Ballet
Ballet was first danced during the Italian Renaissance in the courts. It was only danced by nobles and was taught by dance masters and was only danced at weddings and other lavish events. The ballet that we know today, was thought up by Catherine di Medici who was a patron was the arts. The ballet first originated in the French courts, that is why the majority if the terms are French. Catherine di Medici encouraged the growth of the ballet de cour, which included many of the fine arts not just ballet.
A century later, King Louis XIV was a major patron of ballet during his reign as king and started to popularize the art form. Not only was is a huge patron, he also danced in some of the ballets himself. He would cast himself in roles, such as the role of the Sun King in Ballet de la nuit. With Louis XIV love for the ballet, it grew from being a pastime for amateurs to being an endeavor that needed professional training. Thus that is how ballet became how it is known today. In 1616, ballet moved from the courts to the stage. The most popular form being the ballet d’action, or the narrative ballet.
One of the most recognized type of ballets, and that are still being performed today, is the romantic ballet. A romantic ballet is characterized by characters of the supernatural world and women that were passive and fragile. Some famous romantic ballets are Giselle and La Sylphide. The costumes also showed what type of ballet it was, with the romantic style the ballerinas wore a “romantic tutu” which was a calf length full skirt made of tulle. At this point in ballet history, the ballet was centered in Paris. As France went though the French Revolution, the ballet left Paris and went to Russia, which is were it flourishes even to this day.
At the end of the 19th century the popularity of ballet soared in Russia. With the focal point of the art form in Russia, the style of ballet also changed. The ballet went from focusing on the spiritual realm to focusing more on fairytales and happy endings (in the most part). This new form is called classical ballet and is probably the most widely practiced forms of ballet still practiced. The most notable ballets of this genre are The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. The main difference in the genres are probably the costumes. The classical tutu is shorter and stiffer than the romantic tutu. The shortness of the tutu allowed for more precise pointe work, high extensions of the dancer’s legs, and turnout.
As the times change so has ballet. Ballet today is not the same as it was when it first started. Some choreographers decide to stray away from the traditional fluid and graceful movements to more stiff and unfamiliar movements like in Diaghilev’s The Rite of Spring. Some choreographers decide to go in a contemporary route with a “plotless” ballet, movement for the sake of movement. The traditional forms of ballet are still being practiced and are just as loved today as they were when ballet first appeared.
Source: http://pbt.org/community-engagement/brief-history-ballet?gclid=CKD22Ira18MCFdgHgQodTYAA2A