Level I Study Guide:
Romantic Period- Nineteenth Century produced “Romantic Ballet”. Dance followed path set up by music, literature, painting, and sculpture. Romantic ballets were characterized by love of nature, emotion, power, violence and tranquility. Romantic ballets depict mythical characters and places. This period lead to classical ballet.
Classical Ballet- Performed on proscenium stage, spectacular scenery, elaborate costumes with fairly tail or fable themes. Dances moved with orchestral music. Used pantomime movement to show emotion and tell story line. Used three categories of dancers: corps (core), soloists and principle dancer.
Marius Petipa- A classical ballet choreographer. Choreographed “The Sleeping beauty” and “Swan Lake”.
Lev Ivanov- Assistant to Petipa and choreographed “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker”. Choreographic style: Expressed emotion with pure classical movement without using pantomime.
“Swan Lake”- A classical ballet which tells the story of Odette who is changed into a beautiful women for a brief period of time by a mysterious sorcerer. She meets and falls in love with a prince and at the end they both throw themselves into the lake.
Anna Pavlova- Principle ballet dancer for the Ballet Russe Company. She was known for her beautiful and dramatic dance style. Was known for the famous dance “The Dying Swan”.
Nijinsky “The Rite of Spring”- Diaghilev gave Nijinsky first opportunity as a choreographer. Shocked audiences with “The Rite of Spring” storyline which included references to sex and death and unique movement. His style of choreography used symmetrical, heavy, and turned in positions.
Nijinska- Sister of Nijinsky and choreographed for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe company. She was experimental and abstract and liked fast jumping phrases (petit allegro).
Serge Diaghilev- Director of the Ballet Russe, which was made up of dancers from the Imperial Theater of St. Petersburg in Russia.
Michel Folkine- Ballet Russe choreographer who’s style was a fusion of dance, music, drama, scenery and costumes.
Leonide Massine- Ballet Russe choreographer who left the company to begin his own company with the help from English dancer named Alicia Markova.
Baby Ballerinas’- Nick-name for the young (14 year old) Russian ballerina dancers in Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo Company.
George Balanchine- Known for sophisticated use of music, plot less ballets and minimal costumes and set designs. Forefront of Contemporary ballet style.
Blum– Owner of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo after Diaghilev’s death. Left company and was killed in WWII Nazi camp.
Basil- Owner of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo after Diaghilev’s death. After Massine left company, changed the name to “The Original Ballet Russe”.
Igor Stravinsky- Composer for many Classical Ballets. “The Rite of Spring”, “The Firebird”.
Agnes De Mille- Famous American choreographer. Revived the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and choreographed for musicals and Broadway.
Ballet Russe Time Line:
-From Russia and flee to Paris, France because of Russian Revolution.
-Bum and Basil take over company and move to Monte Carlo.
-Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo visit America with the help from Sol Hurok
-Company returns to Europe and Blum and Massine leave the company
-Both companies move to England and they perform down the street from each other.
-Massine returns to America and Basil company tours in Australia.
-Both flee to America because of WWII.
-Basil’s company fails.
-Massine’s company is revived in NYC with the help of Agnes de Mill and Balanchine’s choreography.