Balle

G R O U P 5
 WHAT IS BALLET?
Ballet is a classical dance form characterized
by graceful and precise movements. It often
tells a story through music, choreography, and
expressive movements, requiring strength,
flexibility, and artistry.

The word "ballet" comes from the Italian word

"ballare", which means "to dance."
 DID YOU KNOW?

THE FIRST BALLET PERFORMERS WERE MEN. THE BALLET COSTUMES

WERE GRECIAN: SANDALS, DIAPHANOUS SKIRT, LOW-NECKED BODY,
HAIR IN FORM OF WREATH.
Ballet
Ballet according to Haskell (1965) is a:

"combination of the arts of dancing, poetry, music and painting. The

essential quality of the balletdancer is grace that is phrasing, fluidity,
harmony, the making of words into a poetic whole; bound upwith the
reaction to music that goes far deeper than a purely rhythmic
reaction.

Burian (1963) further affirms that:

"Ballet is an artistic, programmatic, scenic dance accompanied by
music. It is basically a special and generically unique form, which
resulted from the synthesis, collaboration and equilibrium of several
different types of art. The art of gesture and mime interprets, by
specific means of expression, the thematic and emotional content of
the scenario on which it is based, bringing the poet's ideas to
life,presenting the story with all its conflicts, plots, and solutions.
Brief History of Ballet
It was in the 15th century during the Renaissance period when ballet
began in Italy and further developed at the French courts during the 16th
century.
Queen Catherine de Medici brought the ballet from France to Italy
with her Italian musician Balthazar de Beaujoyeulx (formerly known
as Baldassarino de Belgiojoso in Italy) to arrange court fêtes (a large,
elaborate, festival or celebration).

French court ballet reached its peak under Louis XIV, a dancer and
performer and was called the magnificent Sun king. It was during his
time that the five basic dance positions were written down for the
first time (Castle, 1998) and became the basis for ballet up to this
day.

In 1672, ballet then also became a profession when Louis XIV handed
over and allowed professional dancers to perform noble dances
instead of just the character parts (Haskell, 1965) (Clarke and Crisp,
1973)
Brief History of Ballet
Many of the features that we see in ballet today
began only during the Romantic era in the 19th
century where artistic endeavor flourished together
with the many developments in science and
industry.

Ballet was imported to Russia during the

country's first period of Westernization. The end of
the 19th century gave birth to classical ballet in
Russia where it rapidly grew in popularity. A
Frenchman, Marius Petipa, became one of the most
important choreographers. He became the virtual
dictator of Russian ballet (Anderson, 1986)
Brief History of Ballet
Ballet and the arts in general experienced an
enormous change during the 20th century. Sergei
Diaghilev and Michel Fokine, Russian choreographers,
experimented with movement and costume that went
beyond the confines of classical ballet form and story.

It was also during this time that ballet reached the

United States. George Balanchine, the founder of the
New York City Ballet. a Russian choreographer who
immigrated to America expanded the form of classical
ballet and introduced neo-classical ballet.

Ballet today has become multifaceted, what is now

known as modern ballet.
 Classical Contemporary

Ballet Ballet
 Classical Ballet
Classical ballet - known for its
exactness of technique that highlights
pointed toes and turnouts, high
extensions and gracefulness (Velardi,
2012).

It also uses traditional mime that

utilizes gestures for conversation
instead of words. "These gestures are
as precise as ballet steps and have to
be learned and performed accurately.
 Contemporary
Ballet
ballet
On the other hand "mainly uses
steps and more natural
movement to convey meaning"
(Castle, 1998).

It incorporates elements of both

classical ballet and modern dance that
allows a greater range of movement
that does not support the strict
bodylines that are traditional in any of
the classical ballet techniques.
Ballet in the Philippines
The American colonization paved the way for the
introduction of classical ballet in the Philippines. In
1915, distinguished ballet dancer Paul Nijinsky
performed classical ballet at the Manila Hotel Roof
Garden (Dimalanta, 2006).

In 1927, Luva Adameit came to the Philippines and

started a ballet school. She trained the first few
ballet dancers in the country. Her dances, Sur les
points, were inspired by local dances like the Planting
Rice, Carinosa, and the Maria Clara that eventually
influenced Leonor Orosa Goquingco.
Ballet in the Philippines
Although ballet in the Philippines started a little later
compared to European and Western countries, it does not fall
far behind when it comes to producing world-class ballet
performances. Several ballet companies such as Ballet
Philippines and Ballet Manila have prospered and are
recognized internationally. They also have trained and
produced dancers of international caliber.

Ballet performances come in different forms. Some tell a

story, others develop a theme, and a few are simply dancing
for its own sake called abstract ballets (Castle, 1998). To tell a
story, ballet uses a mixture of technique, mime, and natural
body language. Regardless of what a ballet performance form
would be, the preparation and the day-to-day training are all,
if not the same, similar in structure. Thus, the structure of a
ballet class consists of a warm up, exercises for the barre,
Ballet in the Philippines
The first ballet company in the Philippines is the Cultural Center
of the Philippines Dance Company (now Ballet Philippines) and
Dance Theater Philippines.

Ballet Philippines was Founded in 1969 by Alice Reyes with the

support of Eddie Elejar and the Cultural Center of the
Philippines, Ballet Philippines (BP) is widely recognized today as
a cornerstone of the Filipino cultural identity. Its audience
represents a cross-section of Manila's populace and includes
visitors from around the country and around the world.

With a treasure trove of over 400 works, Ballet Philippines'

wide-ranging, eclectic repertory is unparalleled in Asia. From
full-length classical ballets and internationally recognized
masterworks to indigenous works of Filipino folklore and social
issues, the company weaves a colorful tapestry of the
Philippine's rich and diverse cultural heritage-uniquely and
distinctly Filipino.
Ballet in the Philippines
The Company's achievements, coupled with
the generous and prestigious support of
numerous local and national funding sources,
have dramatically strengthened BP's position as
a world-class ballet company within the local,
national, and international arts communities.

As the Philippines' premiere dance company,

BP continues its vision of nurturing the best
Filipino dance artists, in year-long program of
professional and developmental dance.
 Composition of
What is the composition of a ballet class? Dancing imposes great physical demands on the body.
Therefore, a ballet class is designed carefully to prepare the body for it.Each ballet class should
consist of the following segments:
 Composition of Ballet
1. Warm up- limbering and stretching exercises that
warm and gently stretch the muscles before trying the
difficult moves.A good warm up is the best start to a
ballet class as ballet puts your body in positions that it is
not used to executing.

2. Barre exercises- the students hold on to a barre to help

maintain balance and correct placement of the
body.Exercises include variations of bending and
stretching,small movements of the legs which gradually
increase in range of motion and tempo as the leg is lifted
from the floor.
 Composition of Ballet
3. Center work exercises- after the barre exercises,the
students move to the center of the room to do more
stretching and relaxing exercises to loosen the back and
the muscles in other parts of the body that have worked
hard in the previous exercises (Dufort,1985). All exercises
here will be done without support, adding arm and head
movements.

4. Corner drills (grand allegro)- consist of sequence of

steps combining big jumps,leaps, and turns which
coverlarge areas and put the demands on the body's
strength,endurance, and control. These exercises are
done moving across the dance floor or rehearsal area.
 Basic
Excercises
Performed in
- Dancers hold on to a handrail called the barre to
support them while they practice.

the Barre
- Barre exercises are the preparation for everything
else in ballet (Hackett, 2007). Here are some of the
basic exercises performed in the barre:

• Plié (pli yey) Two types: Grand- Plié Demi Plié

• Relevé (re le vey) • Développé ( dev low pey)
• Battement Tendu (bat ma than dew)
• Battement Dégagé ( bat ma deh ga zheh)
• Grand Battement ( grawn baht mahn)