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32-708: Gerdt studied under Christian Johansson , Alexander Pimenov (a pupil of the legendary Charles Didelot ), and with Jean-Antoine Petipa ( Marius Petipa 's father, a master of the old pantomime and a student of Auguste Vestris ). He was known as the "Blue Cavalier" of the Saint Petersburg stage, creating the roles of nearly every lead male character throughout the latter half of the 19th century, among them Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty and Prince Coqueluche in The Nutcracker . Nobody in

64-508: A dancer. At that time in Europe , the male danseur enjoyed less importance than that of the ballerina . Only in St. Petersburg could a male dancer achieve great success and there perform his own solos, rather than appearing only as a ballerina's partner. This perhaps explains the appearance of the great artistic talents, Marius Petipa , Jules Perrot , Arthur Saint-Leon and Johansson himself, at

96-562: 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

128-463: 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

160-403: 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

192-497: 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 the most talented dancers, enabling them to continue their training at renowned ballet schools around

224-654: 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

256-411: 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

288-419: 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

320-627: 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

352-838: The Diamond Fairy in the Pas de Quatre of the Precious Stones from Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty (1890), Aurora, goddess of the dawn in Petipa's The Awakening of Flora (1894), and the lead ballerina of the Waltz of the Flowers in the premiere of The Nutcracker (1892). Ballerina A ballet dancer 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

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384-537: The Imperial Ballet School or at the Theatre's Classe de Perfection . Tall and thin, with seemingly perfect posture, the aging Johansson would appear in ballet class with a small violin and thick stick. He used this in order to keep the musical beat underneath his mumbled counts of the music. Sometimes the stick was set aside and, instead of his melancholic voice, his violin would sing and enliven

416-583: 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 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

448-472: 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 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

480-471: The 1830s, he was referred to as one of the male stars of the ballet alongside Anders Selinder , Vilhelm Pettersson and Carl Wilhelm Silfverberg . Naturally endowed to be a fine dancer, Crown Prince Oscar financed his studies for the great Danish choreographer August Bournonville . After studying with Bournonville in Copenhagen for two years, Johansson earned the right to be called his pupil and

512-695: The Russian Imperial Ballet. His stage career spanned four decades and included hundreds of ballets . When it ended in 1883, he continued teaching classes at the Imperial Ballet School on Theatre Street in St. Petersburg, something he had done for ten years already. By the end of the 19th century, there was not one ballerina appearing on the stage of the Maryinsky Theatre who had not been taught by Johansson, either at

544-400: 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

576-659: The class with simple melodies from the ballets of his youth. This was a novel approach for the relatively severe atmosphere of the school. A calm, well-mannered man, he set an example of graciousness and was admired by the students. Among his students: his daughter Anna Johansson , Pavel Gerdt , Platon Karsavin , Tamara Karsavina , Nikolai Legat , Sergei Legat , Olga Preobrajenska , Maria Gorshenkova  [ ru ] , Mathilde Kschessinska , Evgenia Sokolova , Praskovia Lebedeva  [ ru ] , Varvara Nikitina  [ ru ] , Agrippina Vaganova , Anna Pavlova , Marie Petipa etc. Johansson's pupils were not

608-652: 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

640-493: 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

672-437: 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

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704-445: 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

736-750: The leading ballet instructor at the Imperial Ballet School . He stayed there until his death in 1903. Johansson studied under Bournonville and partnered the great ballerina Marie Taglioni . Johansson made his debut on the stage of the Royal Opera House in Stockholm. He became a student of the Royal Swedish Ballet of the Royal Swedish Opera in 1829, and was a premier dancer in 1837-40. During

768-456: The male variations in the Petipa / Tchaikovsky ballet The Sleeping Beauty (1890). Christian Johansson's daughter, the ballerina Anna Christianovna Johansson (1860-1917), was a celebrated soloist of the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet and created roles in nearly every important premiere throughout the late nineteenth century. Among the roles she created were: the fairy Canari que chant and

800-534: The only ones who were influenced by him. The Imperial Ballet Master , Marius Petipa , would often observe his classes, watching and remembering. After those visits, Johansson would say laughingly, "Once again the old man is stealing something from me..." In truth, Petipa usually sent male dancers to Johansson to have their variations choreographed. Dancers would occasionally recognize their teacher's classroom combinations in Petipa's ballets. It has been substantiated that Johansson himself created and choreographed most of

832-402: 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

864-532: The theatre knew his real age, and when asked, he would always say that he was 23. Among his pupils at the Imperial Ballet School were Michel Fokine , Vaslav Nijinsky , Tamara Karsavina , George Balanchine , and Anna Pavlova , to whom he taught the soaring leap of Marie Taglioni and Carlotta Grisi . This article about someone associated with the art of ballet is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Christian Johansson Pehr Christian Johansson (1 June 1817 – 12 December 1903)

896-761: 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

928-686: 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 a professional ballet company, offering job opportunities to graduates. There are different styles of training in ballet such as

960-773: Was a teacher, choreographer and balletmaster for the Russian Imperial Ballet . He was engaged at the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1829–41, and at the Imperial Russian Ballet in 1841–66. Born in Stockholm , Sweden, he moved to Russia as a dancer and stayed on as one of the most important teachers in Russian history. He is remembered in Russia as exemplifying the artistic beauty of the male dancer. He began teaching in 1860 and by 1869, had become

992-456: 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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1024-715: Was trained in the French classical style, la belle danse . Beautiful, flexible and graceful in the best tradition of the French school, Johansson attracted the attention of critics. In addition, the great Romantic ballerina, Marie Taglioni , made it a condition of her engagement in Stockholm that Johansson be her partner. Johansson went on to partner other great ballerinas as well, especially during his time in St. Petersburg. Some of these were Fanny Elssler , Carlotta Grisi , Adèle Grantzow, Yelena Andreyanova , Tatyana Smirnova, Marfa Muravieva, Nadezhda Bogdanova and Fanny Cerrito . His move to Russia in 1841 helped Johansson's career as

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