The History of Ballet
The first experience of watching a ballet, for me or any little girl, can be fascinating and exhilarating. Wondering how a dancer can be so steady on her toes as she spins in circles and leaps through the air. Watching a ballet, there is a feeling of wanting to be graceful, as well as the warm sensation felt by a little girl as she slips into dream land. My mom had taken me to my first ballet when I was 11 years old. When we returned home home, she signed me up for classes at the local dance center. The expectations to become a prima ballerina would involve much hard work and concentration. I knew when I started it would take years of steady practice and commitment. Learning the history of ballet and the famous dancers made me intrigued. I wanted to be like them. So I had set the goal, then I set the pace. To my misfortune I was unable to reach my goal. Gymnastics was another activity I enjoyed. I was unaware of the damage I was doing to my body until I found myself in a hospital bed being told by the doctors, no more dancing. I could no longer practice ballet, I could only watch. I have no regrets. Watching a ballet is just as much fun.
At my first dance lesson I was so excited and scared at the same time. We practiced as a group going in circles doing pirouette and ballon. A pirouette is done on demi-pointe by the male, on pointe by the female dancer and ballons are the spring of a dancer in leaping and jumping movements. Adagios, are slow and sustained movements; also, the section of pas de deux in which the ballerina, partnered by the dancer, displays her mastery of lyrical movement. The steps seam hard at first, but with practice they are actually fun to perform. A rond de jambe is perhaps the move that holds the most enjoyment for the smallest ballerinas to perform. To be really good at ballet is to understand the history and enjoy classical music. My first dance studio, the instructor taught the history of ballet as well as the meaning behind all the moves and steps.
My all time favorite ballet to watch is the Nutcracker, music wrote by non other than Tchaikovsky. In the 19th century, the ballet was regarded as the lowest kind of music. Famous composers did not write scores especially for ballets. A new phase in the development of the musical and choreographic culture of Russia and the world was started by Peter Tchaikovsky'...
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... that everyone had a chance to be the best, that is why he always taught us the history of ballet.
I don not remember everything I am taught, but when it comes to the ballet and the classics like Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Notre Dame de Paris, I enjoy watching every minute of the performance. Truly To enjoy the ballet or even an opera, there has to be an enjoyment of classical music. The two go hand in hand. I can close my eyes, listen to the music, and see myself dancing. It's a feeling of floating above and watching the performance as if I am the best dancer. To understand and appreciate the ballet, there has to be some sense of the history behind it all. To have a perfect ballet there needs to be; a good choreographer, a story line, the perfect music that flows with the story line and last of all the dancer who can interpret the theme. There is so much more than can be learned by reading the history of the ballet and the dancers who make it all come alive, even in a dream. Ballet can give a sense of peace, even if it's for only a few hours.
special note:
This essay is based on what I learned as a little girl, from my dance teacher, growing up.
Classical ballet is a traditional and a formal style that required a vigorous technique such as pointe work and turnout of the legs. Ballet can be combined with other types of music and movement like hip hop, jazz, tap and more. I believe that ballet is an elegant and flowing dance that can be combined with music and body movements. One of my favorite ballet dancer is Misty Copeland. She learned ballet very quickly when she stared, one technique that takes long time to learn is pointe, which is to support all the body weight in your feet, and Copeland learned to do it in just of three months.
Enrico Cecchetti was born June 21, 1850 in a dressing room of the Tordinona Theater in Rome (Carpenter). He and his siblings Pia and Guiseppe toured with their parents and learned from some of the best choreographers and teachers of that time (Carpenter). All of the teachers Cecchetti had as a young boy were taught by Carlo Blasis including the man his father sent him to too expand his knowledge of ballet. This man was Giovanni Lepri who had studied under Blasis for years. (Editors) He taught Enrico a lot about the ways of Blasis’s teachings and expanded his technique, skills and knowledge greatly. Cecchetti being from a dancing family of course had ideas of his ow...
Ballet is one of the oldest types of dancing. Originating in France, ballet was entertainment for the king, and has now further developed into the ballet we know today. A key component of ballet is the shoe. Pointe shoes are made to make it appear as if the dancers are floating across the stage. By the time a dancer is professional she is en pointe, meaning she is using pointe shoes. Only a few dancers out of the many that enter the competitive world of ballet, rise to fame. Those that do normally do not become famous until they reach soloist or principal status in their respective companies. Principal and soloist dancers almost always dance the leads in ballets, such as The Firebird and The Nutcracker. The Firebird and The Nutcracker are
The applauding audience, the lights, sequins and feathers, the colorful, elaborate tutus, and satin pointe shoes capture the hearts of young girls. Where else can a young girl dream of becoming a princess, a swan, a dancing snowflake or flower, or a sugarplum fairy? Where else can she be a fairy tale character like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty? Where else can she be rescued by her handsome prince and collapse into his arms? Ballet is the magical world where these dreams can come true. Young girls and women can be all of these things, symbolizing femininity in a culture that teaches young girls to be and want everything pink and pretty. However, in the shadow of the spotlight lurks an abusive world of eating disorders and malnourished dancers.
For the dancer, music and choreography are paramount. The music guides the dancer, and the moves express the music. However, the dance has to start from somewhere.
When I was about four or five years old, I was introduced to Ballet. I adored being a little ballerina and would read the same dance booklet everyday, practicing the five positions and gracefully positioning my tiny arms and fingers to match the little girl in the illustrations. Because I loved dance so much, my mother enrolled me in Donna Hammond-Phelps
Ballet has been an art form since the late fifteenth century, but society did not truly see the impact of ballet until the nineteenth century. Modern day thinkers possess the idea that ballet began with tutus and pointe shoes, but it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that this opinion was observed. Ballet has come a long way. It has survived the turmoil of many wars and has changed itself by accepting new ideas and impressing the audience with its unique stylistic views.
Many young girls grow up taking ballet class, but there is a lot more to ballet than just little girls running around in tutus. Many people think that ballet is boring or isn’t their thing but there are many roles that go into putting on a ballet. A lot of work goes into doing a ballet. There are many famous ballets that without the story, the ballet wouldn’t be as interesting. There were many influential dancers and choreographers in ballet. There are many basic steps that frame the technique of ballet. Ballet is very physically and mentally demanding. Ballet is an art that many people misunderstand, but there is so much more to ballet.
Ballet is a sport where you express yourself using dance. You can dance on flat or on your tippy toes on pointe shoes. Ballet is one of many different types of dance, such as Lyrical, Jazz, Modern, Tap, and Hip Hop. Ballet can be danced to show feeling, emotion, and just for pure amusement! You can start as young as you’d like to be a dancer. In ballet, there are 5 main positions. There is first, second, third, fourth, and fifth position. First position is where you put your heels together in parallel which is when you stand in a straight line with your knees together, and open your feet to turn out. Second position is where you start in first, and then you open your legs, still turned out. Third is where you cross your legs and the leg in
Primarily, all variations of Ballet help dancers to stay fit. Ballet is a very effective form of exercise because it utilizes many different aspects of fitness.
The final lesson I learned is how to truly perform. While I still gave my all in class, I realized that is not all it takes to be a great dancer. The best dancers are not always those with the perfect feet and long extensions. The best dancers are those who use movement to communicate and express a story without words.
Many people attribute the beginnings of ballet to be associated with the art form of Commedia Dell’Arte. While ballet has it’s roots associated with the comic art form, different elements unique to Commedia Dell’Arte influenced ballet artists, dancers, and choreographers well after the performance of Commedia Dell’Arte died. Commedia Dell’Arte was not only important to the creation of ballet, but to the inspiration of many ballets and choreographic works throughout history.
Ballet training should begin as early as possible for children who aspire to be professional dancers. The beginning stages of ballet training should be designated for: the development of coordination, rhythmic ability, musicality, and most important of all for enjoyment. A strong commitment regarding pursuing a profession in ballet should made by the age of ten. Due to the physical demands of ballet technique it should not be introduced until the age of ten. According to Howse (), ballet training should not...
After I began to learn to dance ballet, I found out that these elegant movements actually require a lot of strength, flexibility of the bodies and brain’s participation to make it looked elegant. The dancers’ movements in the performance were so fluent and elegant and it is not hard to imagine how hard they had practiced, stretched and use the strengths to do all the ballet poses with their bodies look longer and longer. Their expressions also impressed me a lot. By looking at their expressions, the audience can easily understand the scenes and blend into the story. The performers actually not only are required to have good dancing skills but also are required to have some talents to be actors. Moreover, they also have to be good at expressing their feelings on the
training, and admitted that “Ballet was the hardest thing he did”. (Katzowitz 1) Certainly if a