Dance:"Ballet Class"

                                                                 Ballet

 

 

 

 

Classical dance (academic) is a specific form of dance, also known as ballet. The difference lies in the fact that the term refers to a ballet performance held at the scene, while the deadline for classical dance refers to the technique, which uses the dancers.Classical dance is derived from the Renaissance court dances improved at the court of Louis XIV, who developed the first professional choreographers and teachers. Then ballets were based primarily on combinations of steps from the basse dance, pawan and minuet. Women's dresses were so hard and long that prevented too complicated leg movements ao skipped in general there was no question, therefore solos performed mostly by men. Only La Camargo on 5 May 1726. Shortened dresses by a few centimetres and the first on the scene lifted into the air, enriched the dance, but at the same time caused a scandal. After the French Revolution, the Paris Opera costume designer Maillot, invented the vests, which contributed to the further development of the technique of classical dance, already based on the five positions of the feet with your feet slightly wrung out.The principles of classical dance based on a codified aesthetic canons of classical ancient art of Carlo Blasis in Traite Elementaire, theorique et pratique de l'art de la Dance (1820), creating a system of carefully designed body movements, marked with French terminology. They brought it to perfection in the Romantic period, when dancers started to use stiffened ballet shoes called morals by which they can climb to the tips of his fingers. Theatrical form of classical ballet, formed in the nineteenth century. Lies in the ranking of fixed patterns, performed the classical technique.The largest contribution to the improvement of modern techniques of classical dance brought Enrico Cecchetti and Agrippina Vaganova.The most famous ballets, which use the technique of classical dance are: Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Giselle A. Adam, A. Khachaturian's Spartacus, Coppelia L. Deliba, LA Minkus' Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev and Chopin sylph .The most famous classical dancers include: Vaslav Nijinsky, Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. For dancers: Carlotta Grisi, Marie Sallé, Marie Camargo, Fanny Elssler, Marie Taglioni, Anna Pavlova, Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, Margot Fonteyn, Alicia Alonso, Carla Fracci, Natalia Makarova and Sylvie Guillem.

*Here I'm pasting two videos. The first video is showing warm-up exercises which I use to prepare my body for technical exercises and for dancing itself. On other hand the second video is concentrating on the correct footwork and shoulders movement. Due to these videos I'm able to practise at home the exercises we do in class and therefore work on improving my technique.

*This is video number 1- Warm-up exercises:

*And here is video number 2-Technique exercise:

Here is some explanation of ballet vocabulary:
1)Chasse-A ballet movement consisting of one or more quick gliding steps with the same foot always leading(to slide).

2)Tendu- Of or relating to a movement that is stretched or held(to stretch).

3)Attitude-An attitude in classical ballet is a position where the dancer is standing on one leg with the other lifted, usually to the front (devant) or back (derrière).  The leg in the air is bent at the knee so that it forms roughly a 145 degree angle.

4)Arabesque- A pose in ballet in which the dancer stands on one leg with one arm extended in front and the other leg and arm extended behind.

 

 5)Port de Bras- The technique of moving the arms properly(carriage of the arms).

6)Adage-A French word meaning gently, or at ease. Adage is a series of slow, controlled exercises or movements performed to slow music(slow movements).

 

7)Position of the arms :

 

Homework:

Our homework for this week was to describe  Port de Bras exercise . Above I put some information already about this but here I will explain more. Also we have to memorise all exercises and learn them for the next lesson as the little ballet choreography as well . Therefore we have to prepare our ballet exercise which we could use to warm up before lesson.

What I need to work :
I need to work on this all exercises and correct/improve those which I'm struggle with . Also I need to work on my arms to make them stronger and keep them in nice shape and correct place. I have to work on my feet place as well.

*Port de Bras -  is a classical ballet term meaning “movement of the arms.” It describes how dancers move their arms from one position to another.
For example, if a ballerina moves her arms from first position to fifth position, that is considered a port de bras.
When doing proper port de bras, dancers will move their arms from their back and shoulders (without lifting the shoulders awkwardly upwards) while trying to move as smoothly as possible. The shape of the arms should be rounded so there is no visible break at the elbows and wrists. In classical ballet, the arms should never be fully straight or hyper-extended at the elbows. Also, the hands should be shaped with the fingers extended running mostly in the same direction, but not stuck together like a paddle or overly extended.
In contemporary ballet, there are many exceptions to the rules of port de bras, but generally port de bras should always look coordinated with the lower half of the body and still look balletic in nature (meaning, not raising the shoulders awkwardly or having excess tension in the arms) unless instructed specifically to look different or to make a certain shape requested by the choreographer.
While the term does mean movement of the arms, port de bras also includes the position and movement of the head in relation with the arms. The movement of both the arms and head are considered a package deal for almost every ballet step.
Port de bras is harder than it looks on paper. For all dancers, mastering port de bras takes several years of practice, with some professionals still practicing to achieve beautiful movement in their arms.
(Information derived from BalletHub)