Romantic Ballet 18th - 19th

century

highlighted supernatural characters such as sylphs, fairies and mythical creatures.

Pointe shoes

The role of the FEMALE

“She is the priestess of the chaste art: she prays with her legs.”

--Gautier

Giselle 1841

Carlota Grisi

Choreography by Jean Coralli & Jules Perrot Scenario by Gautier

Romantic Ballet

La Sylphide 1832

Romantic Ballet

Choreography by Philippo Taglionifor daughter Marie Taglioni

Sleeping Beauty 1890

Marius Petipa

The Nutcracker 1892

Lev Ivanov

Swan Lake 1895

Ivanov and Petipa

Classical Ballet

Music by:

Peter Tchaikovsky

Classical Ballet

• virtuosity

• Intimate collaboration between choreographer and composer

• technically more challenging

• body is more exposed

Late eighteen hundreds

Hierarchy in Classical Ballet:

• Principal Dancers• Chorus • Soloists

Michel Fokine• First chief choreographer for Ballet Russes

• Choreography:

Chopiniana - 1907

Pavillon D’Armide - 1907

Cleopatre - 1909

Prince Igor - 1909

*Les Sylphides - 1909

*Firebird - 1910

Scherezade - 1910

Le Spectre de la Rose - 1911

*Petrouchka - 1912

1880 - 1942

Ballets Russes1909 - 1929

Schéherezade

Other choreographers of Ballet Russes are:

Vaslav Nijinski -Rite of Spring, The Afternoon of the Faun.

Bronislava Nijinska – Les Noces, Les Biches

Leonide Massine: Parade, Midnight Sun

George Balanchine: The Prodigal Son, Apollo

f a Faun

Nijinsky

Igor Stravinsky

composed the music for:

The Fire Bird (M. Fokine) Rites of Spring (V. Nijinsky) Les Noces (B. Nijinska)of a Faun

Russia

Fokine’s five point choreographic/aesthetic rules:

1. Each Ballet should have a style of movement created especially for it according to the demands of the subject matter and the musical scores. The classical steps should be modified or restyled according to the dictates of the thematic material.

2. The dance movement itself should convey the unfolding of the dramatic action, thus eliminating the inclusion of mime.

3. The formalized pantomimic gesture of the previous ages should be replaced by an expressiveness created from total

body movement, which would, in turn, meaningfully communicate ideas and feelings.

• All dancers in a work, including the corps de ballet, should be an intricate part of the whole and not serve to decorate the stage at various interludes.

5. All aspects of the ballet should be on equal footing. Namely, the dancing, the music, sets, and costumes should reflect the collaborative effort toward a cohesive creative product.