Ballet Essay

Ballet, What is it? It definitely is not just a girl twirling around in a tutu. Although that is what most people see it as. It is form of expression and is considered an art because with performance there is a story being told.

It first began in Italy in the 1500s during the Renaissance (A period of cultural rebirth). Catherine de Mecci from Italy exposed King Louis XIV from France to ballet, whom she married. Ballet was not only for women to dance, but for men as well. King Louis was passionate about dancing ballet himself. Ballet was part of their tradition and culture. It was danced for important event such as weddings, births, and deaths to name a few.

King Louis’ love for ballet allowed him open the world’s first ballet school in France

As for men, they wore light clothing to allow them to move freely. The Ballet shoe the women wore was nothing like the contemporary ballet shoe; it had a small heel. Now a day, the pointe shoe is used in ballet. It is similar to slippers especially because of its comfort. This makes it easier for the dancer to move in these shoes and to perform most of the foot positions that are mostly done with the tip of the toe.

Ballet continued its existence from the Renaissance to the Romantic period, which took place in the 1800s. During these years pointe shoes were created in Paris. One famous ballerina in that time was Marie Taglioni, she was known for “dancing on pointe in the ethereal role of a Sylph in La Sylphide”(sfballet). In fact, the performance La Sylphide was a romantic story that “ featured ghostly sprites portrayed by ballerinas delicately balanced on soft white tutus” (sfballet).

Ballet later made its way into Russia making it the center place during the 19th century. Marius Petipa was an important Russian choreographer of that

This position works as follows: If the left foot is in front the right arm should be raised. There is a similarity between this position and the fourth position. In the fourth position either the left or the right arm is raised as the other arm is brought forward with the arm slightly rounded. It also works opposite depending on which foot is placed in front. The fifth position is both of the arms raised over the head and is to be kept in the phariphral vision of the