Download The Evolution of Dance - Holly Grove Middle School Dance

The Evolution
of Ballet
Chapter 5 from Learning About Dance textbook by Nora Ambrosio
Ballet’s Beginnings
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Domenico da Piacenza (1400-1470), of Italy, wrote a
book called De Arte Saltandi ed Choreas Ducendi (On the
Art of Dancing and Conducting Dances). In it he used the
word ballo for dance instead of the common word danza.
He also choreographed and wrote out many of the
earliest known ballets, known as balleti. He is credited
with naming ballet.
•Catherine de’Medici, an Italian aristocrat,
was arranged to marry the French prince,
Henry II. When she moved to France, she
brought with her dancing masters and her
love of dance. She put on huge dancing
spectacles for the French Court. This is the
first record of early ballet being performed
in the French Court.
•The dancers did not wear costumes.
There were not tutus, tights, and leotards.
They did not even have ballet shoes. They
wore their court clothes: Long dresses that
covered the ankle and high heels for
women. Tights, Balloon shorts, shirts,
vests, cloaks, and high heels for men.
•Their steps were not like traditional ballet
steps that we see today. They were made
up of court dance steps.
The Beginning of Ballet
King Louis XIV (King of France) used
dance as a form of power and control.
 He expected the nobility to know how
to dance extremely well. If they could
not perform up to his standard, they
would lose their rank in the kingdom.
 King Louis created a vocabulary for
dance so that he could ensure that it
was taught consistently through out
his kingdom. This became the first
vocabulary of BALLET.
 He established the Royale Academie of
Danse. This was the first school of
dance/ballet. It later became the Paris
Opera.
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Baroque Court Dance Clips
The Majesty of Renaissance Dance
 Baroque Ballet
 The Sun King - Man in the Iron Mask clip
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The Ever Changing Style of Ballet
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In the late 1700’s/early 1800’s ballet separated from the Opera and
became it’s own art form.
Women became the focus of ballets instead of the men.
Themes of ballets shifted away from the aristocracy. The world was
changing and monarchies were being over thrown in favor of
democracies.
Pointe shoes (satin slippers with a leather sole) and pointe work was
developed.
Carlo Blasis codified the basic ballet technique that we still use
today.
Ballets began to tell stories.
Romantic Ballet
People wanted to escape the stresses of their daily lives.
 Music, poetry, dance, and art transported their
audiences into worlds of fantasy.
 Ballets were typically about women who were from other
worlds….which is why pointe was invented! The ballerina
appeared to float and glide across the stage.
 Tutus and costumes were now being used. The tutus
were long, stopping just above the ankle.
 One of the most famous Romantic ballets is Giselle.
 Ballet also began to spread from France to all of Europe.
Russia’s ballet program took off, and by the end of the
century became the capital of the ballet world.
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Romantic Ballet Clips
Giselle (Act I)
 Giselle (Act II)
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The Russian Powerhouse
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France’s artistocracy had fallen and ballet began to
wane. Russia and Denmark stepped up thanks to their
dancing masters, August Bournonville, Enrico Cecchetti,
and Marius Petipa.
Bournonville and Cecchetti created teaching methods
that are still studied and used today.
Marius Petipa choreographed many of the most famous
Classical ballets – Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping
Beauty, etc. He collaborated with the composer
Tchaikovsky to create the ballets.
The most famous ballet dancers and choreographers of
this era were Russian born and trained.
Classical Ballet
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Classical ballet includes:
Demi characters (who have solos), characters who
typically wear traditional clothing, principal dancers (the
main male and female characters), and the Core
(ballerinas that dance in the large group numbers)
All females are on pointe. The tutus are short.
Usually tells a fairy tale. Uses pantomime to help tell
the story.
A pas de deux (the big duet between the principal
dancers) – He has a large jumping solo, she has a very
difficult solo showing off her pointe work, they have a
duet together full of beautiful lifts, and then they have
the Coda where they both leap and jump and lift for
the big finish.
Classical Ballet Clips
Snowflakes - Nutcracker
 Sleeping Beauty - Pas de deux
 Little Swans - Swan Lake
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Neo-Classical Ballet
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As with all art forms, the 20th Century was one of
revolting against the rules. Choreographers began to
play with movement outside of the traditional ballet
vocabulary.
Choreographers were tired of being constrained by the
rules of Classical Ballet. They were tired of only creating
ballets about fairy tales. Many began to use other stories
for their ballet plots.
Balanchine used the works of Shakespeare. One of his
most famous Neo-classical ballets is Romeo and Juliet.
Others used folk tales. Njinsky created Rite of Spring
based upon a Native tradition of human sacrifice.
Diaghilev worked with the composer Stravinsky to create
Firebird and Petrushka based upon Russian folklore.
Neo-Classical Ballet Clips
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Romeo and Juliet
The Rite of Spring
Firebird Promo
Petrouchka
The Dying Swan
Contemporary Ballet
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The revolt continued. The choreographers ditched the
idea of having a plot. The movement became more
horizontal and included more twisting and curving. It
even included floor work.
Russia’s monarchy fell and the Communist party took
over. Ballet continued to flourish, but many
choreographers and dancers defected and came to the
U.S.
George Balanchine cofounded the New York City Ballet
and continued to create Neo-Classical and Contemporary
ballets.
American Ballet Theater and The Joffrey Ballet were also
established in NYC. NYC and Moscow became
headquarters for ballet in the 20th Century.
Contemporary Ballet Clips
Jewels Promo
 Push Comes to Shove
 Dance Theatre of Harlem and Sesame
Street
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Similarities and Differences Between
Classical and Contemporary Ballet
Similarities
Differences
Both use a vocabulary of movement that employs the French
language
Classical ballet always has a storyline; most contemporary
ballets focus on the movement
Both utilize dancers who are highly trained in their technique
and performance abilities
Classical ballet appears very symmetrical, with both sides of
the stage equally “balanced” by having the same number of
dancers on each side executing the same movements.
Contemporary ballet does not focus on symmetry, and having
a stage that is “unbalanced” is a characteristic of the style
Both emphasize a strong relationship to music
There is always a pas de deux in a classical ballet; there may
or may not be one in contemporary ballet
Classical ballet choreography may incorporate pantomime and
literal gestures; contemporary ballet never does
Female dancers always wear pointe shoes in a classical ballet;
they may or may not wear them in contemporary ballet
For the most part, dancers in a classical ballet keep their
spines erect; dancers in a contemporary ballet curve, twist
and bend their upper bodies.