Ballet is more than just dance, and is creative, theatrical, engaging and graceful
We help students who want to learn the dance and experienced dancers to keep doing ballet. We’re here for people of all ages and all levels of experience and knowledge of ballet. We also keep performing!
Ballet is a highly choreographed dance performed with music playing in the background. It’s a theatrical performance and therefore encompasses the use of costumes, scenic designs, lighting and stage scenery.
Also, ballet dancers move using precise and formalized steps and gestures called the danse d’école.
Being an artistic dancer, ballet can be used to tell a story, for comedy, and to express emotions. It’s performed all over the world by kids, including adults. It’s also practiced by both men and women, but traditionally, it was highly associated with women.
The history of ballet dates back to the Italian Renaissance when it was done as a comic court performance for entertainment. In the 15th and 16 centuries, ballet steps were formalized.
The spread of the dance started with the marriage of Catherine de Medicis (of an Italian descent) and Henry II of France.
A famous choreographer of the time, Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx, devised the Queen’s Comic Ballet in 1581; it was performed for the Queen. This continued until the Mid-17th century during the reign of Louis XIII who used to perform in the dances with his young son Louis XIV.
The dances evolved from being purely comical to cover a whole lot of stories and even politics. Dancers that were not courtiers were also allowed to perform.
Eventually, ballet was pushed outside of the courts by developments in the arts and music industry in France. By 1661, Louis XIV had established two academies out of the court, where people learned and enjoyed ballet.
One of the academies lasted until the 1780s, preserving the graceful dance in France, one of other music academies.
Courts made ballet become an adjunct of Opera. This meant that ballet was exposed to the general public. The interest in ballet started growing as more people became aware of the dance. From here, the growth of ballet internationally became imminent.
Ballet dancers travelled to Opera functions all over and was spread by people from France to the rest of the world. It was picked up in Russia after the fall of Napoleon in 1815. By 1850, Russians had developed and formalized their own style of ballet.
Fast forward to today, and, ballet is one of the most respected and adored theatrical performances in the entire world over.
No it’s not. Just like learning any other form of art or dance, you develop the passion for ballet. Therefore, it becomes easy to learn this form of dance. Develop a high level of commitment to classes and practice regularly for you to master the art of ballet, dancing quickly and effectively.
There are many different styles of ballet that you can practice. The different styles can be categorized into three: Classical ballet, neo-classical ballet and contemporary ballet.
Learning classical ballet makes it easier to incorporate it into neo-classical and contemporary. Contemporary ballet is the most modern and is influenced by modern dance styles.
Pointe shoes are really important in ballet dancing. They have a rigid tip made of cardboard or layers of fabric to offer support to the ballet dancer. The entire weight of a ballet dancer is supported by that tip.
Ballet, with its ethereal movements and exquisite choreography, is a mesmerizing art form that transcends time and captivates the soul. It’s not just a dance;
XtendBarre is a hybrid workout combining ballet barre techniques with Pilates, dance, and yoga. It has quickly grown in popularity due to its unique full-body
It’s no secret that ballet is one of the most beautiful and challenging forms of dance
