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Ballet

I have been in ballet for 20 years. It's been an important part of my whole life. When I was old enough, my parents enrolled me in a dance school and I fell in love with ballet. I LIVED in my tutu and ballet slippers. I used to watch ballets on video and tried to follow along. As I grew, I evolved into a real dancer, and ballet has become a major factor in my life.

I've slowed down with my dance classes because I need time for college, too. Even though I don't take as many dance classes, my love for ballet has never weakened. I see a performance whenever possible. Thankfully, this city has a wonderful ballet company. I have tons (literally!) of videos, books, and magazines on ballet. My room is decorated with pictures of scenes from the many ballets. Even my car is decorated. An old pair of pointe shoes hang from a hook in the backseat.

It's only natural that I dedicate a page to ballet. I intend to include the history of ballet, pictures, a dictionary of terms, synopses of different ballets, profiles of some of the most famous dancers cool links to other ballet pages and much more. So, check back often as this page will be growing strongly in the coming weeks. Also, check out my links at the bottom of the page.

A Brief History of Ballet

Ballet originated in Italy during the Renaissance. Shortly afterwards it was introduced in France, where it flourished. Ballet was a favourite of King Louis XIV, who was one of it's greatest patrons. It wasn't close to the modrrn notion of ballet. In it's early years, only men were allowed to perform. The steps weren't as intricate as they are today. It was more like an extension of folk and ballroom dancing. As ballet evolved, women were allowed to participate, steps became more formalized, and tutu's and tights became standard. Tutu's originally came down to the ankle, and the women danced in soft slippers. As time progressed, tutu's became shorter, stopping at the dancer's hips. Women began dancing en pointe (on the tips of their toes) at the turn of the 19th century. By the mid 1800's women became the dominate sex in ballet, as the men became passive. In the 1800's, some of the most well-known ballets, such as Giselle, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker were born.

Since it's creation, ballet has spread like wildfire all over the world.

Some Ballet Terminology

This area will greatly expand in the future. For now, it's will be brief-just enough to keep everyone satisfied.

Prima Ballerina this literally means "first ballerina." The Prima Ballerina is the center of a ballet. She is the main character. Think of Clara/Marie in The Nutcracker .

Premier Danseur or Danseur Noble This is the male equivalent of the prima ballerina. Think of the Nutcracker Prince in The Nutcracker .

Corps de Ballet This is the "chorus" of the ballet.

En Pointe Standing on ones toes, with the aide of pointe shoes

Pointe Shoes Shoes that allow the ballerina to stand on her toes. The toe of the shoe is stiff, which enables her to stand en pointe . The "box" (the toe part) of the shoe is made of layers of burlap and glue.

My Ballet Favourite's

Ballet : That's a tie between The Nutcracker and Swan Lake .
Ballerina: Darcey Bussell, of the Royal Ballet (England).
Male Dancer: Irek Mukhamedov, formally of the Bolshoi Ballet (Russia) and most recently a member of the Royal Ballet.
Pointe Shoes : Capezio Contemporas.
Ballet Shoes (soft shoes--they are not blocked, like pointe shoes): Capezio Gold Primas. Also, Bloch Prolites.
Ballet Company (an ever-changing favorite): The Royal Ballet.
Choreographer George Balanchine

Ballet Quotes

"Any problem in the world can be solved by dancing." -James Brown

"Someone once said that dancers work just as hard as policemen, always alert, always tense, but see policemen don't have to be beautiful at the same time." -George Balanchine

"While I dance I cannot judge. I cannot hate, I cannot seperate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole. That is why I dance." -Hans Bos

"Wherever a dancer stands is holy ground." -Martha Graham

"Dance isn't something that can be explained in words it has to be danced." -Paige Arden

" All dance is movement, but all movement isn't dance, the difference is in the intent." -?-

"Dancers are the athletes of God." -Albert Einstein

"The Ballet toe-shoe is one of the few instruments of torture to survive intact into our time." -?-

Coming Soon.....

Pictures (of yours truly) of some basic ballet positions
More Ballet Terminology
Stories of the Great Ballets
More links
and much, much more.....!

Links

What I've got to say about pointe shoes.