Ballet

Ballet Dance The Most Graceful Of All Dance Forms

Ballet dance is a type of theatrical dance which was originated in France and slowly spread to England, Italy and Russia. It requires high level of practise to be able to perform this highly skilled form of dance, along with concentration. It requires the dancer to have qualities like strength, elegance, grace, patience and most importantly the passion.

Ballet dance is differentiated from other forms of dance by its precise movements and formal gestures and poses. This form of dance is either done in a group or as a solo presentation depending on the requirement of the story or theme. A musical composition accompanies ballet along with attractive costumes and other background effects to enhance the effect of the performance.

Ballet was introduced in the 18th century and became at par with opera during those times. The movements in this dance form were used to express emotions and to support narration. Gradually ballets started to be story based and even romantic in nature. While women were only given a secondary role in the initial days, women became the central figure in the later years. This main lady Ballet Dancer is called a ballerina. Though the term ballerina is used to refer any ballet dancer, it is actually the prestigious rank given to the best and exceptional dancer. Ballerino is the term used for the main Ballet dancer.

Ballet dance typically is accompanied with classical music and this typical ballet dance is called classical ballet which was the foremost type of ballet based on traditional techniques. Depending on the area of origin, there is Russian, Italian and French ballet. Ballet dance is taught in Ballet Schools all around the world. Classical ballet is a typical form of dance on account of its graceful movements and its unique features like pointe work, turn-out of the legs.

Classical ballet can boast of at least seven styles of training, a few popular ones being Vaganova method Cecchetti method Royal Ballet School and Royal Academy of Dance methods and Balanchine method . Other styles of dances like hip hop dance, Modern Ballet and contemporary ballet are based on the techniques used in the typical classical ballet.

In a typical classical ballet, women wear pink or blue tights and a leotard and at time a small wrap skirt, while men typically wear tights and a tight shirt or leotard. During training, both men and women were flats and in due time women begin to wear pointe shoes during performances. Ladies are required to keep their hair off their shoulders by tying them tightly in a bun or other convenient styles. This sort of dressing and hair style is demanded as it gives the dancer better freedom for movement and grace.

Today the form of ballet we see if not the classical ballet but the contemporary ballet or the modern ballet. This form of ballet dance uses certain techniques of the typical ballet, but allows better freedom for movement based on the concepts of modern dance of 20th century like turn-in of the legs as opposed to the turn out of the classical ballet.

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Ballet: Dancers