Sleeping Beauty Analysis

When I was four years old I was introduced to a tall, petite, beautiful ballerina who spun around the room with elegance, and effortlessly captured the crowd with her stunning abilities. As a little girl, I sparkled with admiration and was inspired to be all she was, it was from that point on, that I ventured into an unknown world of art, strength and expression. Now being eighteen years old with about fourteen years of experience in the dance world, I have learned and developed the norms, values and practices of the culture, and the conflicting theory within it.

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.

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

Naharin created this dance pedagogy as a way to explore the possibilities of movement, increase awareness and amplify sensation by deeply listening and feeling the physical sensations of the body. Naharin’s way of approaching movement has been said to break boundaries of modern dance, producing movement that is often described as rough, lacking balletic elegance, virtuosic, explosive, fast (Aldor). In contrast, ballet is often stereotyped as pristine, pretty, controlled reserved, and proper — very rarely does is it described as loose, wild, free and ugly. By those descriptions Gaga could be seen as the “anti-ballet”. In fact, an article from T Magazine describes Gaga as “ sublime” and “a delightful horror” compared to the “quest for perfection” that is ballet (Subin). With such a stark contrast between the stylistic result of the two ways of moving, it would seem that Gaga and ballet can never relate. Consequently, what is unique about Gaga is rather than a technique or a vocabulary, it is a philosophy of how to use one’s body; or as The Guardian describes it “a toolbox” that dancers can apply to any dance technique (Perkovic). Although at a brief glance Gaga and ballet may seem to be polar opposites, I have found that I can use the concepts from Gaga as tools to adjust and strengthen my performance in ballet

Whether rooted deeply through generations of a family or formed through an experience, passions and fascinations are what drives us, humans, to be who we truly are. At this point in my life, I do not want to reach comfort or perfection, but rather feel composed and confident in what I chose to merge my ballet skills with. When I dance, I escape reality and feel a pure exhilaration.This sensation shapes my curiosity and interest in the human anatomy. From the elements that make it up to ways in which people individually move their bodies, the human body is absolutely fascinating. Specifically, I am passionate about teaching ballet to younger students. By introducing ballet to kids early on, they will experience the same joy almost all dancers feel for a longer period of time. When I’m dancing I’m challenging your mind, releasing endorphins, and working hard. I am also eager to own my own business linked with teaching that will provide people with affordable dance equipment, and even more crucial, advice on what suits each person's personal needs. I know as I grow old my body will not be as capable as it once was, but I’m dedicated to spreading my appreciation of ballet to others. Overall, my passion for ballet and how I can utilize it to positively impact society as an entrepreneur has developed through the inspiration of my grandparents, the creativity of my former dance teachers, and my interest in the human bodies relation to ballet.

As world has changed over the last century or so, the ballet world has been changing with it. There are many people who have helped shape that change. The changes in style were mainly influenced by George Balanchine. George Balanchine, a Russian choreographer and ballet dancer, also known as the father of American ballet, was the man who was said to have changed the style of ballet forever. Along with these changes in style came changes in visual design elements, inspirational figures, and changes in what the ballets themselves tend to rely on. Many of the features given to ballet in Russia in the 15th and 16th century still remain to this day, but many features have been altered to fit . Let’s take a closer look at what features truly

Whether we look at a romantic ballet like La Sylphide or a classical ballet such as Sleeping Beauty, audiences are constantly mesmerized by the gracefulness and weightlessness of the ballet dancers. They seem to defy the laws of physics, which is greatly possible due to the use of the pointe shoe. However, many masterworks that were created in the Romantic era did not solely rely on the pointe shoe to help convey messages. Instead, the choreography, dancers, scenic elements, subject matter, and music all helped shaped masterworks such as La Sylphide, Napoli, and Giselle. Similarly, in the Classical era, these elements all played a role in shaping famous ballets like La Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. But once we take a closer look at these ballets from the Classical era, we can see how much ballet evolved. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Romantic era was the stepping stone for this pure art form that we have been able to preserve for more than 160 years.

Ballet is one of the most beautiful, graceful dances known to the dancing world. From the tutu to the pointe shoes the need to see the expression of the steps given. Being able to see how the illusion of a flying princess is one of the most mysteries that come with a ballet show. The history of Ballet has evolved into one of the most well-known type of dances in the world this is from only the men having roles in the ballet to women being able to express emotion.

Have you ever experienced so much pressure and stress that you are unable to sleep at night? This is a common occurrence amongst students competing at Youth America Grand Prix. Youth America Grand Prix is the world’s largest ballet competition that offers scholarships to prestigious ballet academies and companies across the globe. Aspiring ballerinas spend most of their years training and preparing routines that they will perform to compete for highly competitive scholarships and a chance to pursue their dreams. I overcame Youth America Grand Prix by researching, practicing, and preparing thoroughly.

Mrs. Farrell’s book is quite technical when it comes to the lengthy descriptions of the dances she rehearses and performs; from a dancer’s view these varied conclusions of the types of movements she was dancing is quite astonishing. In fact, it adds a whole new level to the imagination that can come alive in a person’s thoughts when they read an expressive book. Although the technical explanations will excited, astound, and reveal how much passion and deep meaning ballet had in Suzanne Farrell’s life, but a reader, who may not be involved in the arts will be unfamiliar with the ballet and musical terms in

“Her dance lacked of all kind of technical virtuosity, as well as of any traditional ballet steps. She based her dancing experience in a slight intensification of natural movements: slight runs, no big extensions of the legs, no big jumps. She’d raise legs forwards with bent knees, the foot without extension of the instep, the head tilted. The arms were extended freely without any defined position. There were no poses and movement and daily undulating and fluid, round and more symmetric than asymmetric. Her hands and fingers could take many different positions, according to the intensity of the expression, but would never follow preconceived or artificial shapes. The face and neck were mobile and expressive; the torso was freed completely and flexible. She’d lean, kneel and fall with tilting movements. There were neither strong contrasts nor shrillness in the dynamics of movement.” (del Pilar Naranjo Rico, 2017).

For instance, Irina Tsoy, who played the canary fairy, brought life and energy to the stage. She, unlike most of the rest of the cast, combined her artistic skills with her technique to bring passion to the stage. Similarly, Daria Lednikova, who played Little Red Riding Hood, and Olga Gudkova, who played the Lilac fairy, had a beauty and grace when and transformed the energy of the stage. Maria Klueva, who danced the role of Princess Aurora, was graceful but lacked a presence that other characters had. While she, and the rest of the cast had beautiful technique, there was a lack of artistic choices, energy, and overall happiness or eagerness to be on stage. Generally, I was underwhelmed by their movement. The choreography, being simple and elegant, allowed the dancers so much opportunity to add their own voice to the music, but rather I simply saw a sea of smiles and energy-less

Anna Pavlova, a prima ballerina, was born in Russia. At a very young age she developed an interest in dancing. As a result, her mother took her to see "The Sleeping Beauty”. At the age of nine she auditioned at the Imperial Ballet School. However, she was not granted admission because she was too small and sickly looking. At the age of ten Anna was finally accepted. Her first appearance on stage was in Marius Petipa’s Un conte de fees (A Fairy Tale). Pavlova had difficulties in training because classical ballet was not her specialty. To make matters worse, she had arched feet, thin ankles, and long limbs. To compensate, she practiced extremely hard and took lessons from noted teachers of the day. Upon graduation, she performed at the Mariinsky

'It seems to me, my dear friend, that the music of this ballet will be one of my best creations. The subject is so poetic, so grateful for music, that 1 have worked on it with enthusiasm and written it with the warmth and enthusiasm upon which the worth of a composition always depends." - Tchaikovsky, to Nadia von Meck.

In their Youtube video “The Sleeping Beauty: The Challenges of Technically Demanding Roles (The Royal Ballet),” the Royal Opera House introduces its audience to an incredibly proficient pair of ballet dancers; however, despite what the video’s title suggests, in their interviews, the dancers focus more on the artistry of their performances than the technical minutiae. Ballerina Sarah Lamb shares how her role represents both an artistic and technical challenge. I imagine that the artistic portion of the role cannot even be addressed until one has mastered the technical foundation. I know that in class I cannot focus on any sort of artistry while going across the floor or doing center or barre work if I am struggling to remember or perform the