Romantic Ballet

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The theatre is full of young men and women. The gas lanterns dimly light the room and the silhouette of a figure can be seen in the shadows of the stage. As she emerges, she is like a dream: a tall, elegant body with a form fitting bodice and tutu. She is entrancing on her tiny pointe shoes as she floats across the stage. Love and passion fill the air as she moves in such a way that is almost magical. The Romantic Ballet Period introduced the aspects of theme, costume, and new technique to the dance world and its influences are still seen in contemporary works in ballet. 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. Romantic Ballet is the embodiment of ballet. In an era of war and suffering, the romantics found dance to immerse themselves in. It not only proved to be a reality escape for many individuals, but it changed their views of perception and thinking in a way never thought possible. According to Gayle Kassing writer of History of Dance, “Romantic Ballet provided the middle class with…escape from the drudgery of everyday life that came with the rise of industrialism.” As the social and political structure in society began to turn over, acceptance for new ideas became more easily attainable. Romanticism emphasized individuality, the irrational, and it protested against any mechanism that might ... ... middle of paper ... ...ctive Arts Approach. Champaign, IL. Sheridan Books, 2007. Kraus, Richard. History of the Dance in Arts and Education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1969. McLean, Adrienne. “Image of the Ballet Artist in Popular Films.” Journal of Popular Culture. Vol. 25 1991. 1-19. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Mesa State College. Grand Junction, CO. 2 March 2010 . Wikipedia contributors. "Ballet technique." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 1 Apr. 2010. Wikipedia contributors. "Romantic ballet." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 12 Dec. 2009. Web. 25 Feb. 2010.ß Wikipedia contributors. "Sylvie Guillem." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 21 Dec. 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.

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