Renaissance: Birth of Ballet

Dance in the Renaissance
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Please, click on the link below, read the paragraphs under the subtitle "The Birth of Ballet" and answer the following questions:

I. LINK: (20 min)

 The Renaissance world and the art dance

First Paragraph
Who was the main sponsor of ballet at the time?
Name few of the characteristics of this ballet sponsor.

Second Paragraph
Explain the symbolism implicit in the Ballet Comique de la Reine. 

Third Paragraph
What did the style ballet the course represent?

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II.  Video

Catherine de’ Medici (Ballet Comique de la Reine) (15:09 min)

Why was Ballet Comique de la Reine important?

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III . Ballet de Cour

Click on the link above and summarize the important of Ballet the Cour for the birth of ballet?


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IV. Video
 

  Ballet Evolved - At the court of Louis XIV (3:06 min)

After this video, what would you say is the relationship between the turn-out in ballet and fencing in the French court of Louis XIV?

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V. Le Roi Danse

Le roi danse - Ballet de la nuit (1653) (3 min.)

Le Ballet de la Nuit, was a major ballet de cour organized by Louis de Hesselin and first performed in the Louvre's Salle du Petit Bourbon in 1653. Le Ballet de la Nuit was notable for many reasons: most prominent among them was the involvement of the young Louis XIV, who danced in five different roles, including his most famous role as the Sun King, accompanied by chosen courtiers and professional dancers, singers and acrobats.

After watching this video, which would you say was the function of ballet for Louis XIV and his court?

STUDENTS' WORK

Anastassia Cafatti

Orientation to Dance 130- Class 3/31- Ballet Five Positions

I - Ballet Five Positions: Video 1

a) Learn ballet 5 positions

b) Record your self using the five positions to create a movement phrase. Post it on Discussion Board (10 min)

I have attached the video to this email!

II - Video 2: Ballet Evolved: How ballet class has changed over the centuries

a) Write a brief reflection on ballet technique as you perceive it in this video

I perceive ballet to be a very hard discipline. Your body is a perfect instrument that you have to learn to tweak for the dance. I see ballet as a lifestyle. You need to take care of warming your muscles before coming in, of stretching and keeping your pointed toes every day. Ballet dancers even walk differently, with an elevated chest. When performed however, ballet gives you the impression that the dancers are like floating on a cloud. It is extremely precise, but everything seems so delicate and airy. It is incredible to see how over the years the technique has changed. The legs have turned from a 45-degree angle to a 90-degree angle. The leg flexibility has improved, and the pointing of the feet has become even more pointy. There is an over extension of arms and legs. Every movement has increased in size and depth like plies, the shifting of weights, relevé, the arm movements, and the battement. Before, it was a very elegant dance, with not a lot of big and wide movements that over the years I believe has become more expressive as the range of motion and movement has increased.  

 III-  LINK: "Ballet is the last integral manifestation of the Renaissance spirit"

a) Based on what we have studied about dance in the Renaissance, what do you think this quote means? 

I think this quote means that Ballet was like the last taste of what the renaissance was like because after the renaissance art changed and started becoming more modern. For example, during the renaissance, as the book says, artists where very aware and focused on the “many facets of the human form and landscape in space.” Ballet is all about the human body in space, and being grateful and saluting the nobility. Just like the art produced during the renaissance which did not have much “intense expression” such as the Mona Lisa for example, classical ballet was kind of like that. There was no expression of the face. The body moved in geometrical shapes. It was more about the arm and leg movement than the body moving together. After this time, ballet took off as it got influences from other places and waves of literature and art becoming more expressive and romantic. So that is why it is said in this quote that ballet is the last integral manifestation because even if it has changed over time, in its core it is the same. You can see the reflections from the renaissance come about through this dance highlighting the graceful body in space. The renaissance was all about the discovery of art, the body, and all of that is reflected in the art, literature, dance, and culture of the time. A lot of this is reflected through ballet to this day.

 IV - Ballet as Ethnic Dance

It is good anthropology to think of ballet as a form of ethnic dance. Currently, that idea is unacceptable to most Western dance scholars. By ethnic dance, anthropologists mean to convey the idea that all forms of dance reflect the cultural traditions within which they developed.

a)      Based on the statement above, say if you agree or disagree.  Explain why.

a.      This is a very hard question. I don´t have a clear stance. I think I have to agree and disagree with the statement. I agree because I believe ballet is a reflection of a cultural time period, of an era during the renaissance. It came about and was danced in the courts and its technique developed from the people of that time. For that reason, I do agree with the fact that it has ethnic groups, however I feel like now a days this dance has been expanded way past its original roots. In general, ethnic dances belong to a group of people who keep practicing this dance in their community. For example, African dances. However, I feel like ballet is different. It is such a globalized dance. It has received so much influence from different dancers from around the world, changing the way it is danced. Maybe the more classical ballet does resemble the original dance, but it is so much more than an ethnic dance. It is theatrical, danced by people all over the world. So yes, it started in a single place with the cultural traditions of that place which still remain today in the dance, but it has received influence from so may other cultures and time periods around the world. It has been affected by different waves of romanticism, modernism, etc.

V - Famous Ballets: Classical vs. Neoclassical vs. Contemporary

a)      Watch the videos bellow and identify which one of the ballets is classical, neoclassical or contemporary. Explain your choices.

Video 3: Neoclassical Ballet

This is definitely neoclassical because you can see the excessive influence of romanticism and post-modernism. Movements are a little bigger that those in classical dance. The outfits are definitely neoclassical, and the story behind it as well is all about the couple. You can see a lot of the elements of romanticism such as sharing more expression and emotion when dancing. There is a celebration of nature and beauty. You can see this in the costumes and style of dance.

Video 4: Contemporary Ballet

This video was definitely contemporary ballet. There is a lot of mix with modern dance. There are a lot of flips, jumping, and movements of modern dance. The whole body is included. There is not a big a separation between the upper and lower body. The costumes are also in accordance with the setting and style of dance. Movements are far away from being classical or too light and airy and restrictive, they are more grounded and exploratory of the body.

Video 5: Classical Ballet

This classic of ballet is definitely dances in a very classical way. You can see the setting in the gardens of a palace, with a well-defined story. Costumes are from the old classical era of ballet. The movements are very precise, less big and wide than more classical ballet. The dancers are very delicate with their way of moving and telling the story.