What is ballet, ballet history
"We want not just to dance, but to talk dance"
G. Ulanova
The amazing, beautiful and multifaceted world of ballet will not leave anyone indifferent. For the first time this word was sounded in Italy, the genre itself originated in France, besides this, ballet is the real pride of Russia, moreover, in the XIX century it was the Russian performance created by P.I. Tchaikovsky, became a true model.
What is ballet?
This is a musical and theatrical genre in which several types of art are closely intertwined. So, music, dance, painting, dramatic and visual art are combined with each other, building a harmonious performance, unfolding before the public on a theatrical scene. Translated from Italian, the word "ballet" means - "dance."
When did the ballet come about?
The first mention of the ballet dates back to the 15th century, information remains that the court dance teacher Domenico da Piacenza proposed for the next ball to combine several dances, writing a solemn final for them and designating them as ballet.
However, the genre itself appeared a little later in Italy. The year of 1581 was recognized as the starting point. It was at this time that Balthazarini staged his performance based on dance and music in Paris. In the 17th century, mixed performances (opera-ballet) became popular. At the same time, it is music that is of greater importance in such productions, and not dance. Only through the reform work of choreographer from France, Jean Georges Noverd, does the genre acquire classical outlines with its “choreographic language”.
The formation of the genre in Russia
There is information that the first performance "Ballet on Orpheus and Eurydice" was presented in February 1673 at the court of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The talented choreographer Charles-Louis Didlo made a great contribution to the formation of the genre. However, this reformer is considered to be the famous composer PI. Tchaikovsky. It is in his work that the formation of the romantic ballet takes place. P.I. Tchaikovsky paid particular attention to music, turning it from an accompanying element into a powerful instrument that helps the dance to subtly capture and reveal emotions and feelings. The composer transformed the form of ballet music, and also built a single symphonic development. The work of A. Glazunov (Raymond), I. Stravinsky (Firebird, Sacred Spring, Petrushka) played a significant role in the development of the ballet, M. Ravel ("Daphnis and Chloe"), as well as the work of choreographers M. Petipa, L. Ivanov, M. Fokina. In the new century, the works of S. Prokofiev, D. Shostakovich, R. Gliere, A. Khachaturian stand out.
In XX, composers begin searches to overcome stereotypes and established rules.
Who is a ballerina?
Previously, not all dancers in ballet were called ballerinas. This is the highest title, which received a dancer to achieve a certain amount of artistic merit, as well as a few years after working in the theater. Initially, everyone who graduated from the Theater School was accepted as a corps de ballet dancer, with rare exceptions - as soloists. Some of them managed to achieve the title of ballerina in two or three years of work, some only before retirement.
Main components
The main components of ballet are classical dance, characteristic dance and pantomime. Classical dance originates in France. He is incredibly plastic and elegant. Solo dances are called variations and adagio. For example, the well-known Adagio from the ballet "Swan Lake" by P. I. Tchaikovsky. Moreover, these numbers can be in ensemble dances.
In addition to soloists, the corps de ballet, which creates mass scenes, takes part in the action.
Often the corps de ballet are characteristic. For example, "Spanish" dance from "Swan Lake". This term refers to folk dances introduced to the performance.
Movies about ballet
Ballet is a very popular form of art, which is also reflected in cinema. There are many beautiful paintings about ballet that can be divided into three broad categories:
- Documentary films are a recorded ballet performance, thanks to which you can get acquainted with the work of great dancers.
- Film ballet - such pictures also show the performance itself, but only the action is no longer on stage. For example, the tape "Romeo and Juliet" (1982), directed by Paul Zinner, where the leading roles were performed by the famous R. Nureyev and C. Fracci; "The Tale of the Humpbacked Skate" (1961), where the main role was played by Maya Plisetskaya.
- Feature films whose action is associated with ballet. Such films allow you to immerse yourself in the world of this art and sometimes the events in them unfold against the background of the production, or they tell about everything that happens in the theater. Among such films, the American Proscene film Nicholas Hytner, which the public saw in 2000, deserves special attention.
- We should also mention the biographical pictures: "Margot Fontein" (2005), "Anna Pavlova" and many others.
You can not ignore the picture of 1948 "Red shoes" directed by M. Powell and E. Pressburger. The film introduces the audience to a performance based on the famous fairy tale by Andersen and immerses the audience in the world of ballet.
Directed by Stephen Daldry in 2001 presented the public tape "Billy Elliot." It tells about an 11-year-old boy from a mining family who decided to become a dancer. He gets a unique chance and enters the Royal Ballet School.
The film "Mania Giselle" (1995), directed by Alexei Uchitel, will acquaint the audience with the life of the legendary Russian dancer Olga Spesivtseva, whom contemporaries called the Red Giselle.
In 2011, Darren Aronofsky’s acclaimed film "The Black Swan" appeared on TV screens, which shows the life of the ballet theater from the inside.
Modern ballet and its future
Modern ballet is very different from the classical more bold costumes and free dance interpretation. The classics included very strict movements, in contrast to the modern, which is more appropriately called acrobatic. A lot in this case depends on the chosen theme and idea of the performance. Based on it, the director already chooses a set of choreographic movements. In modern performances, movements can be borrowed from national dances, new trends in plastics, and ultra-modern dance trends. Interpretation is also performed in a new way, for example, by the acclaimed staging of Swan Lake by Matthew Bern, in which the girls were replaced by men. The work of choreographer B. Eifman is a true philosophy in dance, since each of his ballets contains a deep meaning. Another trend in the modern play is the blurring of the boundaries of the genre, and it would be more correct to call it multi-genre. It is more symbolic in comparison with the classical, and uses many quotations, references. Some performances use the montage principle of construction, and the production consists of scattered fragments (frames), which together form a common text.
In addition, throughout modern culture there is a huge interest in various remakes, and ballet is no exception. Therefore, many directors are trying to force the public to look at the classic version from the other side. New readings are welcome, and, the more original they are, the more success awaits them.
Pantomime is an expressive game with gestures and facial expressions.
In modern productions choreographers expand the established frames and boundaries, in addition to classical components, gymnastic and acrobatic performances are added, as well as modern dances (modern, free dance). This trend began in the 20th century and has not lost its relevance.
Ballet is a complex and multifaceted genre in which several types of art are closely intertwined. No one can leave indifferent the graceful movements of the dancers, their expressive playing and the enchanting sounds of classical music. Just imagine how ballet decorates the holiday, it will become a real gem of any event.
We are pleased to offer ballet dancers to perform numbers and excerpts from classical and modern ballets at your event.
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