A ballet company is a type of dance troupe that performs classical ballet , neoclassical ballet , and/or contemporary ballet in the European tradition, plus managerial and support staff. Most major ballet companies employ dancers on a year-round basis, except in the United States, where contracts for part of the year (typically thirty or forty weeks) are normally offered. A company generally has a home theatre where it stages the majority of its performances, but many companies also tour in their home country or internationally.
32-580: The Berlin State Ballet (German: Staatsballett Berlin ) is the principal ballet company in the German capital of Berlin . It was created in 2004 through a merger of the separate ballet companies of the city's three opera houses at a time when the city was going through a financial crisis. It is one of the largest ballet companies in Western Europe with approximately 90 dancers. Since 2004,
64-399: A music director , generally a conductor by profession, though this is often a part-time position. The music director has a lower status in ballet than they have in opera, where they are the head of the company. Freelance conductors are hired to conduct specific productions as and when required. Large companies have their own orchestra , which is often shared with an opera company resident in
96-410: A day of rehearsals. Ballet is a strict form of art, and the dancer must be very athletic and flexible. Ballet dancers begin their classes at the barre , a wooden beam that runs along the walls of the ballet studio. Dancers use the barre to support themselves during exercises. Barre work is designed to warm up the body and stretch muscles to prepare for center work, where they execute exercises without
128-562: A female as a danseuse . In Italian, a ballerina is a female who typically holds a principal title within a ballet company ; the title for equally ranked males is ballerino . In Italian, the common term for a male dancer is danzatore and a female dancer is a danzatrice . These terms are rarely used in English. Since ballerino is not used in English, it does not enjoy the same connotation as ballerina . A regular male dancer in Italy
160-565: A gender-neutral hierarchy. Some companies (mainly in Russia and countries strongly influenced by Russian ballet ) employ specialist character dancers : unlike ballerinas female character dancers do not dance en pointe . The largest ballet company in the world is the Bolshoi Ballet of Moscow, which employs over 240 dancers, as of 2010. The largest companies in Western Europe and North America employ around one hundred. Many companies have
192-463: A high rank with their home company, and have subsequently been engaged to dance with other ballet companies around the world, normally performing the lead role. They are usually principal dancers or soloists with their home company, but given the title of Guest Artist when performing with another company. Well-known guest artists include Marianela Nunez and Kathryn Morgan . Ballerina means any female ballet student or dancer, although historically, it
224-448: A large company, they will have one or more assistants. Day-to-day coaching of the dancers is the responsibility of one or more ballet masters and ballet mistresses . Some companies also employ répétiteurs and dance notators . There is often a resident choreographer . All but the smallest companies divide their dancers into at least three grades. The most common names for the two higher grades in English are principal and soloist and
256-403: A lot of attention to the prevention of injuries and a lot of ballet companies have in-house health suites providing facilities and expert guidance to dancers. Most ballet companies and ballet boarding schools alike also employ their own physiotherapist. The Australian Ballet invented a calf rise exercise to prevent injuries that is now being used by ballet companies across the globe. This exercise
288-526: A permanent staff of craftsmen and craftswomen such as prop makers and costume makers, and technical staff such as lighting technicians and stage managers. Smaller companies hire freelancers for these roles as and when required. Some companies also have physiotherapists , masseurs , and physical trainers on the staff. The term " ballet " is sometimes used to refer to dance styles in any culture's classical tradition, mainly about classical styles of dance performed in parts of Asia. Classical Ramayana Hindu ballet
320-566: A professional ballet company, offering job opportunities to graduates. There are different styles of training in ballet such as the Vaganova method , the Cecchetti method and the English style of training ( Royal Academy of Dance / The Royal Ballet ). Training does not end when ballet dancers are hired by a professional company. Even professional ballet dancers take daily ballet class to keep their technique in check and to warm up and prepare for
352-570: Is a person who practices the art of classical ballet . Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancers are at a high risk of injury due to the demanding technique of ballet. Ballet dancers typically begin training at an early age as young as three or four if they desire to perform professionally and often take part in international competitions such as YAGP and Prix de Lausanne . At these events, scholarships are being granted to
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#1732783338905384-654: Is called a ballerino . In the English-speaking world, boys or men who dance classical ballet are usually referred to as (male) ballet dancers. Often ballerino is used in English-based countries as slang. Ballet companies continue to rank their dancers in hierarchical fashion; most have adopted a gender-neutral classification system. In most large companies, there are usually several leading dancers of each sex, titled principal dancer or étoile to reflect their seniority, and more often, their status within
416-411: Is often being featured during livestreams on World Ballet Day. Traditionally, gender-specific titles are used for ballet dancers. In French and Italian, gender-neutral words for such purposes simply never existed (at least historically), and customary usage in English-speaking ballet companies was originally borrowed from those languages. In French, a male ballet dancer is referred to as a danseur and
448-1090: Is often performed in Indonesia . The Royal Ballet of Cambodia is an example of a ballet company in the Eastern tradition. The companies listed below are ballet companies that perform according to the European tradition, although some international companies also perform contemporary ballets that merge Western and Eastern themes and dance techniques. Algeria Egypt Tunisia South Africa Armenia Azerbaijan China Hong Kong Indonesia Iran Israel Japan Kazakhstan Mongolia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand Uzbekistan Austria Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Greece Germany Hungary Ireland Italy Kosovo Latvia Lithuania Moldova Monaco Netherlands Prima ballerina A ballet dancer
480-419: Is to make physically demanding choreography appear effortless. The upper body of a ballet dancer is prone to injury because choreography and class exercises require them to exert energy into contorting their backs and hips. Back bends cause the back to pinch, making the spine vulnerable to injuries such as spasms and pinched nerves. Extending the legs and holding them in the air while turned out causes damage to
512-627: Is used in this sense at the Scala ballet company in Milan, but has a different meaning at the Paris Opera Ballet ). The title or rank of prima ballerina assoluta was originally inspired by the Italian ballet masters of the early Romantic ballet and was bestowed on a ballerina who was considered to be exceptionally talented, above the standard of other leading ballerine . The title
544-462: The 2023/24 season. Ballet company Ballet companies routinely make a loss at the box office and depend on external financial support of one kind or another. In Europe, most of this support comes in the form of government subsidies, though private donations are usually solicited as well. In North America, private donations are the main source of external funding. Many ballet companies have an associated school which trains dancers. Traditionally
576-823: The Berlin State Ballet, alongside the Berlin State Opera , the Deutsche Oper Berlin , the Komische Oper Berlin comprise the Berlin Opera Foundation [ de ] . The Berlin State Ballet inaugural general and artistic director, dancer and choreographer Vladimir Malakhov , was a director of the ballet of the Berlin Opera before the companies merged to form the Berlin State Ballet. He led
608-400: The ballet dancer is properly trained, the dancer will decrease their risk of injury. Some ballet dancers also turn to stretching or other methods of cross training , like Pilates , yoga , non impact cardio, and swimming. This outside training, attempts to minimize the risk of bodily damage by increasing strength, exercise diversity, and stamina. These days ballet companies around the world pay
640-701: The barre. Center work in the middle of the room starts out with slower exercises, gradually leading up to faster exercises and larger movements. Ballet dancers finish center work practicing big leaps across the floor, which is called grande allegro. Daily ballet class at a professional ballet company is a popular annual feature which is being livestreamed each year during World Ballet Day. After center work, females present exercises on pointe , wearing pointe shoes. Males practice jumps and turns. They may practice partner work together. Ballet dancers are susceptible to injury because they are constantly putting strain and stress on their bodies and their feet. A ballet dancer's goal
672-604: The city will not extend Duato's contract with the company when it expires in 2019. For the 2018/19 season, Johannes Öhman [ de ; sv ] took over as Director of the Staatsballett Berlin. For the 2019/20 season, Öhman was joined by Sasha Waltz in a co-directorship. Christiane Theobald [ de ] took over as provisional artistic director in August 2020. Christian Spuck [ de ; it ] followed as permanent artistic director from
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#1732783338905704-651: The company for ten years, creating a mixed repertoire of classical titles and contemporary choreography. A star dancer himself, Malakhov was not only managing, but also performing with the company. In 2014, Nacho Duato became general and artistic director at the Berlin State Ballet with an initial five years term. He created new choreography for the company, and oversaw restagings of some of his signature ballets, created in Madrid , St. Petersburg and Munich , in Berlin. In 2016, Michael Müller , Mayor of Berlin , announced that
736-652: The company. The most common rankings in English are: Some ballet companies also run a separate company for their youngest recruits. Such is the case with the Dutch National Ballet which has launched the Junior Company, which at times also tours and performs separately. The UK-based Royal Ballet runs the Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme. Dancers who are identified as a guest artist are usually those who have achieved
768-437: The hips rather than the knees) it should increase flexibility and reduce pressure on the knees. Meniscal tears and dislocations can happen at the knees when positioned incorrectly because it is easy to let the knees slide forward while turned out in first position. Ballet dancer's feet are prone to fractures and other damage. Landing incorrectly (not through the foot, with knees bent) from jumps and dancing on pointe may increase
800-445: The hips. Such damage includes strains, fatigue fractures, and bone density loss. Injuries are common in ballet dancers because ballet consists of putting the body in unnatural positions. One such position is first position , in which the heels are placed together as the toes point outward, rotating, or "turning out" the legs. If First Position is done incorrectly it can cause knee problems, however, when done correctly (turning out with
832-641: The junior dancers form the corps de ballet . Some companies (especially in North America) have trainees or apprentices, who rank below the corps de ballet and may be unpaid. Some companies further subdivide these grades, and the terminology used varies from company to company. In the 19th century and early to mid-20th century the top female dancer was often recognized as the prima ballerina , but this practice has ceased. Male and female dancers were historically split into separate hierarchies (for more information see ballerina ). Today, many companies choose to use
864-659: The most talented dancers, enabling them to continue their training at renowned ballet schools around the world, such as the John Kranko Schule in Germany and the Académie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace in Monaco. Pre-professional ballet dancers can audition to enroll at a vocational ballet school such as The Royal Ballet School or Elmhurst Ballet School . These types of ballet boarding schools often cooperate with
896-402: The risk of broken bones and weakened ankles where care and attention is not taken by a conscientious teacher or student. Tendonitis is common in female ballet dancers because pointe work is strenuous on their ankles. Landing from jumps incorrectly may also lead to shin splints , in which the muscle separates from the bone. Class time is used to correct any habits that could lead to injury. If
928-482: The same theatre or opera house. Smaller companies hire a local orchestra on a contract basis for each season of performances, or hire a scratch orchestra for specific performances, e.g. when they are on tour. During company classes and rehearsals, music is provided by one or more staff or freelance pianists. All but the smallest companies have a separate administrative staff that deals with marketing, accounts, personnel issues, logistics and so on. Larger companies employ
960-432: The school would provide almost all of the company's dancers, something which helped to create clear distinctions in style between companies, but 21st-century ballet has open hiring practices, and many ballet companies have a very international staff. The head of a ballet company is called the artistic director . He or she is usually a retired dancer, and often they choreograph some of the company's productions themselves. In
992-761: The title diva in opera. The male version of this term is danseur noble (in French), although since the 1960s, the term has lost its hierarchical meaning and is applied generally to women who are ballet dancers. As used in Italy, the terms ballerino (a male dancer, usually in ballet) and ballerina do not imply the accomplished and critically acclaimed dancers once meant by the terms ballerina and danseur noble as they were used in English; rather, they simply mean one who dances ballet. Italian terms that do convey an accomplished female ballet dancer are prima ballerina and prima ballerina assoluta (the French word étoile
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1024-456: Was once a rank given only to the most exceptional female soloists . As late as the 1950s a ballerina was the principal female dancer of a ballet company who was also very accomplished in the international world of ballet, especially beyond her own company; female dancers who danced ballet were then called danseuses or simply ballet dancers—that is, ballerina was a critical accolade bestowed on relatively few female dancers, somewhat similar to
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