French and
Ballet is one of the world's oldest and newest forms of dance. One man that created new audiences for ballet and mastered the dance to its fullest was none other than George Balanchine. He brought the standard ballet to levels no one has ever seen before. In the world of dance, there have been many wonderful and talented choreographers but Balanchine's work affected the dance world so much that he was a legend long before his death. Not only was he legendary worldwide but also his influenced American Ballet. George Balanchine's unique style of dance created the "American style" of Ballet.
same culture and time period of the ballet. During this time in ballet there were often
New Dance is described as a developing art form; this dance was articulated in the early 20th century. According to Chapter 8 in History of Dance book, “the new dance emerged as a response to the ballet that populated the variety shows and music halls, which had a rigid formula of steps and poses” (Kassing). The New Dance was a product of several strands that interlaced together dancers’ studies and backgrounds; these strands and others were woven together in a historical, political, and societal framework. For instance, one strand of New Dance consisted of the concepts, techniques, costumes, and stage settings from around the world. These strands influenced major dancers and choreographers, such as, Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, Ruth St. Denis, and Ted Shawn.
At the beginning tutus, pointe shoes and tights were not familiar (Muller). They dressed in wigs and bloomers for men. Women dressed in long skirted gowns and hard shoes (Beales). Much different what what we wear today during performances. Costumes have evolved as the level of difficulty in dance has changed. Dance was taken very seriously in Renaissance Europe (Mcowan 1). Competitions were held, employing dance masters to create new choreographies (Mcowan 1). There are still dance competitions all around the world today, but obviously they were much different during the renaissance. Dance masters were considered the best dancers. They created choreographies and new steps for dances (Muller). There were many different types of dance during the renaissance time just as there still is today. Masquerades were one of the most popular types of dances. Performers normally dressed in gold and silver with masks over their faces (Homans 4). Masquerades were performed in large ball rooms or venues (Homans, 6). People or “players” performed for kings and patrons every sunday with occasions of court performances (Homans, 6). Other places that masquerades were performed at parks or palaces for kings and queens (Homans, Jennifer 10). This shows how kings and queens loved performances so they had them come to their palaces. Dance was not as popular during this time period so some people did not enjoy these masquerades
According to the Children’s Development Institute, ballet can teach a child to be able to be in front of people and to be confident in themselves. On top of this it can help children learn to follow directions, work well with others, and have a sense of self-discipline.("The Benefits of Classical Ballet, 2015). This website does not support any medical facts. Childhood is where our minds are molded. Of course, there are always genetic mental illnesses, but who we are as a person often stems from how we were raised. Ballet can help our minds with so much. We learn and grow from its beauty and its discipline. I have only been dancing in a class since last fall and I already have learned so much. Ballet is not only the foundation for all dance forms, it is a foundation for confidence and self-awareness as
Humans have expressed thoughts and emotions through movement long before the development of speech. However, the origins of ballet can be traced back specifically to the Renaissance period and the early court dances in France and Italy. Any celebratory occasion, such as the birth of an heir or an influential marriage would call for social court dancing. All ladies and gentlemen of the court learned these rather intricate dances as part of their grooming for society. Around the 1400s, as the court dances became more detailed and complicated, it became necessary to formally codify these dances to maintain consistency. Special dance instructors or “Ballet Masters” began to appear. These men were highly revered and considered to be the finest dance teachers. They also served as dance makers or choreographers, creating dances that were used throughout Europe. King Louis XIV had a profound influence on the progression of ballet. Not only was he an avid supporter of dance, he was also a beloved performer. In fact, King Louis XIV is commonly referred to as the Sun King, a name he received after appearing ornately adorned in gold as Apollo, god of the sun, in Le Ballet de la Nuit (The Ballet of the Night). Many other highly respected dancers include: Giovanni Battista Lulli, Vaslav Nijinsky, George Balanchine, Vladimir Malakhov, and many more, all being men. It wasn’t until the early 20th century where women were finally respected in the dance world. Women like Martha Graham, Angela Isadora Duncan, Mary Wigman, Gret Palucca, Harald Kreutzberg, Yvonne Georgi, and Twyla Tharp were the first dancers and choreographers who began to create a reputation for women that changed the image of dance all over the world. Today, one renounced Africa...
an important factor of sports, it’s presence in Ballet is not to be ignored. These reasons all lead
Ballet emerged from the Renaissance around the 1500s in Italy. The style of dance introduced into the French culture by Catherine de Medici of Italy when she married King Henry II. Fast forward to the 20th century, George Balanchine, a New York City choreographer would completely reform ballet, he invented neo-classical ballet, an expansion on the classical form. Balanchine is praised by many to be the most successful innovator of the contemporary ballet. With no definitive story line, ballet’s purpose is to use intricate movements to communicate the music and to radiate human emotion. Today, ballet varies in forms. Classical, traditional, and contemporary choreographic innovations entwine to produce the traits of modern ballet. There are many
Ballet has been around for many years, with influential figures in every country. In Russia, Lev Ivanov was a prominent figure who lived and breathe dance from a small age. He had to prove himself every step of the way but his memory helped his career. Ivanov also had an amazing musical talent which really aided his choreographies. As I learned about his character I learned about his passion, which was much similar to my passion for dance and also a little different.
There are 2 main reasons. Because of the appearance of Chinese classical dance in the world, there are more and more kinds of dance was influenced. Notably, its techniques and flips sent shockwaves through the international dance community. Even though there are various difference between ballet and Chinese classical dance, ballet had changed because of Chinese classical dance. Modern ballet has incorporated classical Chinese dance techniques on an even larger scale. There are several ballet operas created with Chinese stories.
After I began to learn to dance ballet, I found out that these elegant movements actually require a lot of strength, flexibility of the bodies and brain’s participation to make it looked elegant. The dancers’ movements in the performance were so fluent and elegant and it is not hard to imagine how hard they had practiced, stretched and use the strengths to do all the ballet poses with their bodies look longer and longer. Their expressions also impressed me a lot. By looking at their expressions, the audience can easily understand the scenes and blend into the story. The performers actually not only are required to have good dancing skills but also are required to have some talents to be actors. Moreover, they also have to be good at expressing their feelings on the
Ballet is one of the most popular types of dance. It is known for its grace and elegance. Ballet is a very disciplined style of dance and may take many years to develop the proper technique. Ballet is the foundation for many other types of dance.