Ballet dance started in the 15 th century during the Italian renaissance. During this time, the noble men and women in the society were accorded respect in weddings and other lavish events through music and dances. These performances were preserved for the special occasions and he noble people would be taught steps by experienced dancing masters. ( Cohen, 1992 ). However, the popularity of the Ballet dance gained momentum in the 16 th century when the wife of King Henry II of France, Catherine de Medici started funding the dances. She was an Italian and one of the pest art patrons at the time. she often organized festivals so as to encourage ballet de cour. This was a program where dancers and performers gathered to sing songs, dance to special tunes and recite poetry. The performances were promoted a century later by king Louis XIV who was passionate about dancing and often encouraged performances. The King was a dancer himself. He placed an active role in performances such as in allet de la nuit as the Sun King. The King’s love for Ballet elevated its status by making it one of the noble act of the time. As a result, people developed interest in the dance ( George-Graves, 2015) . Professional trainers cropped up all over Europe to train amateurs.
The 19th Century : The first half of the 19 th century witnessed the creation of some of the most popular classical ballets of all times such as La Sylphide and Giselle during the Romantic Movement. The movement was the primary influencer of music, art and Ballet in particular during this time. it was mainly concerned with magic and other supernatural powers. The movement had a connection with Ballet in that the dance often portrayed women as fragile and passive. the main themes that were explore by Ballet were related to the Romantic Movement and were known as romantic ballets. During this time people stated dancing using the tip of their toes which was known as pointe work. With time this culture became known as ballerina ( Ballet and Modern Dance: A Concise History , by Jack Anderson, 1993). The period also marked the introduction of tutu. Popularity of Ballet grew all over Europe in the last half of the 19 th century, especially in Russia. Russian composers and choreographers were a key influencer of the growth of Ballet’s popularity. Among the best known choreographer of the time include Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. Their work included The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake which was very popular in Russia. Marius Petipa also composed the Nutcracker which is one of the best classical ballets of all times. The key goal was to showcase classical technique, high extension, pointe work, movement precision in addition to turnout ( Nicholas & Morris, 2017 ) . It entailed complicated sequence of steps and leaps that were well synchronized with turns and then choreographed into a story. Ballerinas begun applying shorter tutus thereby revealing their legs and also the difficulty of their footwork and movements.
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Ballet Today: Ballet fully evolved in the last part of the 20 th century when famous Russian choreographers such as Michel Fokine and Sergei Diaghilev started experimenting with new movements and costumes. Through this approach, they were able to change the scope and story of classical ballet ( Burkholder & Grout, 2014 ). Composer Igor Stravinsky collaborated with Diaghilev to create The Rite of Spring , which prompted riots due to its story of human sacrifice.
Ballet change even more when George Balanchine, a Russian choreographer moved to New York. He was the brainchild of the current neo-classical ballet which was expanded from the traditional classical form. Many people consider George Balanchine to be one the greatest choreographers and the innovator of plot less ballet ( Berardi, 2015 ). The key objective of this type of ballet is to illuminate human emotion by expressing the music with movements. The use of Ballet has been expanded in the modern world through an incorporation into some mainstream music genres.
The composition and scope of ballet changing. Young people who comprise the majority of users are adopting new reading methods and cultures which was not the case in the past. Nowadays, people prefer to access materials online. The reading materials, in this case, consist of copies that are readily available and easy to distribute. Readers are allowed to react on the same platforms. The most interesting thing about the sites is that they are open to everybody from anywhere in the world. This means that the people have the chance to evaluate the romantic experience through ballet. Consequently, the popularity of ballet is growing all over the world. Today’s use of ballet has taken a new dimension. It is used for entertainment, education and as a way of spending special messages. Nevertheless, ballet has led to a rise of new branches of music. The use of this genre has a significant influence on societies today more than decades ago. The influence of Ballet will continue to grow given the current level of technological advancement.
References
Berardi, G. (2015). Beginning Ballet. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science , 19 (2), 88-88.
Burkholder, J. P., & Grout, D. J. (2014). A History of Western Music: Ninth International Student Edition . WW Norton & Company.
Cohen, S. J. (1992). Dance as a theatre art: source readings in dance history from 1581 to the present . Princeton Book Company.
Frost, A., & Yarrow, R. (2015). Improvisation in drama, theatre and performance: History, practice, theory . Palgrave Macmillan.
George-Graves, N. (Ed.). (2015). The Oxford handbook of dance and theater . Oxford Handbooks.
Homans, J. (2013). Apollo's angels: A history of ballet . Granta Books.
Nicholas, L., & Morris, G. (Eds.). (2017). Rethinking Dance History: Issues and Methodologies . Taylor & Francis.
