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Paris Opera Ballet

Decent Essays

Dance has been around since the earliest of human times. However, the formalization of dance came long after humans were dancing. As cultures became more developed, people could focus on other things such as rituals, dances, costumes, and entertainment (Hooper). This led to entertainment not only for the royalty and leaders of a society, but also entertainment for the commoner. Kassing notes that as the Renaissance arrived, performances in court became much more common as a form of entertainment to please the ruling class. Catherine de’ Medici is known for bringing ballet to France, where it became quite popular, according to Kassing’s report. The Paris Opera (originally the Académie Royale de Musique) was founded by Louis XIV and its ballet …show more content…

However, Hochman highlights that the school was not originally for children but rather a forum for professional dancers to learn dancing techniques. As with any new concept, there has to an established purpose and that, according to Chapman, was to assemble the corps dancers to establish prestige that the Paris Opera Ballet was known for. The concept of a school to train a company was highly innovative because it establishes rules and culture that would not have to be explained to new members; it would develop a growing pool of competent dancers. This system was needed especially as principles either retired or were injured, advancing someone from the school to a performance role. Today, the school at the Paris Opera Ballet not only teaches repertoire, but also includes Russian, Italian, and French techniques, according to Bauer. It is important to note that many other companies have schools that cultivate dancers for their companies with only a few students actually chosen for the main company. These include the American Ballet Theatre and Atlanta Ballet according to the ABT and Atlanta Ballet Website. When universities were being marketed to women, many of them offered dance programs as an alternative to basic conservatory training with a more rigorous academic load. University training is popular for those seeking …show more content…

When the Paris Opera Ballet was formed, it was meant to entertain royalty, requiring manners, etiquette, and protocol directed toward the royals, according to Professor Suggs. Manners, etiquette, and protocol dictate how one is to behave and act. This led to performances at the Paris Opera Ballet to be very formal affairs as evidenced today. Many dances end with bows that would have shown respect to the royalty present according to Anderson. However, today it is shown to thank the entire audience. Also, there was a decorum practiced by the audience, which can still be seen today. According to the San Francisco Ballet Company website, they suggest propriety such as avoiding tardiness, making sure electronic devices are off, no candy wrappers, no talking, and no snuggling with your significant other. These are enforced out of respect for the performer and guests around. Dress codes are another legacy left by the Paris Opera Ballet. Since the performances were first staged for King Louis XIV, Anderson suggests that they were a formal affair. This can be seen today: while most theaters do not have formal dress codes, they provide suggestions on dress. Trip Advisor advises that guests should be clean, use small amounts of perfume or collogue, and “to dress the part.” Trip Advisor says that this is because there is a large amount of money put in such as ticket costs,

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