Ballet Introduction
Ballet is a specialized dance art based on classical ballet technique and with its home: the theatre. His instrument is the human body. The classical ballet technique should form the instrument, intelligence should guide it, good taste should adorn it.
Ballet art is the art of balance. Balance, as far as the ballet dancer is concerned, between an "empty urge", wanting to escape gravity and a "show urge", wanting to show oneself, to his partner and to the public. As far as ballet as a spectacle is concerned, a balance between all the factors that together make ballet into theatrical art. Which factors are those?
Besides the dance, music, mimicry, decoration (costumes, decor) and lighting, there is an invisible factor that holds all others in its grip: the idea. In the theater one must have something to say, no matter what means of expression is chosen. The idea can have a story, a portrait, a composition, an atmosphere, a relationship between people, between animals and people or gods and people as its birthplace, either way, the idea determines the expression.
What Is Ballet Dance?
Ballet dance is a traditional art form that originated over 500 years ago in Italy. Though ballet dancers are trained to appear gentle and graceful in their movements, ballet technique requires a tremendous amount of strength, balance, technical skill, and flexibility. Dance moves like arabesques, pliés, and pirouettes are part of the basic movement vocabulary of ballet. Traditionally, female ballet dancers perform en pointe—meaning on the points of their tiptoes. Some of the most famous ballets include Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Romeo and Juliet.
Ballet was originally taught to Italian noblemen and women at extravagant, celebratory events in the fifteenth century. After Italian noblewoman Catherine de Medici married King Henry II of France, she funded ballet for the French Court, by establishing one of the first ballet programs.
Seventeenth-century France: King Louis XIV founded the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Academy of Dance) ballet school in 1661, which helped popularize the art form. In 1672, Louis XIV appointed Jean-Baptiste Lully as the director of the Paris Opera, leading to the establishment of the Paris Opera Ballet, where French choreographer Pierre Beauchamp became ballet master. By 1681, the first ballerinas took the stage. There are four different ballet dance styles that have shaped the trajectory and evolution of the art form.
1. Romantic ballet
Starting in the nineteenth century, Romantic ballet was heavily influenced by the Romantic era and is where some of the many recognizable aspects of ballet emerged, like pointe work and tutus. Romantic ballet emphasized emotion, lyricism, and drama in its narratives, and led to a rise in lead female dancers—whereas previously, male dancers had dominated the scene.
2. Classical ballet
Classical ballet is a traditional form of ballet, usually accompanied by a full orchestra and consisting of a story-driven narrative that is often anchored by a female ballerina. The movements of classical ballet often emphasize the weightlessness and extension lines of the ballerina, focusing on fluidity and outward leg rotation. Sets are constructed to complement the show’s narrative, and the dancers wear intricate costumes.
3. Contemporary ballet
This form of contemporary dance incorporates certain classical ballet elements, including elements of acting and some pointe techniques, but it is considered less strict in its execution. Contemporary ballet dance techniques allow for a wider range of upper body movement than classical ballet, and can also be performed barefoot.
4. Neoclassical ballet
Emerging in the 1920s, neoclassical ballet is less structured and more abstract than the other forms of ballet. Neoclassical ballet was formed as a response to the prevalent, dramatic elements of romantic ballet, and does not make use of traditional ballet elements like costumes, sets, or involved narratives.
5. Admissions to school
Admission to the ballet is based purely on talent and potential, regardless of academic ability or personal circumstances. Ballet schools fosters academic and artistic excellence, holistically nurturing its extraordinary to flourish within and beyond the world of classical ballet.
Comments
Post a Comment