Classical ballet

Classical ballet is a traditional, formal style of ballet. It uses only classical ballet technique. It is known for its beauty and strict technique, such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions. Its movements are flowing and precise, and they have a dreamy, light quality.

Classical ballet has styles that are linked to certain places. You can see these in names like Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet. For example, Russian ballet uses high extensions and quick turns, while Italian ballet is often more grounded, with fast, detailed footwork.

Many of these styles are connected to training methods named after the people who started them. Even with these differences, the performance and vocabulary of classical ballet are mostly the same all over the world.

History

Main article: History of ballet

Ballet began in the courts of the Italian Renaissance. In the 1500s, Catherine de' Medici brought it to France. In its early years, court ballets were performed by wealthy amateurs, not professional dancers. Many early ballet movements came from social court dances. They often focused on patterns on the stage rather than formal ballet technique.

In the 1600s, ballet became more popular in France and slowly grew into a professional art. Performers were no longer amateurs, and ballet began to include difficult acrobatic moves. In 1661, King Louis XIV founded the world's first ballet school, the Académie Royale de Danse. Its purpose was to improve dance training in France and to create a set of techniques that could turn ballet into a formal discipline. In 1672, Pierre Beauchamp, who worked at the Academie Royal, invented the five positions of ballet. They are still the foundation of formal classical ballet technique. Famous dancers from ballet's history include Anna Pavlova (1881–1931), Dame Margot Fonteyn (1919–1991), and Rudolf Nureyev (1938–1993).

Development

Before classical ballet developed, ballet was in a period called the Romantic era. Romantic ballet was known for its storytelling and often had a softer look. Classical ballet began when ballet master Marius Petipa combined Romantic ballet with parts of Russian ballet technique. Petipa is considered one of the greatest choreographers of all time. He had once worked as a choreographer and ballet master at Mariinsky Ballet. The new style kept the storytelling of Romantic ballet and added the athleticism of Russian technique. This new era later became known as the classical era. Petipa also created well-known Romantic ballets, such as Giselle.

During the classical era, Petipa helped create dance patterns that are still used in ballets today. He was the first to use the grand pas de deux, and he made the corps de ballet a standard part of a ballet. These elements can also be seen in his Romantic ballets. Famous classical ballets include Don Quixote, created by Petipa; Swan Lake, created by Petipa and Lev Ivanov; and The Nutcracker, also created by Petipa and Ivanov.

Technique

Main article: Ballet technique

Ballet technique is the basic set of ideas about how the body moves and is shaped in ballet. A key idea is turnout, which means turning the legs and feet outward from the hip. King Louis XIV first brought this into ballet because he liked to show off the shiny buckles on his shoes when he danced. There are five basic positions of the feet in ballet. All of them use turnout, and they are named first through fifth.

When dancers jump and leap, classical ballet dancers try to show ballon, which is the look of floating in the air for a moment. Pointe technique is the part of ballet that uses pointe shoes. The dancer rests all of their body weight on the tips of their fully stretched feet. In professional companies, these special shoes are fitted carefully to each dancer's feet.

Training

Students learn ballet words and how to move their bodies correctly for each one. They build flexibility and strong legs, feet, and core muscles (the center, or abdominals). A strong core helps with turns. Dancers pick a spot, a point to look at while turning, so they do not get dizzy. Girls start learning pointe technique as they get more advanced. Boys and girls both learn partnering and harder jumps and turns. Dancers usually wear tights, a leotard, and ballet shoes. Boys often wear a dance belt for support. Some students wear a unitard, which combines tights and a leotard. Girls usually wear their hair in a bun or another style that is not a ponytail, so the teacher can see how their body is lined up. Advanced girls may wear pointe shoes once their ankles are strong enough. This is usually around age 12 or after their feet stop growing.

There are several standard classical ballet training systems. Some are named after their creators and are called methods or schools. Two well-known Russian systems are the Vaganova method, created by Agrippina Vaganova, and the Legat Method, by Nikolai Legat. The Cecchetti method is named after Italian dancer Enrico Cecchetti. August Bournonville developed another system, which is taught mainly in Denmark. The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) method was created by a group of ballet professionals rather than one person. It is used in more than 70 countries. American-style ballet, linked to Balanchine, does not use a standard system. French ballet does not have one either. Major French schools, such as the Paris Opera Ballet School, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse, and the Académie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace (Monaco), each use their own training.