Commedia Dell’Arte and the Beginning of Ballet

Many people attribute the beginnings of ballet to be associated with the art form of Commedia Dell’Arte. While ballet has it’s roots associated with the comic art form, different elements unique to Commedia Dell’Arte influenced ballet artists, dancers, and choreographers well after the performance of Commedia Dell’Arte died. Commedia Dell’Arte was not only important to the creation of ballet, but to the inspiration of many ballets and choreographic works throughout history.

Commedia Dell’Arte was an Italian theatrical art form that developed in the 16th century and lasted in its original form until the 18th century (Encyclopædia Britannica). It was performed by a troupe of actors that traveled across Europe and performed improvisations in a set frame of familiar, or rumor-based, plots and stock characters for 200 years (humanracetheatre.org). Commedia Dell’Arte dates back to 1545, with a company called Il Gelosi, commissioned by Francesco Andreini and his wife Isabella in Padua, Italy (Encyclopædia Britannica). Many companies emerged afterwards, in which some of the greatest actors of Commedia Del’Arte belonged. Troupes consisted of ten to fifteen actors, each of which had unique roles and wore elaborate masks that depicted who were playing what role (humanracetheatre.org). While Commedia Dell’Arte is known to have begun in Italy and was a highlight of Italian society, it also became very popular in the Parisian society. It was established as Comedie-Italienne in France in 1653, and remained a popular art form in French courts until Louis XIV banished Italian troupes in 1697(Encyclopædia Britannica).

Plots followed a simple framework; il vecchi, which were typically elderly fathers/guardians, kept two young lovers apart, and ser...

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...y influential in many different art forms, including ballet. Commedia Dell’Arte was a medium for artists, dancers, and choreographers to exemplify meaning and emotion through the loved and iconized stock characters and framework plots born to Commedia Dell’Arte. Ballet adopted its pantomime mechanisms from miming associated with Commedia Dell’Arte, and pantomime is still used in ballet today. Different elements unique to Commedia Dell’Arte influenced ballet artists, dancers, and choreographers well after the performance of Commedia Dell’Arte died. Diaghilev was very influential in bring the revival of Commedia Dell’Arte themes, which catalyzed the inspirations of many choreographers to produce ballets with these themes. Commedia Dell’Arte was essential to the creation of ballet, and well as influential in the creations of many ballets and theatrical art works alike.