A BRIEF HISTORY OF BALLET
People have always danced. The first dances were part of religious and community ceremonies, but by the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, dancing had also become a form of entertainment. In the Middle Ages, the church in Europe claimed that dancing was sinful, but when the Renaissance arrived in the 1400s, dancing became popular once again. It is in the European courts of the 16th and 17th centuries that the true origins of ballet lie.
Why are so many ballet terms in french?
Because the French were among the first to write them down. Many are actually everyday words that just sound fancy to us. E.g. 'Plier' is French for 'bend'.
Is the word 'ballet' french as well?
It is, but it actually comes from the Italian word 'ballare'' from which we also get the word 'ballroom'.
The First Ballet
In 16th century France and Italy, royalty competed to have the most splendid court. The monarchs would search for and employ the best poets, musicians and artists. At this time, dancing became increasingly theatrical. This form of entertainment, also called the ballet de cour (court ballet), featured elaborate scenery and lavish costumes, plus a series of precessions, poetic speeches, music and dancing. The first known ballet, Le Ballet Comique de la Reine, was performed in 1581 at the wedding of the queen of France's sister.
The First Professional Dancers
At first, ballets were performed at the Royal Court, but in 1669 King Louis opened the first opera house in Paris. Ballet was first viewed publicly in the theater as part of the opera. The first opera featuring ballet, entitled Pomone, included dances created by Beauchamp. Women participated in ballets at court, but were not seen in the theater until 1681. Soon, as the number of performances increased, courtiers who danced for a hobby gave way to professional dancers who trained longer and harder. The physical movement of the first professional dancers was severely hindered by their lavish and weighty costumes and headpieces. They also wore dancing shoes with tiny heels, which made it rather difficult to dance with pointed toes.
Revealing Feet and Ankles
Early in the 18th century, the ballerina Marie Camargo, shocked the audiences by shortening her skirts - to just above the ankle. She did this to be freer in her movements and to allow the audience to see her intricate footwork and complex jumps, which often rivaled those of the men. At this time, female dancers also began to dominate the stage over their male counterparts. Ballet companies were now being set up all over France to train dancers for the opera. The first official ballet company (a collection of dancers who train professionally) was based at the Paris Opera and opened in 1713.
Pointe Shoes
By 1830, ballet as a theatrical art truly came into its own. Influenced by the Romantic Movement, which was sweeping the world of art, music, literature and philosophy, ballet took on a whole new look. The ballerina ruled supreme. Female dancers now wore calf-length, white bell-shaped tulle skirts. To enhance the image of the ballerina as light and elusive, the pointe shoe was introduced, enabling women to dance on the tips of their toes.
Establishing Dance in North America
Almost all contemporary ballet companies and dancers are influenced by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The first visit by this company to North America in 1916-17 stimulated great interest in ballet. Dancers from the Ballets Russes were instrumental in furthering this new interest in ballet. For example, dancer George Balanchine came to the United States and founded the New York City ballet (originally the American Ballet). He became renowned for perfecting the abstract ballet and for establishing neo-classicism through his choreographic masterpieces such as Serenade, Agon and Concerto Barocco. The United States proved to be fertile ground in the development of Modern dance. Today, American choreographers and dancers cause just as much interest and excitement in other parts of the world as we in America derive from developments in other countries.
A Classical Ballet has five specific ingredients that must be included.
They are:
1. It must tell a story - often a fairy tale involving a boy/girl plot with a problem to be resolved by the end of the ballet.
2. It must have costumes and scenery.
3. It must have music and the music must go with the story. The person who writes the music is called the composer.
4. It must have a "folk" or "character" dance.
5. The female dancers must wear pointe shoes.
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