Ballet is a formalized type of performative dance, the origins
of which date lay in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century French
courts, and which was further developed in England, Italy, and
Russia as a concert dance form. The early performances preceded the
intervention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large
chambers with the most of the audience seated on tiers or galleries
on three sides of the dancing floor. The early ballet dancers were
not as highly skilled as they are now. It has since become a highly
technical form of dance with its own vocabulary. It is primarily
performed with the accompaniment of classical music. It has been
influential as a form of dance globally and is 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 also include mime, acting, and are set to music
(usually orchestral but occasionally vocal).
It is best known in the form of Late Romantic 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.
The etymology of the word "ballet" is related to the art
form's history. The word ballet comes from the French and was
borrowed into English around the 17th century. The French word in
turn has its origins in Italian balletto, a diminutive of ballo
(dance). Ballet ultimately traces back to Latin ballare, meaning to
dance.
History of
Ballet:-
Ballet emerged in the late fifteenth-century Renaissance court
culture of Italy, as a dance interpretation of fencing, and further
developed in the French court from the time of Louis XIV in the
17th century. This is reflected in the largely French vocabulary of
ballet. The eighteenth century saw the great reforms of Noverre,
but ballet went into decline after 1830, though it was continued in
Denmark, Italy, and Russia. It was resurrected as an art form on
the eve of the First World War by a Russian company: the Ballets
Russes of Sergei Diaghilev, who came to be influential around the
world.
In the 20th century ballet has continued to develop and has
had a strong influence on broader concert dance. For example, in
the United States, choreographer George Balanchine developed what
is now known as neoclassical ballet. Subsequent developments now
include contemporary ballet and post- structural ballet, seen in
the work of William Forsythe in Germany.
Types of
Ballet:-
There are a few types of Ballet. Such as "Classical Ballet",
"Neo-Classical Ballet", "Contemporary Ballet" etc. The descriptions
are given below.
Classical
Ballet:-
Classical Ballet is the most formal of the ballet style; it
adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations
relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet,
and Italian ballet. Although most ballet of the last two centuries
is ultimately founded on the teachings of Blasis. The five most
well-known styles of ballet are the Vaganova method, or Russian
Method, after Agrippina Vaganova, the Cecchetti method, or Italian
Method, after Enrico Cecchetti, the Bournonville Method, or Danish
Method, after August Bournonville, the Balanchine Method, or School
of American Ballet / New York City Ballet Method, after George
Balanchine, and the Royal Academy of Dance Method, or R.A.D.
Method, created in England.
Neo-Classical
Ballet:-
Neoclassical ballet is a ballet style that uses traditional
ballet vocabulary, but is less rigid than the classical ballet. For
example, dancers often dance at more extreme tempos and perform
more technical feats. Spacing in neoclassical ballet is usually
more modern or complex than in classical ballet. Although
organization in neoclassical ballet is more varied, the focus on
structure is a defining characteristic of neoclassical
ballet.
It 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. Balanchine
used flexed hands (and occasionally feet), turned-in legs,
off-centered positions and non-classical costumes (such as leotards
and tunics instead of tutus) to distance himself from the classical
and romantic ballet traditions. 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.
Balanchine also brought modern dancers in to dance with his
company, the New York City Ballet; one such dancer was Paul Taylor,
who in 1959 performed in Balanchine's piece Episodes. Balanchine
also worked with modern dance choreographer Martha Graham,
expanding his exposure to modern techniques and ideas. Also during
this period, choreographers such as John Butler and Glen Tetley
began to consciously combine ballet and modern techniques in
experimentation.
Tim Scholl, author of From Petipa to Balanchine, considers
George Balanchine's Apollo in 1928 to be the first neoclassical
ballet. Apollo represented a return to form in response to Serge
Diaghilev's abstract ballets.
Contemporary
Ballet:-
Contemporary ballet is a form of dance influenced by both
classical ballet and modern dance. It takes its technique and use
of pointe work 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 floor work and turn-in of the legs.
George Balanchine is often considered to have been the first
pioneer of contemporary ballet through the development of
neoclassical ballet.
One dancer who danced briefly for Balanchine was Mikhail
Baryshnikov, an exemplar of Kirov Ballet training. Following
Baryshnikov's appointment as artistic director of American Ballet
Theatre in 1980, he worked with various modern choreographers, most
notably Twyla Tharp. Tharp choreographed Push Comes To Shove for
ABT and Baryshnikov in 1976; in 1986 she created In The Upper Room
for her own company. Both these pieces were considered innovative
for their use of distinctly modern movements melded with the use of
pointe shoes and classically-trained dancers -- for their use of
"contemporary ballet".
Tharp also worked with the Joffrey Ballet company, founded in
1957 by Robert Joffrey. She choreographed Deuce Coupe for them in
1973, using pop music and a blend of modern and ballet techniques.
The Joffrey Ballet continued to perform numerous contemporary
pieces, many choreographed by co-founder Gerald Arpino.
Today there are many explicitly contemporary ballet companies
and choreographers. These include Alonzo King and his company,
Alonzo King's Lines Ballet; Nacho Duato and Compañia Nacional de
Danza; William Forsythe, who has worked extensively with the
Frankfurt Ballet and today runs The Forsythe Company; and Jirí
Kylián, currently the artistic director of the Nederlands Dans
Theatre. Traditionally "classical" companies, such as the Kirov
Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet, also regularly perform
contemporary works.
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