1. Ballet History and Vocabulary
GOAL:
1. TO BE ABLE TO WRITE OUT THE STEPS OF BALLET AND THE MEANING.
2. TO UNDERSTAND THE ALIGNEMNT RULES IN RELATION TO BASIC ANATOMY.
3. TO DEEPEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF BALLET HISTORY AND GEORGE BALANCHINE.

2. WHERE DID BALLET COME FROM?
15th Century Court Dance of Italy
Henry II of France marries Catherine de Medicis of Italy.
Documentation began in 1444 in France
Louis XIII makes first appearance as public dancer in 1651
Louis XIII founds Academie Royale de la musique and ballet performances move from palace to theatre.

4. Early Ballet

5. How did Ballet get to America?
1837 First Appearances of ballet come to America from Russia and France.
George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein
Begin first major school of ballet in America in 1934, the future American Ballet Theatre
1935 Premier of “Serenade”

6. George Balanchine 1904-1983 St. Petersburg, Russia
Balanchine created over 400 works including dances for Broadway, Hollywood movies, operas, the circus and the ballet. His range of choreography spanned the neoclassical (Agon, The Four Temperments, Symphony in Three Movements) to the story ballet (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppelia) to the romantic (Vienna Waltzes, Jewels, Symphony in C). In 1933 at the invitation of Lincoln Kirstein, he came to America and co-founded The School of American Ballet in 1934 and the New York City Ballet in 1948.

7. George Balanchine Rehearsing

8. Ballet Vocabulary Demi Plie: small bend Retire: isolated
Cambre: arched
Developpe: developed
Grande Plie: big bend
Pas de Bourreé: to cram or stuff
Tendue: to touch
Degage: clear path
Balancé: to swing
Rond de jambe: round with leg
Sautteé: to jump
Changement: change
Fondu: to melt
échappe: slip out; escape
Frappe: to strike
échappé sautteé: jumping /escape
Grand Battement: banging, slamming
sissone: to spring
Passe: to pass through

9. Ballet Vocabulary Glissade: slide Chassé: chase
Piqué: prick/sting (will be using with passé)
Jeté: to throw
Arabesque: ornament
1st arabesque
2nd arabesque
3rd arabesque

10. Ballet in Action

11. 12 Body Placement Rules for Ballet Technique
Head erect straight on top of spine, ears over shoulders chin up
Diaphragm lifted (breathing muscles in rib cage
Spine held straight up and lengthened
Shoulders squarely over hip
Eyes forward and focused
Pelvis centered with the hips placed directly over the feet

12. 7. Abdomen (lower abdominal muscles) tightened and lifted 8
7. Abdomen (lower abdominal muscles) tightened and lifted 8.Gluteal muscles contracted to pull down tailbone 9. Thighs (quadriceps and hamstrings) pulled up with knees straight Feet must bear weight primarily over the metatarsals (long thin bones in the foot) Turn out from hip joints (ball and socket joint) SMILE

13. FIVE POSITIONS LOOK AT PAGE 24 IN THE BALLET DICTIONARY
BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THESE FOR THE TEST
LET’S TRY IT OUT!

14. Activity Using Ballet Dictionaries Split in to groups of three
I read the description of the step from the dictionary and the group has to write out the name of the step, spelled correctly on a piece of paper and hold it up. The first one to get it wins.

15. 5 Positions of the Feet Refer to page 139 in your ballet dictionary.
Do you recognize these positions?
Where do you know them from.
What major joint of the body do we use to create these positions?