Romantic Ballet

18th - 19th century

highlighted supernatural characters such as sylphs, fairies and mythical creatures.

The role of the FEMALE

She is the priestess of the chaste art: she prays with her legs.

--Gautier

Pointe shoes

Romantic Ballet

Giselle
1841

Carlota Grisi

Choreography by Jean Coralli & Jules Perrot

Scenario by Gautier

Romantic Ballet

La Sylphide

1832

Choreography by Philippo Taglioni for daughter Marie Taglioni

Classical Ballet

Music by:

Peter Tchaikovsky

Sleeping Beauty 1890

Marius Petipa

The Nutcracker 1892

Lev Ivanov

Swan Lake 1895

Ivanov and Petipa

Classical Ballet
Late eighteen hundreds

body is more exposed

technically more challenging virtuosity

Intimate collaboration between choreographer and composer

Hierarchy in Classical Ballet:

Principal

Dancers

Chorus Soloists

Michel Fokine
1880 - 1942 First chief choreographer for Ballet Russes

Choreography:
Chopiniana - 1907 Pavillon DArmide - 1907 Cleopatre - 1909 Prince Igor - 1909 *Les Sylphides - 1909 *Firebird - 1910

Scherezade - 1910
Le Spectre de la Rose - 1911 *Petrouchka - 1912

Ballets Russes

1909 - 1929

Nijinsky Other choreographers of Ballet Russes are: Vaslav Nijinski Rite of Spring, The Afternoon of the Faun. Bronislava Nijinska Les Noces, Les Biches Leonide Massine: Parade, Midnight Sun George Balanchine: The Prodigal Son, Apollo

Schherezade

f a Faun

Igor Stravinsky
composed the music for:
The Fire Bird (M. Fokine) Rites of Spring (V. Nijinsky) Les Noces (B. Nijinska)

of a Faun

Russia

Fokines five point choreographic/aesthetic rules:

1. Each Ballet should have a style of movement created especially for it according to the demands of the subject matter and the musical scores. The classical steps should be modified or restyled according to the dictates of the thematic material.
The dance movement itself should convey the unfolding of the dramatic action, thus eliminating the inclusion of mime. The formalized pantomimic gesture of the previous ages should be replaced by an expressiveness created from total body movement, which would, in turn, meaningfully communicate ideas and feelings. All dancers in a work, including the corps de ballet, should be an intricate part of the whole and not serve to decorate the stage at various interludes. All aspects of the ballet should be on equal footing. Namely, the dancing, the music, sets, and costumes should reflect the collaborative effort toward a cohesive creative product.

2. 3.

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