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48-620: Kurt Jooss (12 January 1901 – 22 May 1979) was a famous German ballet dancer and choreographer mixing classical ballet with theatre; he is also widely regarded as the founder of Tanztheater . Jooss is noted for establishing several dance companies, including most notably, the Folkwang Tanztheater, in Essen . Jooss was born in Wasseralfingen , Germany. From an early age he was interested in singing, drama and visual arts, he also played

96-436: A unitard — a one-piece garment that combines tights and a leotard — to enhance the visibility of artistic lines. All dancers wear soft ballet shoes (sometimes called flats ). Typically, female dancers wear pink or beige shoes and men wear black or white shoes. Leg warmers are sometimes worn during the early part of a class to protect leg muscles until they become warm. Females are usually required to restrain their hair in

144-443: A "standard of physical comportment to be emulated and internalized – an idealized way of behaving." The aim was not to entertain the masses of Russians, but to cultivate new Russian people. Empress Anna (1730–1740) was devoted to ostentatious amusements (balls, fireworks, tableaux), and in the summer of 1734 ordered the appointment of Jean-Baptiste Landé as dancing master in the military academy she had founded in 1731 for sons of

192-402: A bun or some other hair style that exposes the neck that is not a ponytail. The customary attire and hair style are intended to promote freedom of movement and to reveal body form so that the teacher can evaluate dancers' alignment and technique. After warming up, advanced female students may wear pointe shoes whereas advanced male students continue to wear soft shoes. Pointe shoes are worn after

240-435: A dance teacher and a dance musician is vital to the success of a ballet class. Female attire typically includes pink or flesh colored tights , a leotard , and sometimes a short wrap- skirt , or a skirted leotard . Males typically wear black or dark tights, a form-fitting white, or black, shirt or leotard worn under the tights, and a dance belt beneath the outer dancewear to provide support. In some cases, students may wear

288-467: A group of artists and opened a new dance school called "Westfälische Akademie für Bewegung, Sprache und Musik". Jooss and Leeder went to Paris in 1926 to study classical ballet with Russian ballerina Lubov Egorova . In 1927 Jooss and Leeder's work Dance of Death was criticised for being too avant-garde ; this resulted in the theatre of Münster changing personnel and programs. Because of this, many of Jooss's colleagues left. The same year Jooss moved

336-427: A musical improvisation to support the dancers in the exercise. The dancers are affected by the musician's choices, and they integrate both the ballet teacher's steps and the ballet musician's music into their performance. Ultimately, the ballet teacher has little control over the musical portion of their lesson unless they ask the musician to play a specific piece of music. For this reason, the working relationship between

384-516: A ticket. A seating section called a rayok , or 'paradise gallery', consisted of simple wooden benches. This allowed non-wealthy people access to the ballet, because tickets in this section were inexpensive. One author describes the Imperial ballet as "unlike that of any other country in the world ..." The most prestigious of the ballet troupes were those attached to the state-supported theatres. The directors of these companies were personally appointed by

432-483: A unique training system. Some classical ballet training systems employ standardized layouts to define reference locations at the corners, and edges of stages, and dance studio rooms. In the latter case, there is no audience and a mirror typically spans the downstage wall of the room (e.g., points 1-2 of the Cecchetti layout). Russian ballet Russian ballet ( Russian : Русский балет ) ( French : Ballet russe )

480-481: A year of leaving Laban, Jooss took the opportunity to establish his own dance company called, Die Neue Tanzbühne. It was here Jooss met Fritz Cohen , the Jewish composer who worked with Jooss on many of his famous pieces. Jooss and Cohen shared the belief that choreography and musical composition should evolve together to give expression of the dramatic idea in unified style and form. In 1925 Jooss and Sigurd Leeder joined

528-563: Is a form of ballet characteristic of or originating from Russia. Ballet had already dawned in Russia long before start of the 17th century as per the previous publications by certain authors. In this respect Anna Kuchta posits that ballet was first performed in Russia around 1673. While the first recorded ballet performance is believed to be in the 16th century around 1581, the Tsarist control and isolationism in Russia allowed for little influence from

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576-471: Is considered to be one of the greatest choreographers of all time) took Romantic ballet and combined it with different aspects of Russian ballet technique (as Petipa was once a choreographer and ballet master at Mariinsky Ballet ). Elements pulled from these things include the storytelling found in Romantic ballet, and the athleticism of Russian technique. Therefore, a new era of ballet, which later became known as

624-601: Is placed on developing flexibility and strengthening the legs, feet, and body core (the center , or abdominals) as a strong core is essential for turns and many other ballet movements. Dancers also learn to use their spot which teaches them to focus on something while turning so as not to become dizzy and lose their balance. Early ballet training for all dancers involves basic technique and develops strength and flexibility. As they progress, female dancers begin to learn pointe technique and both male and female dancers begin to learn partnering and more advanced jumps and turns. As

672-550: The Ballets Russes were still considered dangerous, even in the theatre of performing art. "The Ballets Russes, at base, became a metaphor for invasion, an eternal force that could engulf and control, could penetrate the membrane of French society, culture and even art itself." The embracing of Russian ballet in the Paris society became a point of contention and French nationalism collided with Russian determination. Questions arose about

720-762: The Netherlands before resettling in England . After touring in Europe and America, Jooss and Leeder opened a school at Dartington Hall in Devon . A piece he choreographed at this time was a light-hearted one (in comparison to The Green Table ) named "Ball in Old Vienna (1932)". In 1934, whilst in England Jooss added new works to his repertoire, including Pandora (1944), contained disturbing images of human disaster and tragedy , which

768-699: The Vaganova method (created by Agrippina Vaganova ) and the Legat Method (by Nikolai Legat ). The Cecchetti method is named after Italian dancer Enrico Cecchetti . Another training system was developed by and named after August Bournonville ; this is taught primarily in Denmark. The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) method was not created by an individual, but by a group of notable ballet professionals. Despite their associations with geographically named ballet styles, many of these training methods are used worldwide. For example,

816-487: The "Westfälische Akademie" to Essen, and it became the Folkwang Schule . Jooss disliked plotless dances and preferred themes that addressed moral issues. Naturalistic movement, large-scale unison and characterisation were used by Jooss to address political concerns of the time. His most important choreographic work, The Green Table (1932), had won first prize at an international competition for new choreography held by

864-519: The 1740s. Sergey Diaghilev , (1872–1929), an enormously important figure in the Russian ballet scene, founded the ballet company Ballets Russes in 1909. Diaghilev intervened in every aspect of ballet – direction, production, lighting, scenery, and performance. He headquartered his ballet company in Paris. A protégé of Diaghilev, George Balanchine , founded the New York City Ballet in 1948. Today,

912-571: The 17th century, as ballet's popularity in France increased, ballet began to gradually transform into a professional art. It was no longer performed by amateurs, but instead ballet performances started to incorporate challenging acrobatic movements that could only be performed by highly skilled street entertainers. In response, the world's first ballet school, the Académie Royale de Danse , was established by King Louis XIV in 1661. The Academie's purpose

960-611: The Archives Internationales de la Danse in Paris in 1932. It was a strong anti-war statement, and was made a year before Adolf Hitler became the chancellor of Germany. The Green Table is considered his most popular piece. In 1933 Jooss was forced to flee Germany when the Nazis asked him to dismiss the Jews from his company and he refused. Jooss and Leeder (and doubtless Fritz Cohen and other members of his original company) took refuge in

1008-495: The Ballets Russes captivated the public and inspired a new generation of dancers and choreographers. Russian ballet's emphasis on technical precision, expressive movement, and dramatic storytelling has become a cornerstone of classical ballet training worldwide. The cross-cultural exchange fostered by Russian ballet has enriched the global dance community, making it a vital contributor to the evolution of ballet as an art form. By

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1056-621: The Bolshoi Theatre was appointed as the Paris Opera’s Maître de ballet in 1903. When Clustine was appointed, more doubts concerning his nationality and its influence on his creativity arose due to many people’s view of Clustine’s appointment as the Paris Opera’s attempt to establish a ballet company following the model of the Russian ballet company. However, Clustine professed pride in his nationality and there are apparent carry-overs of

1104-617: The Kirov Ballet company (now known as the Mariinsky Ballet ) and the Bolshoi company are two world-renowned Russian ballet companies that tour the world. Other Russian ballet companies include: A number of companies have been called, or included in their name, Moscow Ballet . Several methods exist in Russian ballet. The most widely used is the Vaganova method , named after the ballerina and teacher Agrippina Vaganova . Many dancers in

1152-550: The RAD teaching method is used in more than 70 countries. American-style ballet ( Balanchine ) is not taught by means of a standardized, widespread training system. Similarly, French ballet has no standard training system; each of the major French-style ballet schools, such as the Paris Opera Ballet School , Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse , and Académie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace (Monaco) employs

1200-550: The Russian influence in the productions of the Opera post 1909 and a few organisational structures. While the society of Paris fought against the incursion of what was referred to as ‘Russian ballet,’ it is possible to argue that though to a certain extent, the French theater culture embraced some ideas of Russian spirit and many aspects of the so-called ‘Russian ballet. This was not a mere theatrical group that staged ballets, no, Ballets Russes

1248-447: The Russian intention in the Paris theaters under the title "cultural politics" including "the delimitation of boundaries, the preservation of identity and the nature of relational engagements." As early as the 1900s, the Russian ballet had ventured beyond its domestic sphere and enthralled spectators in Paris, an important development. To cement Russian influence in Paris, Ivan Clustine, a Russian dancer, and choreographer originally from

1296-511: The West. It wasn't until the rise of Peter the Great that Russian society opened up to the West. St. Petersburg was erected to embrace the West and compete against Moscow's isolationism. Peter the Great created a new Russia which rivaled the society of the West with magnificent courts and palaces. His vision was to challenge the west. Classical ballet entered the realm of Russia not as entertainment, but as

1344-462: The air. Pointe technique is the part of ballet technique that concerns pointe work , in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet on specially designed and handcrafted pointe shoes . In professional companies, the shoes are made to fit the dancers' feet perfectly. Students typically learn ballet terminology and the pronunciation, meaning, and precise body form and movement associated with each term. Emphasis

1392-409: The author of Dance Theatre. Classical ballet There are stylistic variations related to an area or origin, which are denoted by classifications such as Russian ballet , French ballet , British ballet and Italian ballet . For example, Russian ballet features high extensions and dynamic turns, whereas Italian ballet tends to be more grounded, with a focus on fast, intricate footwork. Many of

1440-428: The backwards Russian troupe, had distinct Russian influence in their theater. "Despite Clustine's protestations, several features of the Opera's post-1909 ballets, along with its institutional conventions and balletic policy, appeared to betray a Russian influence." The stigma of Russian brutality and force was applied even in Paris. While their style was not only being accepted in Paris, but implemented in Paris theaters,

1488-445: The classical era, began. Even though he was responsible for bringing in the classical ballet era, Petipa was also responsible for choreographing well-known romantic ballets such as Giselle . During the classical era, Marius Petipa was largely responsible for creating choreographic structures that are still used in ballets today. For one, Petipa was the first to use the grand pas de deux in his choreography. Additionally, he cemented

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1536-443: The dancers to make subtle physical shifts of expression that a live dance accompanist will watch and match as they play. The live musician in a ballet class plays a crucial role in the creative process. As the ballet teacher sets an exercise - moving, counting, vocalising - the musician observes and imagines the music that will best support the exercise. The musician then plays either an existing piece of musical repertoire or creates

1584-629: The early 1900s, the Russian ballet went beyond its borders and infiltrated Paris. It had become its own force and was distinctly Russian, while still being embraced by the Parisian society. In 1903 Ivan Clustine , a Russian dancer and choreographer who had started his career at the Bolshoi Theatre , was appointed Maître de ballet at the Paris Opera . Clustine's hiring promoted a frenzy of questions about his nationality and choreographic agenda: "His hiring

1632-416: The five positions (first, second, third, fourth and fifth) of ballet, which to this day remain the foundation of all formal classical ballet technique. Before classical ballet developed, ballet was in a period referred to as the Romantic era. Romantic ballet was known for its storytelling, and often held a softer aesthetic. Classical ballet came to be when a ballet master by the name of Marius Petipa (who

1680-410: The general public. The influence of Russian ballet extends far beyond its national borders, significantly shaping global dance culture. With the establishment of prestigious ballet companies such as the Ballets Russes in the early 20th century, Russian ballet introduced innovative choreography and performance techniques to international audiences. This influence was particularly notable in Paris, where

1728-409: The men get stronger, lifts are added to the partnering. Depending on the teacher and training system, students may progress through various stages or levels of training as their skills advance. The traditional ballet masters of the eighteenth century played the violin for their own ballet classes. They also provided their ballet students with instruction in the relationship between the dance steps and

1776-418: The music. By the end of the nineteenth century this had fallen out of fashion, and specialisation in the performing arts meant that the role of the ballet teacher and the ballet musician had become separate professions. By the twentieth century, the violin had given way to the piano as the standard accompaniment for ballet class. When recorded music is substituted for a live musician, there is no opportunity for

1824-457: The nobility. In 1738, he became ballet master and head of the new ballet school, launching the advanced study of ballet in Russia, and winning the patronage of elite families. France provided many leaders such as Charles Didelot in St. Petersburg (1801–1831), Jules Perrot (1848–1859) and Arthur Saint-Léon (1859–1869). In the early 19th century, the theaters were opened up to anyone who could afford

1872-439: The piano and was a keen photographer. He began his career in the 1920s and from 1920 to 1924 studied under and danced lead roles in the choreography of Rudolf von Laban (who was a trained visual artist and developer of dance theory) and the movement named Ausdruckstanz . Jooss used narratives and modern theatre styles to make performable works of Dance Theatre, further developing the work of Laban and his system of notation. Within

1920-569: The student is deemed strong enough in the ankles and can execute the routine to a high standard, usually around or after the age of 12, or after the dancers' feet have stopped developing, so as to protect the dancers' feet from injury common with premature wearing. There are several standardized, widespread, classical ballet training systems , each designed to produce a unique aesthetic quality from its students. Some systems are named after their creators; these are typically called methods or schools . For example, two prevailing systems from Russia are

1968-692: The stylistic variations are associated with specific training methods that have been named after their originators. Despite these variations, the performance and vocabulary of classical ballet are largely consistent throughout the world. Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts and was brought to France by Catherine de' Medici in the 16th century. During ballet's infancy, court ballets were performed by aristocratic amateurs rather than professional dancers. Most of ballet's early movements evolved from social court dances and prominently featured stage patterns rather than formal ballet technique. In

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2016-417: The tsar, and all the dancers were, in a sense, Imperial servants. In the theatre, the men in the audience always remained standing until the tsar entered his box and, out of respect, after the performance, they remained in their places until he had departed. Curtain calls were arranged according to a strict pattern: first, the ballerina bowed to the tsar's box, then to that of the theater director, and finally to

2064-403: The usage of the corps de ballet as a standard part of a ballet. Despite his ushering in of the classical era, these elements can be seen in his romantic ballets as well. Ballet technique is the foundational principles of body movement and form used in ballet. A distinctive feature of ballet technique is turnout ; which is the outward rotation of the legs and feet emanating from the hip. This

2112-458: Was a symbol of cultural and art interchange. Based on these concerns, it becomes evident how, as Russian ballet emerged into the global sphere and as the Russian influence grown stronger in other countries, it elicited debates on issues such as cultural imperialism, assimilation, and performance in the global realm. The first ballet company was the Imperial School of Ballet in St. Petersburg in

2160-421: Was first introduced into ballet by King Louis XIV because he loved to show off the shiny buckles on his shoes when he performed his own dances. There are five fundamental positions of the feet in ballet , all performed with turnout and named numerically as first through fifth positions. When performing jumps and leaps, classical ballet dancers strive to exhibit ballon , the appearance of briefly floating in

2208-820: Was later interpreted by some as foretelling the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan a year later. With his company, the Jooss Ballet went on world tours until his company disintegrated in 1947. Jooss left England in 1949 to return to Essen, Germany. Jooss continued to teach and choreograph for 19 years. One of his students from this period was the choreographer Pina Bausch . He retired in 1968 and died in Heilbronn , West Germany, 11 years later, aged 78, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Kurt Jooss works are still performed today, especially The Green Table . Anna Markard (Jooss' daughter) supervised companies that perform his works until her death, conserving authenticity of

2256-476: Was thought a direct attempt by the Opera to imitate the Russian company; even he thought as much, maintaining, not without despondency, that inspiration too often came from the north: 'A revolution! A method that people often apply in the country of the tsars.' Clustine, although acknowledging his nationality with pride, harbored none of the revolutionary intentions that some thought an inevitable consequence of being Russian." The Parisians, while denying adoption of

2304-576: Was to improve the quality of dance training in France and to invent a technique or curriculum that could be used to transform ballet into a formal discipline. Shortly after the Academie was formed, in 1672, King Louis XIV established a performing company called the Academie Royal de Musique de Dance (today known as Paris Opera), and named Pierre Beauchamp the head dancing-master. While at the Academie Royal, Beauchamp revolutionized ballet technique by inventing

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