Ballet

Ballet (French: [balɛ]) is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread, highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary based on French terminology. It has been globally influential and has defined the foundational techniques used in many other dance genres and cultures. Ballet has been taught in various schools around the world, which have historically incorporated their own cultures and as a result, the art has evolved in a number of distinct ways. See glossary of ballet. A ballet, a work, consists of the choreography and music for a ballet production. Ballets are choreographed and performed by trained ballet dancers. Traditional classical ballets are usually performed with classical music accompaniment and use elaborate costumes and staging, whereas modern ballets, such as the neoclassical works of American choreographer George Balanchine, often are performed in simple costumes (e.g., leotards and tights) and without the use of elaborate sets or scenery.

Career

Qualifications

The age one starts their training is going to be one of their best qualifications. A ballerina who starts training at a very young age, between 5 and 8 years, has a distinct advantage over ballerinas who don't start training until they are older. Next, a ballerina would need to be in top physical health and have impeccable balance and stamina to dance for long periods of time.

Perception

Purpose

To tell a story through dancing and leaping across the stage gracefully.

History

Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Under Catherine de' Medici's influence as Queen, it spread to France, where it developed even further. The dancers in these early court ballets were mostly noble amateurs. Ornamented costumes were meant to impress viewers, but they restricted performers' freedom of movement. The ballets were performed in large chambers with viewers on three sides. The implementation of the proscenium arch from 1618 on distanced performers from audience members, who could then better view and appreciate the technical feats of the professional dancers in the productions. French court ballet reached its height under the reign of King Louis XIV. Louis founded the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy) in 1661 to establish standards and certify dance instructors. In 1672, Louis XIV made Jean-Baptiste Lully the director of the Académie Royale de Musique (Paris Opera) from which the first professional ballet company, the Paris Opera Ballet, arose. Pierre Beauchamp served as Lully's ballet-master. Together their partnership would drastically influence the development of ballet, as evidenced by the credit given to them for the creation of the five major positions of the feet. By 1681, the first "ballerinas" took the stage following years of training at the Académie. Ballet started to decline in France after 1830, but it continued to develop in Denmark, Italy, and Russia. The arrival in Europe of the Ballets Russes led by Sergei Diaghilev on the eve of the First World War revived interest in the ballet and started the modern era. In the twentieth century, ballet had a wide influence on other dance genres, Also in the twentieth century, ballet took a turn dividing it from classical ballet to the introduction of modern dance, leading to modernist movements in several countries. Famous dancers of the twentieth century include Anna Pavlova, Galina Ulanova, Rudolf Nureyev, Maya Plisetskaya, Margot Fonteyn, Rosella Hightower, Maria Tall Chief, Erik Bruhn, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Suzanne Farrell, Gelsey Kirkland, Natalia Makarova, and Arthur Mitchell.

Operations

Tools

The most common place for ballerinas to use tools is within a studio, practicing. These are tools that are most useful for such a thing. Ballet Barre
To help practice balancing, as well as stretching BalletBoard
A carefully shaped piece of plastic that reduces friction. If someone is having a hard time turning on the floors at home, then they will need a BalletBoard that replicates the low-friction nature of a stage.

Materials

Leotards or bodysuits, leggings or pantyhoses tutus usually made from tules or silks. Split Sole Shoes
Any ballerina not on pointe will be wearing ballet slippers of some kind, but the first question is whether to get full sole or split sole shoes. So what is a split sole shoe? Essentially, it means that the harder pad on the bottom of the shoe doesn’t extend over its entire length. It’s there on the ball of the foot and toes, and also on the heel, but there’s a gap through the arch. This means the shoe is less supportive, but that’s actually the point. A split sole shoe allows the ballerina better range of motion in their foot and will interfere less with pointing and flexing the foot. For this reason, some ballerinas who aren’t on pointe prefer this style of shoe. Full Sole Shoes
The opposite, of course, is a full sole shoe, which has the sole running the full length of the shoe. These are more supportive and usually favored by newer dancers, but it really comes down to personal preference. Some ballerinas, even experienced ones, prefer the added support that comes from a full sole shoe. Another thing to keep in mind is the material the shoe is made from. Most ballet shoes are made of satin, canvas, or leather. Satin may look pretty, but leather is generally the most durable. A good middle ground is canvas shoes, which are generally cheaper than leather, but far more durable than satin. Pointe Shoes
Then, of course, there are pointe shoes. Pointe shoes are worn only by highly experienced ballerinas and are specially designed to provide support to the feet and ankles. They fit in a way that helps ballerinas do all their amazing moves on pointe.

Workplace

Theatre stages and dance studios.

Dangers & Hazards

Teenage girl ballet dancers are prone to stress fractures in the first rib. Eating disorders are common from ballet. In addition, some researchers have noted that intensive training in ballet results in lower bone mineral density in the arms.

Type

Entertainment

Demand

Ballet tends to be an expensive performance art that rich folks enjoy.

Famous in the Field