THE HISTORY OF BALLET

Dance I and II

Mrs. Koontz

WHEN DID BALLET BEGIN?

Ballet began in during the Italian Renaissance, in

the 15th Century

It was originally a dance interpretation of fencing

Ballet was further developed in France and Russia

It spread to the French court of Catherine

de’Medicci

Classical ballet was developed under the reign of

King Louis XIV

Louis the XIV was a ballet dancer in his youth

THE BEGINNING OF PROFESSIONAL BALLET

King Louis XIV founded the Royal Academy of

Dance in 1661

The Royal Academy of Dance became the

Paris Opera Ballet

This was the first professional institute for

ballet

Wanted to show off his shiny shoe buckles by

the outward pointing of the toes: became the

first five positions

WOMEN IN BALLET

All roles were danced by males until 1681

Strength issue: enormous headdresses, full heavy

skirt, and weighty corsets were considered too heavy

for a woman’s frame

The first female dancer performed professionally in

Le Triomphe de l'Amour (Triumph of Love)

TRANSFORMATION OF BALLET

Six decades later, a metamorphosis was about to unfold.

French choreographer Jean Georges Noverre criticized

professional dancers in his book, Lettres sur la danse. He

stated that the purpose of ballet was to express feelings.

He urged dancers to stop wearing masks, bulky costumes and

headdresses. He felt that a dancer's body should be able to

express emotions such as anger or joy or love. Noverre

developed the ballet d'action, a form of ballet that conveys a

story through movement.

WHAT ROLES DO WOMEN PLAY NOW?

Over time, dramas and stories that reflected mythology

changed to represent romantic themes

By the early 1800s women assumed the primary roles in

romantic ballets

The idea that a dancer could float angelically upon her toes,

barely touching the earth, gave women newfound superiority

over men. The role of men became that of porters whose

purpose was to lift the ballerinas and make it look easy.

ROMANTIC BALLET

The Italian choreographer Filippo Taglioni created the

first romantic ballet, La Sylphide (1832), for his daughter

Marie. She danced the title role of the Sylphide (fairylike

being) in a costume that set a new fashion for women

dancers. It included a light, white skirt that ended halfway

between her knees and ankles. Her arms, neck, and

shoulders were bare. Marie Taglioni, with her dreamlike

style, became the greatest star of the Paris stage.

MARIUS PETIPA

Paris remained the capital of the ballet world during the

early 1800's. But many dancers and choreographers who

trained and worked there took their technique to cities in

other countries. Perhaps the most important of this group

was Marius Petipa, who joined the Russian Imperial Ballet

of St. Petersburg (now the Kirov Ballet). He helped to make

St. Petersburg the world centre of ballet. Petipa's specialty

was creating spectacular choreography for women. The

leading roles in his Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake,

created in the 1890's, are still the parts desired most by

ballerinas.

AGNES DE MILLE

Moved to London in 1932 to receive Ballet training

Became a prominent Ballerina and choreographer

Brought ballet technique to musicals and such as

Sound of Music and Oklahoma

Made influences in artistic dance until her death in

1933

HOW DID BALLET COME TO AMERICA?

The Russian influence of George Balanchine brought ballet to

America

Founded the world famous New York City Ballet

Was invited to the United States from Russia by wealthy patrons

Balanchine moved towards plot-less ballets- focused on

movement in response to music

His ballet Jewel, was the first evening length ballet of this type in

1967

MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV

Toured in Canada in 1974 before coming to United

States

Joined American Ballet Theater for 5 years

Danced with New York City Ballet with George

Balachine

Returned to ABT in 1980 as dancer and Artistic

Director

Was not tall and was known for his textbook form

and technical excellence

MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV

TWYLA THARP

American Dancer and Choreographer

Added inventive style to traditional ballet

Made it interesting to those who do not know about technique

Added intelligent humor to ballet

Won 3 Emmy awards for her television production Baryshnikov

by Tharp in 1985

Began her own dance company in 1988, but merged with ABT

Regrouped her company, Twyla Tharp Dance in 1991

TWYLA THARP

TODAY’S BALLET SLIPPERS

Toe dancing began to develop in the end of 1700s

Today's ballet shoes are constructed of thin, flexible

leather, the pleats of which are precisely stitched flat

to a sueded sole so soft and smooth that the dancer

hardly feels anything on their feet at all.

HOW DID BALLET SLIPPERS EVOLVE?

Early 1400s Italians held pageants of music and dance- used

fashionable shoes, not suitable for dance

When ballet came to France (1600s) costumes changed, but still

did not have shoes for dance

King Louis XIV (late 1600s) wore high heeled shoes with shiny

buckle

Early 1700s ballet began to change

Marie Ann Cupis de Camargo took the heels off her shoes and

shortened her skirt

DANCING EN POINTE

The ballerina who is traditionally credited with

being the first dancer to dance en pointe was the

Italian, Marie Taglioni. Taglioni wore satin ballet

slippers that had leather soles. Her ballet shoes had

to be darned on the sides for strength . But they

were not darned on the tip of the shoe. She danced

without shoe support, as though barefoot. The

blocked pointe shoe with a shanked sole did not

evolve until much later.

DANCING EN POINTE

Italian ballerinas were dancing in shoes that were

harder, stronger and more supportive than those

worn by Marie Taglioni. Russian ballerinas had to

catch up technically, but could not do so because of

their shoes. In time, Russian shoes were made

firmer, and eventually grew quite hard and stiff.

Even today Russian made pointe shoes are stiffer

than other makes.

WHAT IS A POINTE SHOE

Satin, leather, paper and paste were, and still are, the primary

components of a blocked pointe shoe. Contrary to some people's belief,

there is no wood involved in this construction. Pointe shoes are made

inside out and turned after the box has been formed which is achieved

by building layer upon layer of paper and special paste, the formula to

which each manufacturer held sacred. When the heat of a dancer's foot

warms the box of the shoe, the special paste then moulds it to the

shape of her foot. The foot is supported from underneath the arch by a

stiff spine, called a shank. The outer material of a pointe shoe is usually

pink satin.