1/16/14Origins of Ballet in the Courts- Origins of ballet come in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th and 16th centuries- Began in the Italian courts as an outgrowth of court pageantry, where aristocratic weddings were lavish celebrations- Court musicians and dancers collaborated to provide elaborate entertainment for them - Tutus, ballet slippers and pointe work were not yet usedo Women were formal gowns that covered their legs to the ankle- Upper body was stationary- Early ballet was participatory, with the audience joining the dance towards the end- Comedia del arte: theatrical expression of storytelling - Expression: everything that goes into telling a storyo Opera: music, dance, costume- Gaze: describes who’s looking o Ex: How wealthy people look at something- Lens: how something is being presentedo Ex: Director’s choices- Spectacle: elaborate aspects of a performance- Ballet Master: person responsible for teaching the dancers technique, choreography, etc.- Dance was not yet codified technique- Pierre Beauchamp was responsible for 5 ballet positions- Louis (boy king) was one of the longest reining monarchso Cardinal Massarin came to court (Louis’ regent)o Jean Baptist choreographed Louis’ first ballet (Ballet of the Night) First time he appeared as “The Sun King” Help assert him in a position of power (gave audience a spectacle) His heels created an ideal of elevation (above everyone else)- Still used todayo Louis’ ballet/ “Sun King” status shifted focus to Versailles o He was the last great king and transformed Paris into a modern and commercial place to live- 3 types of social classes in France at this timeo Proletariat: working class, unskilled laborers o Bourgeoisie: skilled, educated, laborers (middle class) o Aristocratic: owned large amounts of land, wealthyCulture: traditions, ways of living, beliefs, valuesClass: lifestyle, social status, values (possibly amount of money)Nationality: country you come from, originEthnicity:Race:Religion: belief/non-belief in a higher power (Judaism, Christian, Buddhist, etc.)1/21/14Romantic Ballet (Romantic Period of Classical Ballet)- 5 major schools of ballet o France: French School Founded 1661 was founded by Louis XIV  Known for elegance and refinement o Russia: Vaganova started by Agripina Vagnovao England: Royal Academy of Dance (RAD)o Denmark: Bourneville started by August Bourneville o Italy: Cecchetti started by Enrico Cecchetti- Ballet began to become more technicalo More elaborate leg worko Technique used to execute the movemento Because there were 5 different schools the styles of technique varied Ex: Arabesque- Different positions (first, second, third, fourth)- Each style between the academies the arms are in different positionso Romanticism  Focus on nature, ethereal, and the supernatural - Ethereal: fantasy, other than the earth, above the eartho Ex: fairies, spirits, willies(female vampires) Most of the ballet was focused on women, but had chauvinistic themes- A woman’s life could not be fulfilled unless they had the love of a man Marie Taglioni- Father was Filipa Taglionio Ballet master- First woman to wear pointe shoeso Made women appear ethereal and weightless Ballerina as superstars - Focus was on women and women’s roles in dance - One of the first careers that women were allowed to excel without the assistance of meno When ballet grew in power and international success many powerful men wanted to see women as the main performersin the art of balleto Men were choreographers and in control of production  Aesthetic reflected men using women to express their ideas through dance Expressed through man’s lens and observed by a man’s gazeo Women were looked at as sexual objects, scandalous, empowered, radical, marginalized  Corps de Ballet(body of the ballet)- Not leads of performance, but a group of people who dance as one- Human scenery  Romantic Tutu- Long, multiple-layered tulle(refined netting), hits about