Ballet : A Unique Form Of Dance

Contemporary ballet, although is a form of ballet but looks vastly different from classical and romantic ballet. Contemporary ballet consist of ballet and contemporary dance, and the dance often includes having a partner. Contemporary ballet is often done in a turned in position while classical ballet is done in a turned out position. A turned out position would be the first position in ballet where the dancer’s feet are usually pointing outwards. Like modern dances in the 20th century, contemporary ballet often hints a message to the audience. Alonzo King, a local San Francisco dance company owner inspired many choreographer with his choreography by having a perfect blend of traditional and modern dances in his piece. His choreography often contain a strong, controversial meaning. “The Moroccan Project”, choreographer Alonzo King suggests the message of love and inequality, using their trademark moves: spinning and elevating, in the contemporary modern dance style.

The history of ballet dates back to the 18th century starting with Baroque dance. Fabritio Caroso da Sermoneta was a famous Italian Renaissance dancing master. He was born around 1526-1535 and died around 1605-1620. His dance manual "Ballarino" was published in 1581, with a subsequent edition, significantly different, Nobiltà de dame, printed in 1600 and again after his death in 1630. In the 19th century there was the pre-romantic, romantic and the classical ballets. Anthony Tudor deserves an honorable mention for his choreography and teaching. Pre-romantic ballet occurred sometime circa ?? up to 1831. The romantic period covered the early to mid 1800's. This era also introduced the calf-length dress. A few of the great Romantic dancers were Marie Taglioni, Fanny Elssler and Carlotta Grisi. The tequnique became more developed, but the role

Dance is found in all cultures. It is considered a way to communicate without talking. During the Renaissance period, ballet was considered a Russian specialty. The highly qualified and sought after dance companies would tour the world performing in front of those who had never experienced ballet before. By exposing ballet to the United States of America, the Russians inspired and sparked a demand for legitimate ballet in America. It took place throughout the 20th century, currently known as the Russo-American Era.

Have you ever taken an dance class? Or played a sport? Well, there is conflict over if

Ballet is a beautiful and romantic type of performance art. It originated in the Italian court systems in the 15th century (Jonas). Since its origination, ballet has undergone many changes and gained worldwide recognition. Filled with elaborate costumes, cheering audiences, lights, weightless movements and beauty; ballet is admired by many. On the magical stage ballerinas can become whoever they wan to be, and perform in a world of fantasy. For these reasons, children, especially little girls, all over the world dream of becoming ballerinas when they grow up. However, becoming a professional ballerina is an extremely difficult accomplishment, in which few will achieve (Kelso 1). The world of ballet may seem to be filled with glitz and

Ballet started in the late 1400s during the Renaissance. When Catherine de Medici who married King Henry the second of France know for throwing large parties. These parties would last for 8 hours straight of music, food, dancing and other entrainment. These

Classical ballet has been a major part of society especially in France and Italy before it spread to other parts of the world such as Russia and it developed from the court dances which date back to as far back as the 16th century. This essay will discuss and focus on the way in which dance contributed to court balls during the 16th and 17th century, the role King Louis XIV had on ballet and his influence in the art of ballet and lastly it will discuss the decline of ballet in Western Europe and the reason as to why this decline had taken place.

To prove everyone wrong, an interest was sparked in supporting ballet to show the world that American artists are just as competence as its foreign competitors. Unlike the Russians who have already established their mark in the ballet world, Americans were not commonly associated as talented ballet dancers. Thus, in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower set aside $2,250,00 to fund dance, theatre, music, and sports tours to showcase American talents around the world. One of the funded dance tours was a ballet tour by New York City Ballet’s in Western Europe and the Soviet Union in 1962 (Croft, p. 425). New York City Ballet was a company founded by Balanchine and Kristen so their ballet performances reflected the innovation style of American ballet while maintaining its classical grace. Before their tour in the Soviet Union, the dancers were prepared for criticism and even booing during the performance due to the tensions between the two countries. However, all political differences were pushed aside, as “three thousand Soviet ballet fans rose to their feet to celebrate

Ballet is an interesting thing, but have you ever thought about how it started or why. Did you know at first that women were not a big part of ballet. Ballet was a big thing for men not women. Learn more about this exciting journey through time

Ballet is an art form that can be your best friend but also your worst enemy. A dancer strives for perfection every day and has to put complete passion into every step to see even the slightest improvement. This is a difficult task, but also an addictive routine. A professional ballet dancer sacrifices a normal childhood into adulthood to become one with the art. Professional dancers pour their heart

Dance injuries are a harmful and increasingly prevalent concern for dancers in the United States. According to Rachael Rettner (2013), "Over a 17 year period, the number of dance related injuries that sent U.S. children ages 3 to 19 to emergency rooms increased 37 percent, from 6." Since ballet is the foundation of all dance techniques, ballet dance schools should be required to provide injury prevention classes so that injuries are prevented, dancers’ careers can be prolonged, and dancers can perform better.

The history of ballet is rich, complex and full of powerful meanings depending on the time period. Ballet in the 15th century was seen as something that only select individuals could do, whereas, the 20th century ballet can be preformed by anyone. By thinking about how ballet performers have changed, a question may be thought is, have the people attending these ballet performances changed as well as the performers themselves? Today, children from ages two and up start taking ballet and family members come and watch their final recitals. National ballet companies are also an event and often draw attention to the higher-class individuals who have a taste for ballet. The ballet world could be seen as to having a quite array of attendees, events and functions, but that might not have always been the

French Ballet began in the 17th century. It was a flamboyant entertainment presented in front of the aristocracy and royalty in the courts. French Ballet was also performed when they were celebrating marriages and showing off the wealth and power of the ruler. Besides, Ballet was called “la belle danse”, and it means “the beautiful dance.” In order to help the audience to recognize the characters in the story, dancers usually wore extravagant costumes. Moreover, the idea of different ballet movements was based on the social dance of royal courts, like beautiful arm and upper body movements and floor patterns were included. Also, in the beginning, only men were allowed to dance ballet, and women played the first ballet with parts until 1681.

American dancer Isadora Duncan once said, “The real American type can never be a ballet dancer. The legs are too long, the body too supple and the spirit too free for this school of affected grace…“ (Needham, 2002, p. 199). Contrary to her belief, after more than 80 years later, today ballet has flourished and become a important part of Americaan dance culture. It is no longer a foreign image to see American girls in tutus and leotards taking ballet lessons at a young age. However, ballet was not always seen in a positive light in the United States. As a country that highly encouraged independent thinking, early Americans wanted to distinguish itself from European arts to be recognized as a culture of its own. Yet, today ballet is seen everywhere

At the age of three, I was exposed to the wonderful art form of dance that is shared by so many around the world. It is questioned as to how dance, specifically Ballet, is still relevant in modern culture. The simple reason is that it is loved by so many artists, who have shared their passion for ballet on to generations of students who are eager to understand and master this complicated art form. I was lucky to be immersed into the dance world at such a young age. It is difficult for me to imagine a life without it.