Evolution Of Ballet

Ballet is a classical form of dance that stems from the 15th century. Ballet is considered the basis of all dance forms, like jazz, contemporary, lyrical, and even hip hop. Ballet, now is such a demanding art form that requires physical, and mental, strength and flexibility. Ballet is not always what it used to be. It has gone through multiple paradigm shifts and changes since the very beginning of its existence. Although ballet started around six centuries ago, these shifts can still be seen today.

Ballet started in 15th century courts during the Italian Renaissance. Dancing was for mainly aristocrats and nobility and was used for entertainment purposes. The art of ballet was brought to France when Catherine de Medici of Italy, a

noblewoman who funded and supported ballet, married King Henry II of France, who was a patron of the arts. Performances during this time had simple steps incorporated from court dance steps and included the fashion of the time, which required women to wear formal dresses that covered their bodies from head to toe. Catherine de Medici’s support in the art form encouraged the growth of the French ballet de cour, which included dance, décor, costumes, song, music, and poetry. A century later, King Louis XIV popularized the art form and he performed in many different dances and starred in leading roles, such as the Sun King in Ballet de la nuit. Ballet soon became a separate art form and a past time for all people from noblemen, amateurs, and professionals. The first opera-ballet academy opened in 1661 by King Louis XIV and was called the Académie Royale de la Danse in Paris, which became known as the Paris Opera Ballet company. There, Jean-Baptiste Lully created the legacy of ballet when he established the basic steps and terminology of ballet, which is all spoken in French since it was created in Paris, by combining Italian theater and dance styles with French ones. By the 1700s, French ballet master Jean Georges Noverre established ballet completely as one single art form, instead of being combined with opera, and introduced the ballet d’action, a type of ballet that included narrative or a basic storyline. These basic storyline ballets sparked a movement in the ballet art form during the Romantic Movement in the 19th century. (Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, New World Encyclopedia).
The Romantic Movement of the 19th century influenced music, art, and ballet.

Early classical ballets, such as Giselle and La Sylphide reflected themes of Romanticism and included supernatural beings, magic, and displayed the women as passive and fragile. This is where ballet dancers started to dance en pointe, which involves dancing on the tips of the toes. These new styles of ballets became known as romantic ballets, named after the time period they were created in. Costumes also changed from long, formal dresses, to romantic tutus, made out of tulle that stopped around the calf. By now, ballet had moved to Russia and Russian choreographers, such as Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, had created new ballets, such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, that showcased the classical technique of the ballet dancers. The choreography was becoming more complexed, more classical technique was being demanded from the dancers. The dancers were now expected to execute pointe work, leaps, turns, high extensions, and complete turnout. Ballet costumes changed with the change of technique and classical choreography. Pancake tutus, unlike romantic tutus, were much shorter, stiffer, and they stuck outwards away from the dancers. Classical choreographers preferred these tutus over romantic tutus, because it showed the legs of the dancers and the choreographers and audience would be able to see the complex leg and foot work of the ballerinas better. Ballet completely changed in the centuries following the Italian Renaissance, and it will continue to change up until present day. (Pennsylvania Ballet

Theatre).