Ballet
People have always danced. The first dances were part of religious and community ceremonies, but by the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, dancing had also become a form of entertainment. In the Middle ages, the church in Europe claimed that dancing was sinful, but when the Renaissance arrived in the 1400s, dancing became popular once again. It is in the European courts of the 16th and 17th centuries that the true origins of ballet lie.
The First Ballet
In 16th century France and Italy, royalty competed to have the most splendid court. The monarchs would search for and employ the best poets, musicians and artists. At this time, dancing became increasingly theatrical. This form of entertainment, also called the ballet de cour (court ballet), featured elaborate scenery and lavish costumes, plus a series of precessions, poetic speeches, music and dancing. The first known ballet, Le Ballet Comique de la Reine, was performed in 1581 at the wedding of the queen of France's sister.
The Sun King
In the 17th century the popularity and development of ballet can be attributed to King Louis XIV of France. He took dancing very seriously and trained daily with his dance master, Beauchamp. One of his famous roles was the Rising Sun and this led him to be known as the "Sun King". King Louis also set up the Academie Royale de Danse (Royal Academy of Dance) in 1661, where for the first time, steps were structurally codified and recorded by Beauchamp. These are the same steps that have been handed down through the centuries, and which now form the basis of today's classical ballet style.
The First Professional Dancers
At first, ballets were performed at the Royal Court, but in 1669 King Louis opened the first opera house in Paris. Ballet was first viewed publicly in the theater as part of the opera. The first opera featuring ballet, entitled Pomone, included dances created by Beauchamp. Women participated in ballets at court, but were not seen in the theater until 1681. Soon, as the number of performances increased, courtiers who danced for a hobby gave way to professional dancers who trained longer and harder. The physical movement of the first professional dancers was severely hindered by their lavish and weighty costumes and headpieces. They also wore dancing shoes with tiny heels, which made it rather difficult to dance with pointed toes.
Revealing Feet & Ankles
Early in the 18th century, the ballerina Marie Camargo, shocked the audiences by shortening her skirts - to just above the ankle. She did this to be freer in her movements and to allow the audience to see her intricate footwork and complex jumps, which often rivaled those of the men. At this time, female dancers also began to dominate the stage over their male counterparts. Ballet companies were now being set up all over France to train dancers for the opera. The first official ballet company (a collection of dancers who train professionally) was based at the Paris Opera and opened in 1713.
Professional Male Dancers Killed by Waltzing
Men were attracted to everyday social dancing as it provided them a chance to display their virility and thus to woo young ladies. At court, the men were able to impress the ladies by the dexterity of footwork demanded by earlier court dances. The waltz quite simply thrust women into the arms of men who now had to perform only very basic steps.
Getting to the Pointe
By 1830, ballet as a theatrical art truly came into its own. Influenced by the Romantic Movement, which was sweeping the world of art, music, literature and philosophy, ballet tool on a whole new look. The ballerina ruled supreme. Female dancers now wore calf-length, white bell-shaped tulle skirts. To enhance the image of the ballerina as light and elusive, the pointe shoe was introduced, enabling women to dance on the tips of their toes.
Classical Ballet
Although the term "classical" is often used to refer to traditional ballet, this term really describes a group of story ballets first seen in Russia at the end of the 19th century. At this time, the center of ballet moved from France to Russia. In Russia, the French choreographer Marius Petipa collaborated with the Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky to create the lavish story ballet spectacles such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. Today, these ballets still form the basis of the classical ballet repertoire of companies all over the world.
Short and Sweet
In 1909, the Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev brought together a group of dancers, choreographers, composers, artists and designers to form his company, the Ballets Russes. This company took Paris by storm as it introduced, instead of long story ballets in the classical tradition, short one act ballets such as, Schéhérazade, Les Sylphides, The Rite of Spring, Firebird and Petrouchka. Some of the world's greatest dancers, including Anna Pavlova, Vasslav Nijinski and choreographers Mikhail Fokine and George Balanchine were part of Diaghilev's company.
Establishing Dance in North America
Almost all contemporary ballet companies and dancers are influenced by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The first visit by this company to North America in 1916-17 stimulated great interest in ballet. Dancers from the Ballets Russes were instrumental; in furthering this new interest in ballet. For example, dancer George Balanchine came to the United States and founded the New York City ballet (originally the American Ballet). He became renowned for perfecting the abstract ballet and for establishing neo-classicism through his choreographic masterpieces such as Serenade, Agon and Concerto Barocco.
The United States proved to be fertile ground in the development of Modern dance. Martha Graham was a pioneer in the field whose work has had major impact on the world of dance. Today, American choreographers and dancers cause just as much interest and excitement in other parts of the world as we in America derive from developments in other countries.
Source: BalletMet.org