→ the
word ballet comes
from the French and was
borrowed into English around
1630. The French word in turn has its origin in Italian balletto, a diminutive
of ballo (dance)
which comes from Latin ballo, ballare, meaning
"to dance”, which in turn comes from the Greek "βαλλίζω" (ballizo), "to dance, to jump about".
 |
| Painting of ballet dancers by Edgar Degas, 1872. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet |
Its a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France
and Russia as a concert dance form.
The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented
in large chambers with most of the audience seated on tiers or galleries on
three sides of the dance floor. It has since become a highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary. It is primarily performed with
the accompaniment of classical music and has been influential as a form of
dance globally.
Ballet has been taught in ballet schools around the world, which use their own cultures and societies to
inform the art. Ballet dance works (ballets) are choreographed and
performed by trained artists, include mime and acting, and are set to music (usually orchestral but occasionally vocal).
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| Edgar Degas, Classical Bell Tutus in "The Dance Class" by Degas, 1874. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet |
It is a poised style of dance that incorporates the foundational
techniques for many other dance forms. This genre of dance is very hard to
master and requires much practice. It is best known in the form of late Romantic ballet or Ballet Blanc, which preoccupies itself
with the female dancer to the exclusion of almost all else, focusing on pointe work, flowing, precise
acrobatic movements, and often presenting the dancers in the conventional short
white French tutu. Later developments include expressionist ballet, neoclassical ballet, and elements of modern dance.
A tutu is
a skirt worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It might be single layer, hanging down, or multiple
layers starched and jutting out.
There are several types of ballet
tutu:
- Romantic Tutu: three quarter length bell shaped skirt made of tulle. The hemline falls between the knee and the ankle. The romantic tutu is free flowing to emphasise lightness, to suit the ethereal quality of the romantic ballets such as Giselle or La Sylphide. It is said to have been invented, or at least popularized, by Marie Taglioni, first in 1832 in La Sylphide.
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| Et Viola wearing a Romantic Tutu. http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=romantic+tutu |
- Classical Tutu (bell): A very short, stiff skirt made with layers of netting with a slight bell shape and fitted bodice. It extends outwards from the hips and does not use a wired hoop. It is usually longer than a classical (pancake) tutu. These can be seen in the famous ballet paintings by Degas.
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| A ballerina wearing a Classical Tutu (Bell). http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=ballet+classical+tutu+bell |
- Classical Tutu (pancake): A very short, stiff skirt made with layers of netting that extends straight outwards (from the hips) in a flat pancake shape, and has a fitted bodice. The pancake style has more layers of net and usually uses a wire hoop and much hand tacking to keep the layers flat and stiff.
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| Anna Pavlova in Giselle, wearing a Romantic Tutu.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alexandra_Ansanelli_Aurora_Sleeping_Beauty_Royal_Ballet.jpg |
- Balanchine/Karinska Tutu: also known as the "powder puff" is a very short skirt with no hoops, and fewer layers of netting than the pancake or classical styles. The skirt is loosely tacked to give a softer, fuller appearance. This style was designed originally for the ballet version of Georges Bizet's Symphony in C.
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| A ballerina wearing a Powder Puff Tutu. http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=powder+puff |
- Platter Tutu: A tutu with a flat top that sticks straight out from the ballerina's waistline.
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| Ballerina wearing a 5 layer Platter Tutu. http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?q=platter+Tutu |
A pointe
shoe is a type of shoe worn by ballet dancers
when performing pointework. Pointe shoes developed from
the desire for dancers to appear weightless and sylph-like
and have evolved to enable dancers to dance on the tips of their toes (i.e., en
pointe) for extended periods
of time. They are normally worn by female dancers, though male dancers may wear
them for unorthodox roles such as the ugly stepsisters in Cinderella, Bottom in A Midsummer
Night's Dream, or
men performing as women in dance companies such as Les Ballets
Trockadero and Grandiva. They are manufactured in a variety of colors, most
commonly in shades of light pink.
Ballet
Styles
- Ballet d'action is a ballet movement started by French choreographer Jean Georges Noverre in 1760. It involves expression of character and emotion through dancers' bodies and faces, rather than through elaborate costumes and props. The movement began due to Noverre's negative reaction to what he considered the dancers' undue focus on technical expertise and neglect of the true purpose of ballet.
Bolshoi Swan Lake - Pas d'action of Odette and Sigfried 1
- Classical Ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles, it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet. The Vaganova method, named after Agrippina Vaganova, the Cecchetti method, named after Enrico Cecchetti and the Bournonville method, named after Auguste Bournonville are Russian, Italian and Danish respectively and derive from the original French method. Classical ballet is best known for its unique features and textures, such as pointe work, turn-out of the legs, and high extensions; its graceful, flowing, precise movements; and its ethereal qualities.
Marina Rzhannikova - Swan Lake Odette Variation
- Contemporary ballet is a form of dance which incorporates elements of both classical ballet and modern dance. It takes its technique and use of pointework from classical ballet, although it permits a greater range of movement that may not adhere to the strict body lines set forth by schools of ballet technique. Many of its concepts come from the ideas and innovations of 20th century modern dance, including floorwork, balletic movements and andturn-in of the legs.
AROVA Contemporary Ballet Promo 1
- Neoclassical ballet is the style of 20th century classical ballet exemplified by the works of George Balanchine. It draws on the advanced technique of 19th century Russian Imperial dance, but strips it of its detailed narrative and heavy theatrical setting. What is left is the dance itself, sophisticated but sleekly modern, retaining the pointe shoe aesthetic, but eschewing the well upholstered drama and mime of the full length story ballet.
Neo Classical Ballet - Poker Face - Ballet Dance
- Romantic ballet is defined primarily by an era in ballet in which the ideas of Romanticism in art and literature influenced the creation of ballets. The era occurred during the early to mid 19th century primarily at the Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique of the Paris Opera Ballet and Her Majesty's Theatrein London. The era is typically considered to have begun with the 1827 début in Paris of the ballerina Marie Taglioni in the ballet La Sylphide, and to have reached its zenith with the premiere of the divertissement Pas de Quatre staged by the Ballet Master Jules Perrot in London in 1845. The Romantic ballet had no immediate end, but rather a slow decline. Arthur Saint-Léon's 1870 ballet Coppélia is considered to be the last work of the Romantic Ballet.
Giselle-Myrtha´s excrepts (Royal Ballet:Marianela Nunez 2007)
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