Ballet

Characterized by graceful figures in tutus and pointe shoes, ballet is a popu-lar and specialized form of art. Ballet is predominantly associated with its French roots, as its terminology is mostly in French. However, many different cultural influences contributed in the development of ballet as an art and performance genre. Ballet has also influenced other forms of dance.

With the influence of English and Italian recreational and artistic dance, ballet became established in France. King Louis XIII placed much importance in court ballets. Ballet a entree, independent dance scenes of a general theme, were a popular form of entertainment in his time. The roles of these scenes sometimes required special skills and talent. By 1630, professional entertainers were hired as the choregraphy became more demanding. Ballet rapidly changed and developed during the seventeenth century. Bal-lets were performed in theatres rather than in ballrooms and halls. The proscenium theatre structure allowed for more elaborate scenery and sets similar to those of the Italian operas. The theatre also separated the performers from the audience, which which was a large step in the professionalization of ballet. Previously, ballet was watched and done by the same people. French court ballet reached its peak under Louis XIV from 1643-1715. Stage machinery came into play, with illusions of storms, flying gods, collapsing structures. Elaborate costumes, lighting, and musi-cal scores were used. The culture of time greatly influenced the developments of ballet. The minuet was the most popular ballroom dance at the time, and was often incorporated into ballet.

Louis XIV was very involved in dancing and established ballet as an art. In 1661, he instilled in the Louvre the Academie Royale de Danse, which eventually disbanded but established the official recognition of dance. In 1669, Louis founded the Academie Royale de Musique, which survives today as the Paris Opera. The Paris Opera Ballet is the world’s oldest ballet company. The Academie’s first pro-duction was the opera Pomone, performed in 1671. Pierre Beauchamps was known as the dancing master of this ground-break-ing era. As a major teacher and choreographer, Beauchamps stressed many funda-mentals of ballet which still exist today. During the time of the Opera, more women began performing in the male-dominated art. Mlle de La Fontaigne is known as dance history’s first prima ballerina. She made her debut on the Opera stage in Le Triomphe de l’Amour in 1681.

Dancers in the eighteenth century became increasingly concerned with bal-let technique. There were different approaches to ballet -- skilled technical feats vs. graceful expression. Beauchamps’ unpublished notation system is thought to have influenced Raoul-Auger Feuillet’s Choregraphie, ou l’Art de Decrire la Dance, published in 1700. Feuillet’s notation and French ballet spread throughout Europe. Ballet became popular in Russia, where it developed as highly technical and precise. With European immigration to America, ballet became increasingly popular in America in the eighteenth century and after the Civil War. American ballet played an impor-tant role in the development of modern dance, which is distinct and deviant from classical ballet.

The turnout of the legs and hips is an important fundamental of ballet for balance, strength, and flexibility. The turnout of ballerinas has greatly increased since the origins of ballet. The five positions of the feet and corresponding arms and body direction are the basis of ballet technique. These fundamentals play an important role in other forms of dance, such as jazz and modern dance. In classical ballet, the the center of movements stems from the back, which is usually rigid and lifted. Ballet also has a sense of defiance of gravity, with high movements on pointe, extended limbs, and airy jumps and leaps.

The ballet world is predominant in three major nations: the United States, England, and Russia. The New York City Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre are two major companies in the U. S. The Joffrey Ballet is a smaller company also based in New York. Professional companies have developed in many cities, such as: Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet of Philadelphia, Washington Ballet, Cleve-land Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West of Salt Lake City, Hart-ford Ballet, Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet of Seattle.