From Tutus To Bun Heads: A Pirouette Through The History Of Ballet

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An art that has been celebrated for centuries, Ballet has ensnared the hearts of dance patrons and art enthusiasts for centuries. Ballet has its roots set firmly in Italian Renaissance when it was created as entertainment for the Royal Court. Throughout the 15th and 16th century ballet progressed and grew more popular. The epicenter of the art moved to France following the marriage of the Italian-born aristocrat Catherine de Médicis to Henry II of France. To learn more about the history of ballet, here’s a quick rundown we made just for you:

Fact 1:
The art of ballet and opera was born during the 1500 period in Italy, flourishing greatly during the Renaissance period. The elaborate performances were a must at European courts, thoroughly enjoyed by the wealthy and powerful. The lovely forms of entertainment were used to celebrate marriages and to show off just how wealthy the owner of the house or party thrower was. Ballets and operas were often used for political propaganda as well.

Fact 2: Ballet performances back in the day weren’t the usual spectacle of lights, elaborate costumes, and music that we’re used to. Back then they were a combination of spoken word, music, dance and pantomime and incorporated ceremonial processions whilst wearing the most extravagant costumes that we could only dream of!

Fact 3: Because costumes back then were so exaggerated and large, the ballet dancer’s movements were often limited! The dancers had to perform in costumes so heavy and so large that most of the time it was a struggle to even lift a limb, let alone walk. Majority of the performances back then were based on ancient Greek myth and roman myths, as well as the four seasons and tales from other foreign lands.

Fact 4:
There are nine very important ballet forms every dancer must master, and these positions are: Arabesque; when you position yourself on one leg with the other raised behind the body forming a straight line, Attitude; a variation of the Arabesque but with bent knee at a 90 degree angle, Assemble; lifting off the floor with one leg and landing with both, Croise; standing with legs crossed, Grande Jete; a big leap from one foot to the other, Plie; bending of the knees, Turn-out; turning the feet and legs out from the hips at a 90 degree angle, Pirouette; a spin, and lastly Tour en l’air; a turn in the air.

Fact 5:
Ballet’s official terminology and vocabulary words were codified in French over the following 100 years. It was during the reign of King Louis XIV, a patron of the arts and ballet enthusiast that led to the growth and popularity of the art. The king himself opted to perform in several of the performances at the time.

Fact 6: The dancing shoes back then resembled small dress shoes with heels attached to them, a far cry from the contemporary ballet flats we’re familiar with today. The sturdy dance shoes however lasted far longer than the flats today do. A ballerina can wear out a pair of new flats within a week! A ballerina is said to go through a dozen pairs of flats a month!

Fact 7:
Italy, France, and more notably Russia are the leaders in ballet. These countries have turned out dance companies that are the crème de la crème of the performing arts world. Other notable dance companies have come from London, Denmark, Austria, Spain, and New York.

Fact 8:
Female dancers go through over 2,000 pairs of pointe shoes per season! That’s roughly a 100,000 dollars’ worth of shoes! And if that wasn’t crazy enough, some props and wigs cost more than 2,000 dollars!

Fact 9:
The legendary Italian-French composer Jean Baptiste Lully and the one and only French choreographer Pierre Beauchamp were said to have developed the five positions of the feet.

Fact 10:
The terms “ballet” and “ball” both came from the Italian word “ballare” meaning “to dance”. When Catherine de Medici of Italy married the French King Henry II, she brought with her the earliest forms of dance and shared it with the court. The rest as the say is history.

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