The History of BalletOriginating from the courts during the Italian Renaissance, ballet was popular among the nobility for events and ceremonies. During the 16th century, the dance form was introduced and popularized in the French courts--further developing into a program which included costumes and poetry as well. Ballet would later flourish under King Louis XIV, who solidified its role in society and required professional training rather than amateur performances.
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Entering the Romantic Movement in the early 19th century, popular ballets--like Giselle and La Sylphide--were danced en pointe (on toe) and often choreographed in a feminine manner to show fragility and delicacy in women during the time period. In the later part of the 19th century, Russia became increasingly impactful in the development of ballet. Marius Petipa choreographed several of the most famous ballets, including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, which required athletic yet elegant abilities to complete precise and demanding footwork.
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Diverging from the classical ballet form in the 20th century, George Balanchine introduced what would be known as neo-classical ballet. Rather than ballets with a clear story or plot line, neo-classical ballet focused on movements originating from human emotion and music. At present, modern ballet comprises of a combination of both contemporary and classical forms of ballet. It is an ever evolving art form that continuously pushes the boundaries of the human body and portrayal of emotions.
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Techniques
Ballet is an art form built on basic and mastered techniques carefully crafted after decades of study. At the barre, each individual movement is built upon each other, with every movement equally important as the next. Starting with the plie, followed by the tendu, and so on, one can combine such sequences of movements to create a combination, choreography, or full ballet. However, further than just the surface layer of the basic movements lay the true technical demands of ballet. With strict rules in how each movement should look ideally in ballet, the shape of the body, legs, feet, and even neck are carefully considered when completing any movement. To achieve the longest and most elegant line possible on stage, turnout (the degree to which the leg rotates from the hip sockets) forms the foundation for any movement in ballet. Many spend entire careers mastering the picturesque form of art with extensive stretching, conditioning, and dieting every single day to maintain the perfect image of a technically skilled ballerina. |
Howcast| How to do a pirouette, digital video
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ArtistryA popular misconception about ballet is how “easy” it is. As a ballerina, the final goal is to make our dancing on stage seem effortless, as if we were flying across the stage on our toes. Though this requires a high level of technique, it also requires artistry as well. To fill up the greatest space possible on stage, every angle of the body and arm must be extended to the maximum. However, the line cannot be stiff either. The back and elbows are always at work to create a flowy or sharp line. With the expressions of the face and body, a ballerina is able to tell a story or convey an emotion. Without artistry, there is no dancing, no ballet. Ballet is more than just mastering the basic techniques, one must be able to truly fill the role of the character they are playing. It is acting but with a twist of self interpretation. Though technique may be defined, a ballerina can advance in artistry and take a character to new heights through their own portrayal of the ballet.
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The ProcessStarting from a very young age, there are children who choose the path of a professional ballerina. It is best to start young, when the body can still be molded and stretched. As the body ages, it becomes stiffer and harder to control so, in the lower level classes, children focus on stretching their splits and over splits, as well as their muscles and the arches of their feet. As the children grow, they will slowly begin to master the basics and technique. Their school may hold a recital every year to introduce the students to different roles of a ballet, however the main focus is improving technique and artistry through exercises and combinations in class. At the start of the teenage years, students begin to learn solo variations of principal roles in ballets. This is to practice their artistry more and demonstrate their level of technique, because in a couple of years, they will have to leave the school in pursuit of joining either a prestigious, formal ballet school or a company as a trainee or apprentice. There are two ways to get into either a desired ballet school or company: audition or competition. Both are quite straight forward, but highly competitive. Similar to college, if one is accepted into a prestigious ballet school, there will be more connections to the top tier of ballet companies.
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In most cases, the older a ballerina gets, the harder it is to be accepted into a school or company. Many children begin auditioning for schools under the Royal Ballet, Bolshoi, Stuttgart, American Ballet Theatre, etc. at ages as young as 11 or 12. These children must have already mastered the techniques and may already be en pointe. They will enter the school and live at the boarding houses to receive proper training at the school until graduation. As a result of the children who are accepted at younger ages, it becomes extremely hard for those who are older. At the age of 16 or 17, schools may only accept two or three from auditions and one or two prizewinners of a prestigious international competition. After graduation, top students may be able to secure an apprenticeship under a reputable ballet company, where they will start from the bottom as an apprentice, and work their way up the ladder through the corps, soloists, and finally, the principle role.
Stories from Dancers
I have been dancing ballet since the young age of 3, and over the years, one of the greatest conclusions I have come to is that nothing is easy, especially not ballet. With this beautiful art form comes hours of excruciating pain inside and outside of the studio. Years upon years are spent pushing the body to its limits in flexibility, control, and strength. To make something so hard look so graceful and easy is truly a feat that must be commended to all ballet dancers. Personally, I was born neither flexible nor tall, the shape of my legs are bowed (not ideal for ballerinas), and my feet and limbs are not naturally up to par with the strict standards in the ballet world. So, over the years, I have pushed and pushed to morph myself to meet the requirements of ballet.
However, the hardest challenge for me was facing the lows. Oftentimes, weeks may have gone by, where there was zero visible progress. During those times, I often began to think of giving up, convincing myself that I wasn’t meant to be a ballerina. Truth is, no one is. The struggles that each dancer faces alone are not shown openly to the world, it is an individual struggle with only grit and passion to help push through. Facing myself and reality allowed me to push through during the times I felt most hopeless and weak. Oddly enough, though I cry and bleed and sweat gallons because of ballet, it is my one true love. As cheesy as it may sound and as much as I know that I will not be able to dance professionally, ballet is so ingrained in my body and soul that I will never be able to part with it. Any pain or frustration I must suffer in the process is greatly outweighed by the results. As soon as I begin to dance, I allow myself to sink into the music, to give up my all to the art, to portray all the complicated emotions built up within me that cannot be expressed with a simple word or two. The joy of performing--whatever art or method it may be--is a feeling I hope everyone in this world may experience for themselves. Being able to truly release and communicate in such a raw manner brings another level of comfort and satisfaction. Having the ability to tell a story--your story--in any way you choose is a gift that I believe all of us are blessed with. And as for me, the way I have chosen to express myself is through the art of ballet--an art form I am truly grateful for and may dare hope to continue for the rest of my life. |
Kaylyn ZhongKaylyn Zhong | photography
Kaylyn Zhong | videography
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Diane Zhao | photography
Diane Zhao | videography
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Diane ZhaoDance has been my meditation, my family, and my expression. Starting dance at age 10, considered late in the ballet world, which may come as a surprise to some, I was a timid kid in the studio. When I first came to Atlanta, I didn't have any friends or family here so it was the big sisters and my teachers who naturally became my family. I spent all my summers, weekdays, and weekends in the studio. Anyone who dances becomes aware of the consuming nature of dance. By pure coincidence, I ended up living in the same neighborhood as my director/teacher, who often gave me rides to and from dance when my parents weren't always there to send me. It was this way that I shared laughter, tears, smiles with my fellow dancers and an even stronger bond that kept us together.
Dance is to me like a moth is to a flame, one where I feel drawn by instinct. I was definitely the girl who was caught doing pirouettes and grand battements in classrooms and hallways, my energy uncontained by the grey classrooms. I'm somehow even more energetic in my own room and in my own privacy, finding myself taking barre class and doing planks for fun. Though I'm heading off to college now, pursuing something that may not be this beautiful artform, I'm eternally grateful for the teachers who were my idols growing up and for the students who are my sisters. I hope to take this same level of energy, persistence, and artistry into the other activities I pursue. |