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71-677: Le Lys ( The Lily ), also known as Liliya , is a ballet in 3 acts/4 scenes, with choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon and music by Ludwig Minkus and Léo Delibes. The ballet was first presented by the Imperial Ballet on 2 November [ O.S. 21 October] 1869, at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg , Russia. Principal dancers at the première included Adèle Grantzow . Ballet Ballet ( French: [balɛ] )

142-736: A composer was dashed in 1894 when Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov told him he had no talent. In 1898, several members of The Pickwickians founded the journal Mir iskusstva ( World of Art ) under the editorship of Diaghilev. As early as 1902, Mir iskusstva included reviews of concerts, operas, and ballets in Russia. The latter were chiefly written by Benois, who exerted considerable influence on Diaghilev's thinking. Mir iskusstva also sponsored exhibitions of Russian art in St. Petersburg, culminating in Diaghilev's important 1905 show of Russian portraiture at

213-500: A dancer in Russia. The technique is known for extreme speed throughout routines, emphasis on lines, and deep pliés. Perhaps one of the most well known differences of this style is the unorthodox positioning of the body. Dancers of this style often have flexed hands and even feet, and are placed in off-balance positions. Important ballet studios teaching this method are the Miami City Ballet , Ballet Chicago Studio company, and

284-556: A greater athleticism that departed from the delicacy of ballet. The physicality was more daring, with mood, subject matter and music more intense. An example of this would be Joffrey's Astarte (1967), which featured a rock score and sexual overtones in the choreography. This ballet style is often performed barefoot. Contemporary ballets may include mime and acting , and are usually set to music (typically orchestral but occasionally vocal). It can be difficult to differentiate this form from neoclassical or modern ballet. Contemporary ballet

355-418: A huge sensation, completely reinvigorating the art of performing dance, bringing many visual artists to public attention, and significantly affecting the course of musical composition. It also introduced European and American audiences to tales, music, and design motifs drawn from Russian folklore . The company's employment of European avant-garde art went on to influence broader artistic and popular culture of

426-485: A source of aesthetic experience. The plots of many romantic ballets revolved around spirit women (sylphs, wilis, and ghosts) who enslaved the hearts and senses of mortal men. The 1827 ballet La Sylphide is widely considered to be the first, and the 1870 ballet Coppélia is considered to be the last. Famous ballet dancers of the Romantic era include Marie Taglioni , Fanny Elssler , and Jules Perrot . Jules Perrot

497-583: A typical worker. As of 2020, American dancers (including ballet and other dance forms) were paid an average of US$ 19 per hour, with pay somewhat better for teachers than for performers. The job outlook is not strong, and the competition to get a job is intense, with the number of applicants vastly exceeding the number of job openings. Most jobs involve teaching in private dance schools . Choreographers are paid better than dancers. Musicians and singers are paid better per hour than either dancers or choreographers, about US$ 30 per hour; however, full-time work

568-469: A whole. In fact, the French school is now sometimes referred to as Nureyev school. The French method is often characterized by technical precision, fluidity and gracefulness, and elegant, clean lines. For this style, fast footwork is often utilized in order to give the impression that the performers are drifting lightly across the stage. Two important trademarks of this technique are the specific way in which

639-421: Is a Danish method first devised by August Bournonville . Bournonville was heavily influenced by the early French ballet method due to his training with his father, Antoine Bournonville and other important French ballet masters. This method has many style differences that differentiate it from other ballet methods taught today. A key component is the use of diagonal épaulements, with the upper body turning towards

710-536: Is a French word which had its origin in Italian balletto , a diminutive of ballo (dance) which comes from Latin ballo , ballare , meaning "to dance", which in turn comes from the Greek "βαλλίζω" ( ballizo ), "to dance, to jump about". The word came into English usage from the French around 1630. In French, the word refers to a ballet performance, a ballet work, and possibly to the dance genre itself, although

781-498: Is a ballet technique and training system that was founded by a diverse group of ballet dancers. They merged their respective dance methods (Italian, French, Danish and Russian) to create a new style of ballet that is unique to the organization and is recognized internationally as the English style of ballet. Some examples of classical ballet productions are: Swan Lake , The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker . Romantic ballet

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852-476: Is a classic reference. This method is marked by the fusion of the classical French style, specifically elements from the Romantic era, with the athleticism of the Italian method, and the soulful passion of Russian ballet. She developed an extremely precise method of instruction in her book Basic Principles of Russian Classical dance (1948). This includes outlining when to teach technical components to students in their ballet careers, for how long to focus on it, and

923-409: Is a seminal work for the choreographer. Set to César Franck 's score of the same title, it is a pure-dance interpretation of the score. Another form, Modern Ballet , also emerged as an offshoot of neoclassicism. Among the innovators in this form were Glen Tetley , Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino . While difficult to parse modern ballet from neoclassicism, the work of these choreographers favored

994-556: Is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary . Ballet has been influential globally and has defined the foundational techniques which are used in many other dance genres and cultures. Various schools around

1065-474: Is also close to contemporary dance because many contemporary ballet concepts come from the ideas and innovations of twentieth-century modern dance, including floor work and turn-in of the legs. The main distinction is that ballet technique is essential to perform a contemporary ballet. George Balanchine is considered to have been a pioneer of contemporary ballet. Another early contemporary ballet choreographer, Twyla Tharp , choreographed Push Comes To Shove for

1136-444: Is also known for his choreography, especially that of Giselle , often considered to be the most widely celebrated romantic ballet. Neoclassical ballet is usually abstract, with no clear plot, costumes or scenery. Music choice can be diverse and will often include music that is also neoclassical (e.g. Stravinsky , Roussel ). Tim Scholl, author of From Petipa to Balanchine , considers George Balanchine 's Apollo in 1928 to be

1207-530: Is that basic ballet technique must be taught at a slow pace, with difficulty progression often much slower than the rest of the methods. The idea behind this is if a student is to put in a large amount of effort into perfecting the basic steps, the technique learned in these steps allow a student to utilize harder ones at a much easier rate. Developed by George Balanchine at the New York City Ballet . His method draws heavily on his own training as

1278-494: Is the basis of all ballet training. When Louis XIV created the Académie Royale de Danse in 1661, he helped to create the codified technique still used today by those in the profession, regardless of what method of training they adhere to. The French school was particularly revitalized under Rudolf Nureyev , in the 1980s. His influence revitalized and renewed appreciation for this style, and has drastically shaped ballet as

1349-411: Is the emphasis of balance, elevations, ballon , poise, and strength. This method espouses the importance of recognizing that all parts of the body move together to create beautiful, graceful lines, and as such cautions against thinking of ballet in terms of the arms, legs, and neck and torso as separate parts. This method is well known for eight port de bras that are utilized. The Bournonville method

1420-578: Is unusual for musicians. Teenage girl ballet dancers are prone to stress fractures in the first rib . Posterior ankle impingement syndrome (PAIS) most commonly affects people who perform repetitive plantar flexion , such as ballet dancers. Eating disorders are thought to be common, and a 2014 meta-analysis suggests that studies do indicate that ballet dancers are at higher risk than the general population for several kinds of eating disorders. In addition, some researchers have noted that intensive training in ballet results in lower bone mineral density in

1491-947: The Polovtsian Dances (from Prince Igor ), Les Sylphides , and Cléopâtre . The season also included Le Festin , a pastiche set by several choreographers (including Fokine) to music by several Russian composers. The principal productions are shown in the table below. Léon Bakst (costumes) Alexandre Benois (costumes) Ivan Bilibin (costumes) Edvard Grieg ( Småtroll, op.71/3, from Lyric Pieces , Book X ) (orch. Igor Stravinsky for "Variation") Michel Fokine Léon Bakst (costumes) Léon Bakst (costumes) Alexander Golovin (sets and costumes) Natalia Goncharova (costumes) Gabrielle Chanel (costumes) Pablo Picasso (sets) Joan Miró (sets and costumes) Coco Chanel (costumes) Juan Gris (costumes) When Sergei Diaghilev died of diabetes in Venice on 19 August 1929,

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1562-610: The corps de ballet . Bronislava Nijinska was the younger sister of Vaslav Nijinsky . She trained at the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg, joining the Imperial Ballet company in 1908. From 1909, she (like her brother) was a member of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. In 1915, Nijinska and her husband fled to Kiev to escape World War I. There, she founded the École de movement, where she trained Ukrainian artists in modern dance. Her most prominent pupil

1633-725: The American Ballet Theatre in 1976, and in 1986 created In The Upper Room for her own company. Both of these pieces were considered innovative for their melding of distinctly modern movements with the use of pointe shoes and classically trained dancers. Today there are many contemporary ballet companies and choreographers. These include Alonzo King and his company LINES Ballet ; Matthew Bourne and his company New Adventures ; Complexions Contemporary Ballet ; Nacho Duato and his Compañia Nacional de Danza ; William Forsythe and The Forsythe Company ; and Jiří Kylián of

1704-1107: The French School , the Vaganova Method , the Cecchetti Method , the Bournonville method , the Royal Academy of Dance method (English style), and the Balanchine method (American style). Many more schools of technique exist in various countries. Although preschool-age children are a lucrative source of income for a ballet studio, ballet instruction is generally not appropriate for young children. Initial instruction requires standing still and concentrating on posture, rather than dancing. Because of this, many ballet programs have historically not accepted students until approximately age 8. Creative movement and non-demanding pre-ballet classes are recommended as alternatives for children. The French method

1775-1065: The Nederlands Dans Theater . Traditionally "classical" companies, such as the Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet, also regularly perform contemporary works. The term ballet has evolved to include all forms associated with it. Someone training as a ballet dancer will now be expected to perform neoclassical, modern and contemporary work. A ballet dancer is expected to be able to be stately and regal for classical work, free and lyrical in neoclassical work, and unassuming, harsh or pedestrian for modern and contemporary work. In addition, there are several modern varieties of dance that fuse classical ballet technique with contemporary dance, such as Hiplet , that require dancers to be practised in non-Western dance styles. There are six widely used, internationally recognized methods to teach or study ballet. These methods are

1846-700: The Petrograd Conservatory , graduating in 1923. During this time, he worked with the corps de ballet of the Mariinsky Theater . In 1924, Balanchine (and his first wife, ballerina Tamara Geva ) fled to Paris while on tour of Germany with the Soviet State Dancers. He was invited by Sergei Diaghilev to join the Ballets Russes as a choreographer. Diaghilev invited the collaboration of contemporary fine artists in

1917-688: The School of American Ballet in New York. Ballet costumes play an important role in the ballet community. They are often the only survival of a production, representing a living imaginary picture of the scene. The roots of ballet go back to the Renaissance in France and Italy when court wear was the beginning of ballet costumes. Ballet costumes have been around since the early 15th century. Cotton and silk were mixed with flax, woven into semitransparent gauze to create exquisite ballet costumes. During

1988-631: The School of American Ballet , and later the New York City Ballet , many outstanding former Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo dancers went to New York to teach in his school. When they toured the United States, Cyd Charisse , the film actress and dancer, was taken into the cast. The Original Ballet Russe toured mostly in Europe. Its alumni were influential in teaching classical Russian ballet technique in European schools. The successor companies were

2059-768: The Tauride Palace . Frustrated by the extreme conservatism of the Russian art world, Diaghilev organized the groundbreaking Exhibition of Russian Art at the Petit Palais in Paris in 1906, the first major showing of Russian art in the West. Its enormous success created a Parisian fascination with all things Russian. Diaghilev organized a 1907 season of Russian music at the Paris Opéra . In 1908, Diaghilev returned to

2130-443: The proscenium arch from 1618 on distanced performers from audience members, who could then better view and appreciate the technical feats of the professional dancers in the productions. French court ballet reached its height under the reign of King Louis XIV . Louis founded the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy) in 1661 to establish standards and certify dance instructors. In 1672, Louis XIV made Jean-Baptiste Lully

2201-479: The 17th century, different types of fabrics and designs were used to make costumes more spectacular and eye catching. Court dress still remained for women during this century. Silks, satins and fabrics embroidered with real gold and precious stones increased the level of spectacular decoration associated with ballet costumes. Women's costumes also consisted of heavy garments and knee-long skirts which made it difficult for them to create much movement and gesture. During

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2272-420: The 18th century, stage costumes were still very similar to court wear but progressed over time, mostly due to the French dancer and ballet-master Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810) whose proposals to modernize ballet are contained in his revolutionary Lettres sur la danse et les ballets (1760). Noverre's book altered the emphasis in a production away from the costumes towards the physical movements and emotions of

2343-682: The Ballets Russes was left with substantial debts. As the Great Depression began, its property was claimed by its creditors and the company of dancers dispersed. In 1931, Colonel Wassily de Basil (a Russian émigré entrepreneur from Paris) and René Blum (ballet director at the Monte Carlo Opera ) founded the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo , giving its first performances there in 1932. Diaghilev alumni Léonide Massine and George Balanchine worked as choreographers with

2414-565: The Ballets Russes were Parade , El sombrero de tres picos , and Pulcinella . In all three of these works, he collaborated with Pablo Picasso , who designed the sets and costumes. Massine extended Fokine's choreographic innovations, especially those relating to narrative and character. His ballets incorporated both folk dance and demi-charactère dance, a style using classical technique to perform character dance . Massine created contrasts in his choreography, such as synchronized yet individual movement, or small-group dance patterns within

2485-495: The Ballets Russes. These included the Polovtsian Dances (from Prince Igor ), Le Pavillon d'Armide (a revival of his 1907 production for the Imperial Russian Ballet), Les Sylphides (a reworking of his earlier Chopiniana ), The Firebird , Le Spectre de la Rose , Petrushka , and Daphnis and Chloé . After a longstanding tumultuous relationship with Diaghilev, Fokine left the Ballets Russes at

2556-497: The Faun, the ballet's frankly erotic nature caused a sensation. The following year, Nijinsky choreographed a new work by Debussy composed expressly for the Ballets Russes, Jeux . Indifferently received by the public, Jeux was eclipsed two weeks later by the premiere of Igor Stravinsky 's The Rite of Spring ( Le Sacre du printemps ), also choreographed by Nijinsky. Nijinsky eventually retired from dance and choreography, after he

2627-484: The Paris Opéra with six performances of Modest Mussorgsky 's opera Boris Godunov , starring basso Fyodor Chaliapin . This was Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov 's 1908 version (with additional cuts and re-arrangement of the scenes). The performances were a sensation, though the costs of producing grand opera were crippling. In 1909, Diaghilev presented his first Paris "Saison Russe" devoted exclusively to ballet (although

2698-416: The arms. Most ballet choreography is written so that it can only be performed by a relatively young dancer. The structure of ballet – in which a (usually) male choreographer or director uses (mostly) women's bodies to express his artistic vision, has been criticized as harming women. Ballets Russes Originally conceived by impresario Sergei Diaghilev , the Ballets Russes is widely regarded as

2769-406: The body as a whole. Developed by Enrico Cecchetti (1850–1928), this method is one known internationally for its intense reliance of the understanding of anatomy as it relates to classical ballet. The goal of this method is to instill important characteristics for the performance of ballet into students so that they do not need to rely on imitations of teachers. Important components for this method

2840-453: The company and Tamara Toumanova was a principal dancer. Artistic differences led to a split between Blum and de Basil, after which de Basil renamed his company initially "Ballets Russes de Colonel W. de Basil". Blum retained the name "Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo", while de Basil created a new company. In 1938, he called it "The Covent Garden Russian Ballet" and then renamed it the " Original Ballet Russe " in 1939. Col de Basil's company

2911-399: The company did not use the name "Ballets Russes" until the following year). Most of this original company were resident performers at the Imperial Ballet of Saint Petersburg , hired by Diaghilev to perform in Paris during the Imperial Ballet's summer holidays. The first season's repertory featured a variety of works chiefly choreographed by Michel Fokine , including Le Pavillon d'Armide ,

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2982-399: The company, including Ekaterina Galanta and Valentina Kachouba . Prima ballerina Xenia Makletzova was dismissed from the company in 1916 and sued by Diaghilev; she countersued for breach of contract, and won $ 4500 in a Massachusetts court. The Ballets Russes was even more remarkable for raising the status of the male dancer, largely ignored by choreographers and ballet audiences since

3053-601: The company: Les biches , Les Fâcheux , and Le train bleu . Born Giorgi Melitonovitch Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, George Balanchine was trained at the Imperial School of Ballet. His education there was interrupted by the Russian Revolution of 1917 . Balanchine graduated in 1921, after the school reopened. He subsequently studied music theory, composition, and advanced piano at

3124-539: The curves on a ballerina. Jewels and bedazzled costumes became much more popular. During the 20th century, ballet costumes transitioned back to the influence of Russian ballet. Ballerina skirts became knee-length tutus, later on in order to show off their precise pointe work. Colors used on stage costumes also became much more vibrant. Designers used colors such as red, orange, yellow, etc. to create visual expression when ballet dancers perform on stage. Professional dancers are generally not well paid, and earn less money than

3195-609: The dancers. European ballet was centered in the Paris Opera . During this era, skirts were raised a few inches off the ground. Flowers, flounces, ribbons, and lace emphasized this opulent feminine style, as soft pastel tones in citron, peach, pink, and pistachio dominated the color range. During the early 19th century, close-fitting body costumes, floral crowns, corsages, and jewels were used. Ideals of Romanticism were reflected through female movements. Costumes became much tighter as corsets started to come into use, to show off

3266-554: The director of the Académie Royale de Musique ( Paris Opera ) from which the first professional ballet company , the Paris Opera Ballet , arose. Pierre Beauchamp served as Lully's ballet-master . Together their partnership would drastically influence the development of ballet, as evidenced by the credit given to them for the creation of the five major positions of the feet. By 1681, the first "ballerinas" took

3337-511: The early 19th century. Among the male dancers were Michel Fokine , Serge Lifar , Léonide Massine , Anton Dolin , George Balanchine , Valentin Zeglovsky , Theodore Kosloff , Adolph Bolm , and the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky , considered the most popular and talented dancer in the company's history. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 , in later years, younger dancers were taken from those trained in Paris by former Imperial dancers, within

3408-529: The early part of the 20th century, it was sometimes referred to as "The Russian Ballet" or "Diaghilev's Russian Ballet." To add to the confusion, some publicity material spelled the name in the singular. The names Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo and the Original Ballet Russe (using the singular) refer to companies that formed after Diaghilev's death in 1929. Sergei Diaghilev , the company's impresario (or " artistic director " in modern terms),

3479-403: The early twentieth century, not least the development of Art Deco . The French plural form of the name, Ballets Russes , specifically refers to the company founded by Sergei Diaghilev and active during his lifetime. (In some publicity the company was advertised as Les Ballets Russes de Serge Diaghileff. ) In English, the company is now commonly referred to as "the Ballets Russes", although in

3550-619: The end of the 1912 season. Vaslav Nijinsky had attended the Imperial Ballet School , St. Petersburg since the age of eight. He graduated in 1907 and joined the Imperial Ballet where he immediately began to take starring roles. Diaghilev invited him to join the Ballets Russes for its first Paris season. In 1912, Diaghilev gave Nijinsky his first opportunity as a choreographer, for his production of L'Après-midi d'un faune to Claude Debussy 's symphonic poem Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune . Featuring Nijinsky himself as

3621-638: The expression danse classique also exists for the latter meaning, is less equivocal and is more commonly used when referring to the learning of this dance. Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Under Catherine de' Medici 's influence as Queen, it spread to France, where it developed even further. The dancers in these early court ballets were mostly noble amateurs. Ornamented costumes were meant to impress viewers, but they restricted performers' freedom of movement. The ballets were performed in large chambers with viewers on three sides. The implementation of

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3692-548: The first neoclassical ballet. Apollo represented a return to form in response to Sergei Diaghilev 's abstract ballets. Balanchine worked with modern dance choreographer Martha Graham , and brought modern dancers into his company such as Paul Taylor , who in 1959 performed in Balanchine's Episodes . While Balanchine is widely considered the face of neoclassical ballet, there were others who made significant contributions. Frederick Ashton 's Symphonic Variations (1946)

3763-461: The large community of Russian exiles. Recruits were even accepted from America and included a young Ruth Page who joined the troupe in Monte Carlo during 1925. The company featured and premiered now-famous (and sometimes notorious) works by the great choreographers Marius Petipa and Michel Fokine , as well as new works by Vaslav Nijinsky , Bronislava Nijinska , Léonide Massine , and

3834-562: The most influential ballet company of the 20th century, in part because it promoted ground-breaking artistic collaborations among young choreographers, composers, designers, and dancers, all at the forefront of their several fields. Diaghilev commissioned works from composers such as Igor Stravinsky , Claude Debussy , Sergei Prokofiev , Erik Satie , and Maurice Ravel , artists such as Vasily Kandinsky , Alexandre Benois , Pablo Picasso , and Henri Matisse , and costume designers Léon Bakst and Coco Chanel . The company's productions created

3905-485: The most widely known and performed ballet style is late Romantic ballet (or Ballet blanc ). Classical ballet is based on traditional ballet technique and vocabulary . Different styles have emerged in different countries, such as French ballet , Italian ballet , English ballet , and Russian ballet . Several of the classical ballet styles are associated with specific training methods, typically named after their creators (see below). The Royal Academy of Dance method

3976-627: The port de bras and the épaulement are performed, more rounded than when dancing in a Russian style, but not as rounded as the Danish style. The Vaganova method is a style of ballet training that emerged from Russian ballet , created by Agrippina Vaganova . After retiring from dance in 1916, Vaganova turned to teaching at the Leningrad Choreographic School in 1921. Her training method is now internationally recognized and her book, The Fundamentals of Classical Dance (1934),

4047-427: The right amount of focus at each stage of the student's career. These textbooks continue to be extremely important to the instruction of ballet today. The method emphasizes development of strength, flexibility, and endurance for the proper performance of ballet. She espoused the belief that equal importance should be placed on the arms and legs while performing ballet, as this will bring harmony and greater expression to

4118-431: The same year, he created Chopiniana to piano music by the composer Frédéric Chopin as orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov . This was an early example of creating choreography to an existing score rather than to music specifically written for the ballet, a departure from the normal practice at the time. Fokine established an international reputation with his works choreographed during the first four seasons (1909–1912) of

4189-596: The stage following years of training at the Académie. Ballet started to decline in France after 1830, but it continued to develop in Denmark, Italy, and Russia. The arrival in Europe of the Ballets Russes led by Sergei Diaghilev on the eve of the First World War revived interest in the ballet and started the modern era. In the twentieth century, ballet had a wide influence on other dance genres, Also in

4260-705: The subject of the 2005 documentary film Ballets Russes . The Ballets Russes was noted for the high standard of its dancers, most of whom had been classically trained at the great Imperial schools in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Their high technical standards contributed a great deal to the company's success in Paris, where dance technique had declined markedly since the 1830s. Principal female dancers included: Anna Pavlova , Tamara Karsavina , Olga Spessivtseva , Mathilde Kschessinska , Ida Rubinstein , Bronislava Nijinska , Lydia Lopokova , Sophie Pflanz , and Alicia Markova , among others; many earned international renown with

4331-768: The success of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in Europe. In 1890, he enrolled at the Faculty of Law, St. Petersburg, to prepare for a career in the civil service like many Russian young men of his class. There he was introduced (through his cousin Dmitry Filosofov ) to a student clique of artists and intellectuals calling themselves The Nevsky Pickwickians whose most influential member was Alexandre Benois ; others included Léon Bakst , Walter Nouvel , and Konstantin Somov . From childhood, Diaghilev had been passionately interested in music. However, his ambition to become

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4402-861: The twentieth century, ballet took a turn dividing it from classical ballet to the introduction of modern dance , leading to modernist movements in several countries. Famous dancers of the twentieth century include Anna Pavlova , Galina Ulanova , Rudolf Nureyev , Maya Plisetskaya , Margot Fonteyn , Rosella Hightower , Maria Tall Chief , Erik Bruhn , Mikhail Baryshnikov , Suzanne Farrell , Gelsey Kirkland , Natalia Makarova , Arthur Mitchell , and Jeanne Devereaux . Stylistic variations and subgenres have evolved over time. Early, classical variations are primarily associated with geographic origin. Examples of this are Russian ballet , French ballet , and Italian ballet . Later variations, such as contemporary ballet and neoclassical ballet, incorporate both classical ballet and non-traditional technique and movement. Perhaps

4473-418: The working foot typically. This method also incorporates very basic use of arms, pirouettes from a low développé position into seconde, and use of fifth position bras en bas for the beginning and end of movements. The Bournonville method produces dancers who have beautiful ballon ("the illusion of imponderable lightness" ). The Royal Academy of Dance method , also referred to as the English style of ballet,

4544-506: The world have incorporated their own cultures. As a result, ballet has evolved in distinct ways. A ballet as a unified work comprises the choreography and music for a ballet production. Ballets are choreographed and performed by trained ballet dancers . Traditional classical ballets are usually performed with classical music accompaniment and use elaborate costumes and staging, whereas modern ballets are often performed in simple costumes and without elaborate sets or scenery. Ballet

4615-500: The young George Balanchine at the start of his career. The choreography of Michel Fokine was of paramount importance in the initial success of the Ballets Russes. Fokine had graduated from the Imperial Ballet School in Saint Petersburg in 1898, and eventually become First Soloist at the Mariinsky Theater . In 1907, Fokine choreographed his first work for the Imperial Russian Ballet, Le Pavillon d'Armide . In

4686-556: Was Serge Lifar (who later joined the Ballets Russes in 1923). Following the Russian Revolution, Nijinska fled again to Poland, and then, in 1921, re-joined the Ballets Russes in Paris. In 1923, Diaghilev assigned her the choreography of Stravinsky's Les Noces . The result combines elements of her brother's choreography for The Rite of Spring with more traditional aspects of ballet, such as dancing en pointe . The following year, she choreographed three new works for

4757-484: Was an artistic movement of classical ballet and several productions remain in the classical repertoire today. The Romantic era was marked by the emergence of pointe work, the dominance of female dancers, and longer, flowy tutus that attempt to exemplify softness and a delicate aura. This movement occurred during the early to mid-nineteenth century (the Romantic era ) and featured themes that emphasized intense emotion as

4828-402: Was chiefly responsible for its success. He was uniquely prepared for the role; born into a wealthy Russian family of vodka distillers (though they went bankrupt when he was 18), he was accustomed to moving in the upper-class circles that provided the company's patrons and benefactors. It's indispensable to mention the name of the sponsor Winnaretta Singer which generous financial subsides ensured

4899-419: Was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1919. Léonide Massine was born in Moscow, where he studied both acting and dancing at the Imperial School. On the verge of becoming an actor, Massine was invited by Sergei Diaghilev to join the Ballets Russes, as he was seeking a replacement for Vaslav Nijinsky. Diaghilev encouraged Massine's creativity and his entry into choreography. Massine's most famous creations for

4970-430: Was established in 1920 by Genee, Karsavina, Bedells, E Espinosa, and Richardson. The goal of this method is to promote academic training in classical ballet throughout Great Britain. This style also spread to the United States, and is widely utilized still today. There are specific grade levels which a student must move through in order to complete training in this method. The key principle behind this method of instruction

5041-475: Was run by famed promoter Fortune Gallo for a year after losing their manager. After World War II began, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo left Europe and toured extensively in the United States and South America. As dancers retired and left the company, they often founded dance studios in the United States or South America or taught at other former company dancers' studios. With Balanchine's founding of

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