The Importance Of Presenting A Balanchine Ballet

Dance is found in all cultures. It is considered a way to communicate without talking. During the Renaissance period, ballet was considered a Russian specialty. The highly qualified and sought after dance companies would tour the world performing in front of those who had never experienced ballet before. By exposing ballet to the United States of America, the Russians inspired and sparked a demand for legitimate ballet in America. It took place throughout the 20th century, currently known as the Russo-American Era.

Another one of the main differences between Russian ballets and Balanchine ballets are the people or items of importance that might inspire a ballet to be created. There are so many ballets that have been inspired by things like old folklores or ancient fairy-tales. These ballets are likely to be of Russian origin. Many ballets such as Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, or even The Nutcracker are just few of the many examples of Russian originated ballets based on fairy-tales. “Petipa’s later works showed the way to much of the innovation of the future, and the choreography and pedagogy of Balanchine (though carried on primarily in the United States) represent the most important creative response to the legacy of Petipa’s nineteenth-century ballet academy - and the most significant twentieth-century development of Russian ballet traditions.” (Scholl 2) However, Balanchine was not so quick to rely on thing such as old stories or folkloric tales. Many of Balanchine’s ballets rely on the things that were around

Berkeley’s creations were not meant to focus on dance. He envisioned an overall moving pattern, which he created by using moving bodies. He made the art of choreography a technique of design and visual mathematics, and combined this with his knowledge of film to bring his vision to life on the big screen. The skill of this multi-talented man brought Hollywood musicals to their full potential, creating a high demand for dance in films.

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.

Balanchine also developed a distinct technique to accommodate his choreography and prepare his dancers to perform his works. Although it is not formally recognized as one of the official training systems of ballet, what has come to be known as the “Balanchine Technique” is just as comprehensive, if not more so, than its predecessors. It combines the musicality and athleticism of the Russian methods of Vaganova and Legat, with the precision and attack that Balanchine valued in his dancers. Specific characteristics of the Balanchine method include extreme speed and the use of a very deep demi plié, or bend of the knees. Across the various methods of ballet is an emphasis on “lines”, or the placement of the body as well as the shapes or visuals

To prove everyone wrong, an interest was sparked in supporting ballet to show the world that American artists are just as competence as its foreign competitors. Unlike the Russians who have already established their mark in the ballet world, Americans were not commonly associated as talented ballet dancers. Thus, in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower set aside $2,250,00 to fund dance, theatre, music, and sports tours to showcase American talents around the world. One of the funded dance tours was a ballet tour by New York City Ballet’s in Western Europe and the Soviet Union in 1962 (Croft, p. 425). New York City Ballet was a company founded by Balanchine and Kristen so their ballet performances reflected the innovation style of American ballet while maintaining its classical grace. Before their tour in the Soviet Union, the dancers were prepared for criticism and even booing during the performance due to the tensions between the two countries. However, all political differences were pushed aside, as “three thousand Soviet ballet fans rose to their feet to celebrate

As an art form, ballet has a lengthy list of credentials. Born in the peak of the Renaissance era, it has withstood the test of time and has never been merely a passing fad. Aside from being simply an “art form”, ballet stretches the body both mentally and physically. In order to meet the requirements of a classical dancer, one must be physically fit, which means having strength, flexibility, and endurance. It is true that other sports (football, basketball, soccer) require these three elements, it is necessary for ballet dancers to memorize the given choreography and combinations for both classes and performances. This art form “has the capacity [to]...enlarge the scope of human awareness” (Sanderson). Ballet widens this scope by giving people a larger palate of experiences to select.

To learn this art is a challenge in itself. An intense choreography is needed to learn the steps. Without a certified choreographer, one cannot understand

This part of ballet always wins overwhelming applauses, so it is nothing unexpected that Shostakovich Trilogy will give you the excitement and pleasure you are looking for. The striking creation by the American Ballet Theater craftsman in-living arrangement summons the trepidation, imperatives, greatness and splendor of craftsmen in Soviet Russia against the scenery of three Shostakovich pieces.

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

While watching the video “Ballet, Sweat, and Tears,” I noticed that the Ballet teachers in Russia are more strict and severe than the ones in America. The teachers at the Russia academy yelled a lot and physically touched the students, while here I America that is not allowed. In my opinion a difference that I saw was that the students over at the Vaganova Ballet were not lazy at all. The students from the Russian academy were more focused and traditional. Russian ballet also focuses on moving the body as a “whole,” their moves are more controlled and precise. They also tend to focus on flexibility and endurance as well as the positions of the arms. I also noticed that the students attending the Vaganova academy were more willing to make sacrifices. And example, would be the little girl that stated that she has not been able to watch television for over two months now. Now, the typical student here in the United States tends to be lazy and usually has a careless attitude. I know the students over here in America would not wake up at six in the morning just to keep practicing, especially in today’s generation. While, I also watched some ballet videos from the school of American Ballet I saw that the diet is not as firm as the one from the Vaganova Ballet Academy. Many people have also stated that compared to the Vaganova Ballet Academy the school of American ballet is a breeze. A major difference that I saw was the performance while the Russian ballet performance was precise

Ballet Is for Me Ballet is for me You know who I want to be I will dance until my legs feel numb So then my body will dance like a drum

Much of our exploration of dance improvisation involved delving into the eight movement “efforts” that Rudolf Laban developed, and these eight effort qualities can be categorized into four different groups: direction, weight, speed, and flow. For direction, movements can either be direct, which means there is intention and thought before every movement, or indirect, where the direction of one movement does not necessarily correspond to that of the next. For weight, movements can be either heavy, which can often be visible or the weight of the limbs and the awareness of gravity and the floor, or light, where a sensation of weightlessness or floating is often used. For speed, movements can either be quick, where movements rapidly progress from one to the next, or slow, where the urgency of time is neglected. For flow, movements can be either bound, where there is a sense of an imaginary outside force acting

Historically they were more a fun source of entertainment than serious works of art, even with Tchaikovsky involved. Ballets were ephemeral because of a long tradition of allowing departures from the "text" as well as the difficulties of setting the "text" on paper. They are often pastiches with additions and interpolations from different points in history. It's a good question to ask why, aside from tradition (whose tradition?) we should not feel free to update these unserious works to reflect our times, especially if somebody might be offended by them? Because everything starts to look the same, perhaps? Because we lose a glimpse into a past that can be both horrifying and beautiful? Well, so long as these decisions are made by artistic directors who are subject to funding and audience preferences, I guess I don't have a problem. I just don't want Le Corsaire to be banned by

The history of choreography is also very important Any choreography that seems new, fresh and different is usually a variation of something that has been done before. As long as men and women have lived upon this earth, they have danced. The art of movement is among the oldest of the arts.