Misplaced Pages

#782217

35-598: Los Angeles Ballet ( LAB ) is a classical ballet company based in Los Angeles . While rehearsals take place at the Los Angeles Ballet Center, the company tours its performances to venues across the metropolitan area, including the Dolby Theatre , Pasadena Civic Auditorium , and Royce Hall . A typical LAB season consists of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker , a large or storybook ballet, and

70-436: A unitard — a one-piece garment that combines tights and a leotard — to enhance the visibility of artistic lines. All dancers wear soft ballet shoes (sometimes called flats ). Typically, female dancers wear pink or beige shoes and men wear black or white shoes. Leg warmers are sometimes worn during the early part of a class to protect leg muscles until they become warm. Females are usually required to restrain their hair in

105-402: A bun or some other hair style that exposes the neck that is not a ponytail. The customary attire and hair style are intended to promote freedom of movement and to reveal body form so that the teacher can evaluate dancers' alignment and technique. After warming up, advanced female students may wear pointe shoes whereas advanced male students continue to wear soft shoes. Pointe shoes are worn after

140-435: A dance teacher and a dance musician is vital to the success of a ballet class. Female attire typically includes pink or flesh colored tights , a leotard , and sometimes a short wrap- skirt , or a skirted leotard . Males typically wear black or dark tights, a form-fitting white, or black, shirt or leotard worn under the tights, and a dance belt beneath the outer dancewear to provide support. In some cases, students may wear

175-746: A focus on fast, intricate footwork. Many of the stylistic variations are associated with specific training methods that have been named after their originators. Despite these variations, the performance and vocabulary of classical ballet are largely consistent throughout the world. Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts and was brought to France by Catherine de' Medici in the 16th century. During ballet's infancy, court ballets were performed by aristocratic amateurs rather than professional dancers. Most of ballet's early movements evolved from social court dances and prominently featured stage patterns rather than formal ballet technique. In

210-471: A mixed repertoire performance. The company was founded and co-directed by husband-and-wife team Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, and founding executive director Julie Whittaker. The company debuted December 2006 with an original production of The Nutcracker . In 2022, Melissa Barak became the Artistic Director of the company. The original Los Angeles Ballet was founded in 1974 under

245-427: A musical improvisation to support the dancers in the exercise. The dancers are affected by the musician's choices, and they integrate both the ballet teacher's steps and the ballet musician's music into their performance. Ultimately, the ballet teacher has little control over the musical portion of their lesson unless they ask the musician to play a specific piece of music. For this reason, the working relationship between

280-603: A unique training system. Some classical ballet training systems employ standardized layouts to define reference locations at the corners, and edges of stages, and dance studio rooms. In the latter case, there is no audience and a mirror typically spans the downstage wall of the room (e.g., points 1-2 of the Cecchetti layout). Westside (Los Angeles County) The Los Angeles Westside is an urban region in western Los Angeles County, California , United States. It has no official definition, but sources like LA Weekly and

315-476: Is considered to be one of the greatest choreographers of all time) took Romantic ballet and combined it with different aspects of Russian ballet technique (as Petipa was once a choreographer and ballet master at Mariinsky Ballet ). Elements pulled from these things include the storytelling found in Romantic ballet, and the athleticism of Russian technique. Therefore, a new era of ballet, which later became known as

350-601: Is placed on developing flexibility and strengthening the legs, feet, and body core (the center , or abdominals) as a strong core is essential for turns and many other ballet movements. Dancers also learn to use their spot which teaches them to focus on something while turning so as not to become dizzy and lose their balance. Early ballet training for all dancers involves basic technique and develops strength and flexibility. As they progress, female dancers begin to learn pointe technique and both male and female dancers begin to learn partnering and more advanced jumps and turns. As

385-1058: The Mapping L.A. survey of the Los Angeles Times place the region on the western side of the Los Angeles Basin south of the Santa Monica Mountains . According to the LA Weekly , there are different perspectives on where the Westside ends and the Eastside begins. Generally, the Westside is the area south of the Santa Monica Mountains and Sepulveda Pass , and west of either: Los Angeles Times readers submitted more than 300 maps, with borders ranging from Lincoln to La Brea and beyond. The most common east/west dividing lines were: Downtown, La Cienega Boulevard (the most common street cited), and

SECTION 10

#1732793854783

420-775: The Royal Danish Ballet and a Southern California-themed set designed by Catherine Kanner. LAB continues to host performances of The Nutcracker annually. In 2009, LAB presented Bournonville's La Sylphide , its first full-length classical story ballet after The Nutcracker . At the end of nine seasons it presented 28 productions encompassing 50 works, including 15 commissioned world premieres. In addition to its repertoire of well-known classical ballets, Los Angeles Ballet has also commissioned several new works, one developed out of LAB's Choreographic Workshop, its mission to identify and nurture Southern Californian choreographic talent. In 2017, Los Angeles Ballet Orchestra, under

455-483: The Royal Danish Ballet , with Neary appointed as the ‘first ballet mistress’ in charge of their productions. Neary was a principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet and a Soloist with New York City Ballet under George Balanchine , and is currently a repetiteur for The George Balanchine Trust. Melissa Barak is the current Artistic Director for the Los Angeles Ballet. She has previously danced with both

490-715: The Vaganova method (created by Agrippina Vaganova ) and the Legat Method (by Nikolai Legat ). The Cecchetti method is named after Italian dancer Enrico Cecchetti . Another training system was developed by and named after August Bournonville ; this is taught primarily in Denmark. The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) method was not created by an individual, but by a group of notable ballet professionals. Despite their associations with geographically named ballet styles, many of these training methods are used worldwide. For example,

525-582: The 17th century, as ballet's popularity in France increased, ballet began to gradually transform into a professional art. It was no longer performed by amateurs, but instead ballet performances started to incorporate challenging acrobatic movements that could only be performed by highly skilled street entertainers. In response, the world's first ballet school, the Académie Royale de Danse , was established by King Louis XIV in 1661. The Academie's purpose

560-531: The 405 freeway (the most common answer). The Times analyzed the results and no one definition approached a majority. Ultimately, the Los Angeles Times Mapping Project settled on a definition comprising 101.28 square miles (262 km ), encompassing not only districts in the city of Los Angeles but also two unincorporated neighborhoods, plus the cities of Beverly Hills , Culver City , and Santa Monica , but excluding all of

595-800: The Los Angeles Ballet and the New York City Ballet, as well as serving as the Artistic Director for her own Los Angeles-based ballet company, Barak Ballet. The company consists of 24 company dancers and 2 apprentices. LAB holds local and virtual auditions annually. Currently the company is working as a non-ranked company. Apprentices LAB's repertoire focuses on various works and styles; including Balanchine masterpieces and beloved story ballets. Starting in 2023, an emphasis on bold new works became an additional centerpiece to LAB's core artistic mission. Barak premiered her full evening work, Memoryhouse in June 2023 at The Broad Stage. The work returns to

630-564: The RAD teaching method is used in more than 70 countries. American-style ballet ( Balanchine ) is not taught by means of a standardized, widespread training system. Similarly, French ballet has no standard training system; each of the major French-style ballet schools, such as the Paris Opera Ballet School , Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse , and Académie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace (Monaco) employs

665-462: The air. Pointe technique is the part of ballet technique that concerns pointe work , in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet on specially designed and handcrafted pointe shoes . In professional companies, the shoes are made to fit the dancers' feet perfectly. Students typically learn ballet terminology and the pronunciation, meaning, and precise body form and movement associated with each term. Emphasis

700-470: The city of West Hollywood – even areas west of La Cienega Boulevard. According to the Mapping L.A. survey of the Los Angeles Times the Westside includes all of the below neighborhoods that are part of the city of Los Angeles: In the 2000 census , the Westside (as defined by the Los Angeles Times Mapping Project ) had a population of 529,427. In 2000, non-Hispanic whites made up 63% of

735-445: The classical era, began. Even though he was responsible for bringing in the classical ballet era, Petipa was also responsible for choreographing well-known romantic ballets such as Giselle . During the classical era, Marius Petipa was largely responsible for creating choreographic structures that are still used in ballets today. For one, Petipa was the first to use the grand pas de deux in his choreography. Additionally, he cemented

SECTION 20

#1732793854783

770-443: The dancers to make subtle physical shifts of expression that a live dance accompanist will watch and match as they play. The live musician in a ballet class plays a crucial role in the creative process. As the ballet teacher sets an exercise - moving, counting, vocalising - the musician observes and imagines the music that will best support the exercise. The musician then plays either an existing piece of musical repertoire or creates

805-582: The direction of John Clifford, a former principal dancer with New York City Ballet. Eleven years later, in 1985, financial difficulties forced Clifford's company to close. Two decades later, in 2004, a new Los Angeles Ballet was established by Co-Artistic Directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, and executive director Julie Whittaker. The company debuted in December 2006, with an original production of The Nutcracker , choreographed by Christensen and Neary, featuring costumes commissioned by Christensen from

840-494: The direction of internationally renowned conductor Andrea Quinn debuted with The Nutcracker at the Dolby Theatre. In 2022, Melissa Barak was appointed as the Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Ballet. 2023 marked her full inaugural season with the company. Thordal Christensen and his wife, Colleen Neary, are the founding directors of the ballet. Christensen was a former principal dancer for and artistic director of

875-416: The five positions (first, second, third, fourth and fifth) of ballet, which to this day remain the foundation of all formal classical ballet technique. Before classical ballet developed, ballet was in a period referred to as the Romantic era. Romantic ballet was known for its storytelling, and often held a softer aesthetic. Classical ballet came to be when a ballet master by the name of Marius Petipa (who

910-623: The median income of the neighborhood was about $ 96,300. The Westside is home to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a public research university in the Westwood neighborhood. It is the second-oldest of the ten campuses of the University of California system. UCLA is considered a flagship campus of the University of California system, along with UC Berkeley . It offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in

945-409: The men get stronger, lifts are added to the partnering. Depending on the teacher and training system, students may progress through various stages or levels of training as their skills advance. The traditional ballet masters of the eighteenth century played the violin for their own ballet classes. They also provided their ballet students with instruction in the relationship between the dance steps and

980-418: The music. By the end of the nineteenth century this had fallen out of fashion, and specialisation in the performing arts meant that the role of the ballet teacher and the ballet musician had become separate professions. By the twentieth century, the violin had given way to the piano as the standard accompaniment for ballet class. When recorded music is substituted for a live musician, there is no opportunity for

1015-623: The population. The areas within the city of Los Angeles that Los Angeles Almanac recognized as part of the Westside had a population of 413,351. Fifty-three percent of West Los Angeles residents aged 25 and older had earned a 4-year degree (or higher) by 2000, according to Census Bureau figures quoted by the Los Angeles Times. They included 89,620 people with master's degrees or higher and 117,695 with bachelor's degrees . In addition, 95,187 people in that age range had some college experience. There were 46,823 with high school diplomas but 40,451 who had dropped out before graduating. As of 2019,

1050-781: The public is encouraged to participate in free ballet, hip-hop, Yoga, Pilates and various other dance/fitness classes. The program serves approximately 200 participants every year. Located on the Westside of Los Angeles, the LA Ballet Center spans 12,000 square feet, incorporating three studios and multiple offices. Classical ballet There are stylistic variations related to an area or origin, which are denoted by classifications such as Russian ballet , French ballet , British ballet and Italian ballet . For example, Russian ballet features high extensions and dynamic turns, whereas Italian ballet tends to be more grounded, with

1085-682: The stage in the upcoming 24/25 Season at the Wallis Annenberg Performing Arts Center in Beverly Hills. Off Balance , a new, experimental program series launches in the 24/25 Season. LAB has two arts programs. “Power of Performance”, or "POP", was founded with LAB's inception, providing free tickets to disadvantaged children, seniors, veterans, and their families. LAB also sponsors ‘A Chance to Dance Community Day’, launched in October 2012. An all-ages event,

Los Angeles Ballet - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-569: The student is deemed strong enough in the ankles and can execute the routine to a high standard, usually around or after the age of 12, or after the dancers' feet have stopped developing, so as to protect the dancers' feet from injury common with premature wearing. There are several standardized, widespread, classical ballet training systems , each designed to produce a unique aesthetic quality from its students. Some systems are named after their creators; these are typically called methods or schools . For example, two prevailing systems from Russia are

1155-403: The usage of the corps de ballet as a standard part of a ballet. Despite his ushering in of the classical era, these elements can be seen in his romantic ballets as well. Ballet technique is the foundational principles of body movement and form used in ballet. A distinctive feature of ballet technique is turnout ; which is the outward rotation of the legs and feet emanating from the hip. This

1190-421: Was first introduced into ballet by King Louis XIV because he loved to show off the shiny buckles on his shoes when he performed his own dances. There are five fundamental positions of the feet in ballet , all performed with turnout and named numerically as first through fifth positions. When performing jumps and leaps, classical ballet dancers strive to exhibit ballon , the appearance of briefly floating in

1225-588: Was to improve the quality of dance training in France and to invent a technique or curriculum that could be used to transform ballet into a formal discipline. Shortly after the Academie was formed, in 1672, King Louis XIV established a performing company called the Academie Royal de Musique de Dance (today known as Paris Opera), and named Pierre Beauchamp the head dancing-master. While at the Academie Royal, Beauchamp revolutionized ballet technique by inventing

#782217