Ballets are formalized dances originating from Italy that was performed at concerts. They were dancing were later developed in England, France, and Russia. The dance was introduced in France by Catherine de Medici, King Henry II's daughter. The daughter funded and popularized the dance which was mainly done in the courts. When King Louis XIV took over, he popularized the dance and oversee its move to the stages where they were used extensively. It involved the use of formal and definite steps in the dance. On the other hand, the romantic ballets are more dynamic and surpass the traditional classical techniques by employing issues such as supernatural characteristics. The classical ballets started as early as the 16th century and have lasted since. On the other hand, romantic ballets came into existence in the 19 century and have since been forgotten. This essay discusses the comparisons of the classical and romantic ballets.
Comparisons
The Romantic ballet, like the classical, used turn out and feet positions in a similar way. In both ballets, the pointe shoes were used even though the pointe was used more in the romantic than the classical ballet. Both dances followed specific steps and moves that had been formulated by the originators of the dances (Garafola, 2011).
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Contrasts
The classical ballet is considered the most formal of all the ballet techniques as it follows the traditional ballet techniques. On the other hand, the romantic ballet is based on the romance themes that had been previously used in arts and culture (Danilova, 2016). Unlike the classical ballet where the man dominated center stage, the romantic ballet's center stage was mainly occupied by the ballerina. The main movement techniques in the classical ballets included pointe work, leg turn outs, and high extensions. The dance was made graceful, had flowing and systematic and precise steps and had ethereal qualities. On the other hand, the romantic ballet was characterized by the softly rounded arms and the tilting of the upper body to the forward. The women in the romantic ballets were used shorter tutus and assumed the flower shapes in their clothing. The lighting and the decoration helped to enhance flower effect (Danilova, 2016). Also, there was the development of elaborate leg movements as the technicalities became advanced. On the other hand, the basic feature in classical ballets is the outward movement of hips. The dance had 5 basic positions, the first, second, third, fourth and fifth positions, categorizations that are not present in romantic ballets (Bingham, 2009). The classical ballet was created on realism whereas the romantic ballet sought to explore imaginations and fairytales. That is why the romantic ballet dances use the rounded floating clothes that depict women as floating in the air during a dancing scene (Danilova, 2016).
Conclusion
Both the classical and romantic ballets follow precise prescribed moves and techniques that the dance entails. Both of them also employ the use of the pointe technical and they both use the similar moves such as turning out of the leg. There are also differences between the classical and romantic ballets. The classical ballets follow the ancient techniques and mechanisms whereas romantic ballets have seen radical and substantive changes to suit the changing views of the contemporary people. The wave of the life challenges swept through Europe and people borrowed the romantic theories. The romantic theory explored the fast movements of the legs and rounded hands during performance. The ballet did not last long and soon it was outlived and forgotten but the classical ballet still continues to be extensively used to today across the world. The classical used the 1st to the 5th levels of categorization which are not used in the romantic ballets.
References
Bingham, J. (2009). Ballet. Heineman Library. Print
Danilova, N. (2016). Eight Female Classical Ballet Variations. Oxford University Press. print
Garafola, L. (2011). Rethinking the Sylph: New Perspectives on the Romantic Ballet. Wesleyan University Press. Print
