Introduction
During the dance masterclass, I ended up learning the basics of ballet, namely warm-up, arm, and leg positions. In ballet, these aspects are essential. The entire masterclass was conducted by choreographer Brittany Cavaco, who seemed to me to be quite an attention to detail, which makes it possible to learn the basics thoroughly. Warm-up is usually done to warm up the body and is found in all sports and dancing. In general, warm-up is an essential part of people’s lives, and scientists and doctors advise everyone to do warm-ups. Next, the positions of the legs were analyzed, which are the starting points in each element. The positions of the legs are an indicator of the level as I understand it, since it is pretty challenging to hold your hands beautifully throughout the entire performance, and in stressful situations, you should pay more attention to your hands. This work was written with the aim of studying the style of ballet dance, namely its history and base.
Main body
Ballet is a style of performance dance that emerged in the fourteenth century during the Renaissance In Italy and subsequently evolved into a symphonic form of dance in Russia and France. Since then, it has evolved into a popular and widely professional type of dance with its own lexicon. Ballet has had a global impact and has established the core methods utilized in many other dance styles and societies. Various cultures have been introduced into various schools across the world. As a result, ballet has evolved in a variety of ways. Ballet is a coherent piece that includes both movement and melody for a ballet staging. Ballets are created and presented by ballet dancers who have received formal training. Classical European ballets are typically performed with classical music accompanying and outlandish costumes and production, but modern ballets are frequently presented in basic outfits with no elaborate settings or staging.
Ballet began in the fifteenth and sixteenth century in the Italian Renaissance palaces. It moved to France under Catherine de Medici’s reign, where it flourished much more. Most of the dancers in these early royal ballets were aristocratic enthusiasts. The embellished garments were supposed to impress the audience, but they limited the dancers’ free movement. The ballets were performed in enormous rooms with three sides open to the audience. The proscenium arch separated performers from members of the audience, allowing them to watch better and enjoy the technical achievements of the professional dancers in the shows.
During King Louis XIV’s reign, French royal ballet achieved its pinnacle. In the 1660s, Louis formed the Académie Royale de Danse to create criteria and accredit dance teachers. Louis XIV appointed Jean-Baptiste Lully as head of the Académie Royale de Musique, which gave birth to the first commercial dance group, the Paris Opera Ballet (Welch). Lully’s ballet instructor was Pierre Beauchamp. Their collaboration would have a significant impact on the evolution of ballet, as indicated by the loans extended to them for developing the five main foot postures. Following years of practice at the Académie, the first ballet dancers hit the stage.
Ballet began to fade in France in the 1830s, but it thrived in Scandinavia, Italy, and Russia. The entrance in Europe on the brink of World War I of the Ballets Russes, directed by Sergei Diaghilev, reignited interest in dance and ushered in the modern period. Ballet had a significant effect on other dance styles in the twentieth century. In addition, in the twentieth century, ballet made a turn away from contemporary dance and toward the entrance of contemporary dance, resulting in modernist movements in a number of nations.
The method and language of classical ballet are based on traditional classical ballet and terminology. Various genres, such as French ballet, Italian ballet, English ballet, and Russian ballet, have arisen in various nations. Several traditional dance forms are linked to distinct training techniques, which are usually called after their originator. The Royal Academy of Dance model was implemented by a varied group of ballet dancers as a ballet style and training system. They combined their dance techniques to develop a new form of ballet that is critical to organizational success and is known globally as the English style of dancing.
The romantic ballet was a traditional ballet aesthetic trend, and some pieces are still in the classical repertory today. The introduction of pointe work, the preponderance of female dancers, and lengthier, flowing tutus that attempted to illustrate tenderness and a peaceful atmosphere were all hallmarks of the Romantic era. This movement took place between the early and mid-nineteenth centuries, and it highlighted themes that stressed deep emotion as a form of artistic experience—many romantic dance stories centered around ghost ladies who captured mortal men’s hearts and senses.
Even the most seasoned and skilled dancers usually warm-up before a dance lesson or concert. To limit the possibility of injury during a full-body activity like ballet, it is essential to prepare with a comprehensive ballet warm-up. Warm-up activities raise your body temperature, allowing your tendons, muscles, and bones to remain flexible. Getting warmed up is the process of preparing your body for physical exercises, such as studying ballet and minimizing your risk of injury. Even a simple exercise like going for a walk can profit from a warm-up, such as extending to protect your thigh muscles and ankle joints from being highly stressed from contact, which can occasionally result in pain or tears.
Ballet choreography is a full-body practice that requires both strength and suppleness of the body. Warming up your body loosens it up, enhancing your range of motion and keeping your muscles supple. The colder it is when you begin physical activity, the stiffer your muscles get and the greater the chance of damage. Starting to warm up ensures that your physique is ready to roll and enhances the efficiency of your motions.
A suitable warm-up for a ballet dancer consists of physical activity, flexibility, and deep breathing. This vigorous warm-up prepares your body for more significant actions. Gently elevate your feet up or down in a cavort action, keeping your knees supple as you roll throughout your entire foot as it comes into contact with the ground. For a few minutes, gently prance in place. This is a beautiful routine workout for ballet dancers since it gets the heart pumping, the arms working, and the legs stretched. Jump both arms and legs apart, then back, starting from a standing posture.
Using the barre as part of your ballet warm-up will attend a pointe or ballet class or have a method to practice barre exercises at home. Keeping your body balanced and ready for more strenuous action later, keep your feet parallel while you lift and drop your heels. Ballet makes use of every aspect of the body, with the hips being one of the most crucial. Bring your knees to your chest and stretch one leg outward, drawing a circle with the bent knee. Allow the rest of your body to follow that movement a few times before repeating with the opposite leg.
Ballet foot positions are a crucial aspect of traditional ballet techniques that establish conventional foot placements on the stage. Contemporary classical ballet has five fundamental stances, known as the first through fifth postures. Serge Lifar codified two more positions, known as the sixth and seventh positions, while acting as Ballet Master at the Paris Opéra Ballet in the 1930s, albeit their application is confined to Lifar’s dance routines. The sixth and seventh positions were not Lifar’s innovations but rather resurrections of postures that occurred in the 18th century when classical music had 10-foot positions. The fifth position is quite challenging, and it may take several years of training to achieve perfect safety in this position. It is frequently presented as one of the last positions – the performer would have spent many years practicing in the third position in readiness. The hips are twisted outwards in reasonable amounts, and the front foot’s heel is positioned against the rear foot’s big toe joint.
In ballet, there are two fundamental arm postures. In one, the dancer maintains both arms’ fingers fully reaching, forming an ellipse that is either almost trying to touch the hips at navel level or lifted over the performer’s head. In the other, the hands are stretched to the sides, slightly warped at the elbows. These roles can be merged to form new ones. A ballerina is graded on more than just how she moves. The manner in which a ballerina balances and carries equal merit. Every posture starts with the starting position. Extend the legs. In the initial posture, both feet are pushed out. Arms should be at your sides, slightly stretched forward. Wrists are bent backward, and fingertips are pointed and close together. Your shoulders and head are loose, with your head a little bit elevated.
Summary
To summarize, ballet is a kind of theatrical dance that started during the Renaissance in Italy in the fourteenth century and later grew into a symphonic dance form in Russia and France. Ballet dancing is a full-body activity that needs both physical strength and flexibility. Warming up your muscles relaxes it, increasing your range of motion and keeping your muscles flexible. A ballet performer’s warm-up should include physical exertion, suppleness, and deep breathing. This intense warm-up gets your body ready for more strenuous activities. Ballet foot positions are an essential part of classical ballet practices that provide standard foot positions on the stage. In general, I can say that I liked this style of dance and attended the master class with interest and, in general, when studying the materials. For me, ballet is a beautiful part of the history that this style has been conveying for many centuries. Unfortunately, this style of dance is not so common among young people today, but I think that it will come later because fashion and trends are cyclical in everything.
Work Cited
Welch, Ellen R. “Fictions of the Courtly Self: French Ballet in the Age of Louis XIV.” Early Modern French Studies 39.1, 2017: 17-30.