56-647: Polyphonia is a one-act ballet choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon to music by György Ligeti , costumes designed by Holly Hynes , and was created for the New York City Ballet . It premiered on January 4, 2001 at the New York State Theater . It is regarded as Wheeldon's breakthrough, and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 2003. Performed by the New York City Ballet , Polyphonia premiered on January 4, 2001 at
112-571: A 'shack scene' which takes place in Chicago's south side. Marie will then be introduced to the enchanted world of sweets and foreign places. On 6 June 2019, Wheeldon's Cinderella in-the-round with English National Ballet was premiered at the Royal Albert Hall with over 90 dancers, and projections which created the fairytale setting. On February 1, 2022, MJ the Musical opened on Broadway. Wheeldon
168-550: A dancer in 2000 in order to focus on his choreography. In 2001, Wheeldon became the New York City Ballet resident choreographer and first resident artist. He was productive in this position, choreographing a number of much lauded works for the troupe, Polyphonia being the first. He quickly developed a reputation as a talented choreographer, and several other eminent ballet companies, such as the San Francisco Ballet ,
224-541: A dancer in Russia. The technique is known for extreme speed throughout routines, emphasis on lines, and deep pliés. Perhaps one of the most well known differences of this style is the unorthodox positioning of the body. Dancers of this style often have flexed hands and even feet, and are placed in off-balance positions. Important ballet studios teaching this method are the Miami City Ballet , Ballet Chicago Studio company, and
280-724: A dancer", and Wheeldon said Whelan "launched me as a choreographer". In 2002, Polyphonia premiered in London, danced by Benjamin Millepied 's group Danses Concertantes which consisted of NYCB dancers, at Sadler's Wells Theatre . In the 2003 Laurence Olivier Awards , the production won Best New Dance Production , and Wheeldon was also nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for choreographing Polyphonia and Tryst . The Royal Ballet , where Wheeldon had also danced, and San Francisco Ballet both debuted Polyphonia in 2003. Wheeldon's own troupe,
336-556: A greater athleticism that departed from the delicacy of ballet. The physicality was more daring, with mood, subject matter and music more intense. An example of this would be Joffrey's Astarte (1967), which featured a rock score and sexual overtones in the choreography. This ballet style is often performed barefoot. Contemporary ballets may include mime and acting , and are usually set to music (typically orchestral but occasionally vocal). It can be difficult to differentiate this form from neoclassical or modern ballet. Contemporary ballet
392-480: A source of aesthetic experience. The plots of many romantic ballets revolved around spirit women (sylphs, wilis, and ghosts) who enslaved the hearts and senses of mortal men. The 1827 ballet La Sylphide is widely considered to be the first, and the 1870 ballet Coppélia is considered to be the last. Famous ballet dancers of the Romantic era include Marie Taglioni , Fanny Elssler , and Jules Perrot . Jules Perrot
448-583: A typical worker. As of 2020, American dancers (including ballet and other dance forms) were paid an average of US$ 19 per hour, with pay somewhat better for teachers than for performers. The job outlook is not strong, and the competition to get a job is intense, with the number of applicants vastly exceeding the number of job openings. Most jobs involve teaching in private dance schools . Choreographers are paid better than dancers. Musicians and singers are paid better per hour than either dancers or choreographers, about US$ 30 per hour; however, full-time work
504-465: A whole. In fact, the French school is now sometimes referred to as Nureyev school. The French method is often characterized by technical precision, fluidity and gracefulness, and elegant, clean lines. For this style, fast footwork is often utilized in order to give the impression that the performers are drifting lightly across the stage. Two important trademarks of this technique are the specific way in which
560-421: Is a Danish method first devised by August Bournonville . Bournonville was heavily influenced by the early French ballet method due to his training with his father, Antoine Bournonville and other important French ballet masters. This method has many style differences that differentiate it from other ballet methods taught today. A key component is the use of diagonal épaulements, with the upper body turning towards
616-527: Is a French word which had its origin in Italian balletto , a diminutive of ballo (dance) which comes from Latin ballo , ballare , meaning "to dance", which in turn comes from the Greek "βαλλίζω" ( ballizo ), "to dance, to jump about". The word came into English usage from the French around 1630. In French, the word refers to a ballet performance, a ballet work, and possibly to the dance genre itself, although
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#1732902137136672-493: Is a ballet technique and training system that was founded by a diverse group of ballet dancers. They merged their respective dance methods (Italian, French, Danish and Russian) to create a new style of ballet that is unique to the organization and is recognized internationally as the English style of ballet. Some examples of classical ballet productions are: Swan Lake , The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker . Romantic ballet
728-476: Is a classic reference. This method is marked by the fusion of the classical French style, specifically elements from the Romantic era, with the athleticism of the Italian method, and the soulful passion of Russian ballet. She developed an extremely precise method of instruction in her book Basic Principles of Russian Classical dance (1948). This includes outlining when to teach technical components to students in their ballet careers, for how long to focus on it, and
784-409: Is a seminal work for the choreographer. Set to César Franck 's score of the same title, it is a pure-dance interpretation of the score. Another form, Modern Ballet , also emerged as an offshoot of neoclassicism. Among the innovators in this form were Glen Tetley , Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino . While difficult to parse modern ballet from neoclassicism, the work of these choreographers favored
840-474: Is also close to contemporary dance because many contemporary ballet concepts come from the ideas and innovations of twentieth-century modern dance, including floor work and turn-in of the legs. The main distinction is that ballet technique is essential to perform a contemporary ballet. George Balanchine is considered to have been a pioneer of contemporary ballet. Another early contemporary ballet choreographer, Twyla Tharp , choreographed Push Comes To Shove for
896-444: Is also known for his choreography, especially that of Giselle , often considered to be the most widely celebrated romantic ballet. Neoclassical ballet is usually abstract, with no clear plot, costumes or scenery. Music choice can be diverse and will often include music that is also neoclassical (e.g. Stravinsky , Roussel ). Tim Scholl, author of From Petipa to Balanchine , considers George Balanchine 's Apollo in 1928 to be
952-464: Is set to György Ligeti 's music, including: In 2020, in response to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the performing arts , the New York City Ballet will extracts from a performance filmed earlier that year online, including a pas de deux between Lauren Lovette and Andrew Veyette, and another section with Lovette, Veyette, Megan Fairchild , Alston Macgill, Sara Mearns , Jovani Furlan , Roman Mejia and Silas Farley . Apart from Mearns, all
1008-459: Is that basic ballet technique must be taught at a slow pace, with difficulty progression often much slower than the rest of the methods. The idea behind this is if a student is to put in a large amount of effort into perfecting the basic steps, the technique learned in these steps allow a student to utilize harder ones at a much easier rate. Developed by George Balanchine at the New York City Ballet . His method draws heavily on his own training as
1064-487: Is the basis of all ballet training. When Louis XIV created the Académie Royale de Danse in 1661, he helped to create the codified technique still used today by those in the profession, regardless of what method of training they adhere to. The French school was particularly revitalized under Rudolf Nureyev , in the 1980s. His influence revitalized and renewed appreciation for this style, and has drastically shaped ballet as
1120-411: Is the emphasis of balance, elevations, ballon , poise, and strength. This method espouses the importance of recognizing that all parts of the body move together to create beautiful, graceful lines, and as such cautions against thinking of ballet in terms of the arms, legs, and neck and torso as separate parts. This method is well known for eight port de bras that are utilized. The Bournonville method
1176-578: Is unusual for musicians. Teenage girl ballet dancers are prone to stress fractures in the first rib . Posterior ankle impingement syndrome (PAIS) most commonly affects people who perform repetitive plantar flexion , such as ballet dancers. Eating disorders are thought to be common, and a 2014 meta-analysis suggests that studies do indicate that ballet dancers are at higher risk than the general population for several kinds of eating disorders. In addition, some researchers have noted that intensive training in ballet results in lower bone mineral density in
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#17329021371361232-710: The American Ballet Theatre in 1976, and in 1986 created In The Upper Room for her own company. Both of these pieces were considered innovative for their melding of distinctly modern movements with the use of pointe shoes and classically trained dancers. Today there are many contemporary ballet companies and choreographers. These include Alonzo King and his company LINES Ballet ; Matthew Bourne and his company New Adventures ; Complexions Contemporary Ballet ; Nacho Duato and his Compañia Nacional de Danza ; William Forsythe and The Forsythe Company ; and Jiří Kylián of
1288-787: The Bolshoi Ballet , and the Royal Ballet, London have commissioned dances from him. As of May 2003, Wheeldon had composed at least 23 works. In November 2006, Wheeldon announced the formation of Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company , a transatlantic company with a US base at New York City Center and in the UK at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London. In its first season, the company performed in Vail , London and New York. Wheeldon completed his tenure as Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet in February 2008. In 2009,
1344-489: The City Parks Foundation commissioned Wheeldon and contemporary singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright to create a new work. The piece, entitled "Tears of St. Lawrence," premiered at Central Park SummerStage on 14 and 15 August. The fifteen-minute ballet, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon and Edwaard Liang, featured twelve dancers accompanied by live music and song by Wainwright, who sang while intermingling with
1400-1066: The French School , the Vaganova Method , the Cecchetti Method , the Bournonville method , the Royal Academy of Dance method (English style), and the Balanchine method (American style). Many more schools of technique exist in various countries. Although preschool-age children are a lucrative source of income for a ballet studio, ballet instruction is generally not appropriate for young children. Initial instruction requires standing still and concentrating on posture, rather than dancing. Because of this, many ballet programs have historically not accepted students until approximately age 8. Creative movement and non-demanding pre-ballet classes are recommended as alternatives for children. The French method
1456-643: The Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company , had also danced Polyphonia , with a cast consisted of NYCB dancers, except 15-year-old Beatriz Stix-Brunell , later a Royal Ballet first soloist. In 2015, Polyphonia became Wheeldon's first work performed by the Paris Opera Ballet , as part of a mixed bill honoring the 90th birthday of Pierre Boulez , a conductor and composer who knew Ligeti. Other companies that had danced it include Boston Ballet , The Washington Ballet and Miami City Ballet . Polyphonia
1512-1042: The Nederlands Dans Theater . Traditionally "classical" companies, such as the Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet, also regularly perform contemporary works. The term ballet has evolved to include all forms associated with it. Someone training as a ballet dancer will now be expected to perform neoclassical, modern and contemporary work. A ballet dancer is expected to be able to be stately and regal for classical work, free and lyrical in neoclassical work, and unassuming, harsh or pedestrian for modern and contemporary work. In addition, there are several modern varieties of dance that fuse classical ballet technique with contemporary dance, such as Hiplet , that require dancers to be practised in non-Western dance styles. There are six widely used, internationally recognized methods to teach or study ballet. These methods are
1568-466: The New York State Theater . It was the first premiere of the company's winter season. Polyphonia is the first ballet Wheeldon created after he became artist-in-residence with the New York City Ballet and retired from dancing. It is plotless. Wheeldon described it as "romantic with comic twists", and said it was inspired by Norman Morrice 's works, though reviewers have noted it also includes homage to Frederick Ashton and George Balanchine , especially
1624-722: The School of American Ballet in New York. Ballet costumes play an important role in the ballet community. They are often the only survival of a production, representing a living imaginary picture of the scene. The roots of ballet go back to the Renaissance in France and Italy when court wear was the beginning of ballet costumes. Ballet costumes have been around since the early 15th century. Cotton and silk were mixed with flax, woven into semitransparent gauze to create exquisite ballet costumes. During
1680-443: The proscenium arch from 1618 on distanced performers from audience members, who could then better view and appreciate the technical feats of the professional dancers in the productions. French court ballet reached its height under the reign of King Louis XIV . Louis founded the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy) in 1661 to establish standards and certify dance instructors. In 1672, Louis XIV made Jean-Baptiste Lully
1736-662: The "Forty Under 40" list. Christopher Wheeldon was appointed Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet in 2012. In 2011, Wheeldon premiered a full-length ballet Alice's Adventures in Wonderland at the Royal Ballet , Covent Garden . This was the first full-length ballet created at the Royal Ballet for over 20 years, and was jointly commissioned with the National Ballet of Canada . The ballet had its world premiere on 28 February 2011 (with Royal Ballet principal Lauren Cuthbertson in
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1792-479: The 17th century, different types of fabrics and designs were used to make costumes more spectacular and eye catching. Court dress still remained for women during this century. Silks, satins and fabrics embroidered with real gold and precious stones increased the level of spectacular decoration associated with ballet costumes. Women's costumes also consisted of heavy garments and knee-long skirts which made it difficult for them to create much movement and gesture. During
1848-420: The 18th century, stage costumes were still very similar to court wear but progressed over time, mostly due to the French dancer and ballet-master Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810) whose proposals to modernize ballet are contained in his revolutionary Lettres sur la danse et les ballets (1760). Noverre's book altered the emphasis in a production away from the costumes towards the physical movements and emotions of
1904-467: The ages of 11 and 18. In 1991, Wheeldon joined the Royal Ballet, London ; and in that same year, he won the gold medal at the Prix de Lausanne competition. In 1993, at the age of 19, Wheeldon moved to New York City to join the New York City Ballet . Wheeldon was named Soloist in 1998. Wheeldon began choreographing for the New York City Ballet in 1997, while continuing his career as a dancer. He retired as
1960-406: The body as a whole. Developed by Enrico Cecchetti (1850–1928), this method is one known internationally for its intense reliance of the understanding of anatomy as it relates to classical ballet. The goal of this method is to instill important characteristics for the performance of ballet into students so that they do not need to rely on imitations of teachers. Important components for this method
2016-539: The curves on a ballerina. Jewels and bedazzled costumes became much more popular. During the 20th century, ballet costumes transitioned back to the influence of Russian ballet. Ballerina skirts became knee-length tutus, later on in order to show off their precise pointe work. Colors used on stage costumes also became much more vibrant. Designers used colors such as red, orange, yellow, etc. to create visual expression when ballet dancers perform on stage. Professional dancers are generally not well paid, and earn less money than
2072-523: The dancers were making their debut when the performance was filmed. Christopher Wheeldon Christopher Peter Wheeldon OBE (born 22 March 1973) is an English international choreographer of contemporary ballet . Born in Yeovil , Somerset , to an engineer and a physical therapist, Wheeldon began training to be a ballet dancer at the age of 8. He attended the Royal Ballet School between
2128-603: The dancers. European ballet was centered in the Paris Opera . During this era, skirts were raised a few inches off the ground. Flowers, flounces, ribbons, and lace emphasized this opulent feminine style, as soft pastel tones in citron, peach, pink, and pistachio dominated the color range. During the early 19th century, close-fitting body costumes, floral crowns, corsages, and jewels were used. Ideals of Romanticism were reflected through female movements. Costumes became much tighter as corsets started to come into use, to show off
2184-464: The dancers. In February, 2010, resigned from Morphoses, which will continue to produce ballets without his name. An Emmy award-winning fly-on-the-wall television documentary Strictly Bolshoi followed Wheeldon as he became the first Englishman to be invited to create a new work for the Bolshoi Ballet . In the June/July 2009 issue of The Advocate , Wheeldon was featured on a list of artists who made
2240-479: The director of the Académie Royale de Musique ( Paris Opera ) from which the first professional ballet company , the Paris Opera Ballet , arose. Pierre Beauchamp served as Lully's ballet-master . Together their partnership would drastically influence the development of ballet, as evidenced by the credit given to them for the creation of the five major positions of the feet. By 1681, the first "ballerinas" took
2296-699: The expression danse classique also exists for the latter meaning, is less equivocal and is more commonly used when referring to the learning of this dance. Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Under Catherine de' Medici 's influence as Queen, it spread to France, where it developed even further. The dancers in these early court ballets were mostly noble amateurs. Ornamented costumes were meant to impress viewers, but they restricted performers' freedom of movement. The ballets were performed in large chambers with viewers on three sides. The implementation of
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2352-542: The first neoclassical ballet. Apollo represented a return to form in response to Sergei Diaghilev 's abstract ballets. Balanchine worked with modern dance choreographer Martha Graham , and brought modern dancers into his company such as Paul Taylor , who in 1959 performed in Balanchine's Episodes . While Balanchine is widely considered the face of neoclassical ballet, there were others who made significant contributions. Frederick Ashton 's Symphonic Variations (1946)
2408-615: The foundational techniques which are used in many other dance genres and cultures. Various schools around the world have incorporated their own cultures. As a result, ballet has evolved in distinct ways. A ballet as a unified work comprises the choreography and music for a ballet production. Ballets are choreographed and performed by trained ballet dancers . Traditional classical ballets are usually performed with classical music accompaniment and use elaborate costumes and staging, whereas modern ballets are often performed in simple costumes and without elaborate sets or scenery. Ballet
2464-483: The latter's "leotard ballets". The title is a reference to micropolyphony , a kind of polyphonic musical texture developed by György Ligeti , whose music is used in this ballet. The cast includes four men and four women, including Wendy Whelan , who went on to create 12 more roles for Wheeldon, and became his most frequent collaborator until she retired from NYCB in 2014. She later credited working with Wheeldon on Polyphonia for helping her "began to find herself as
2520-546: The lead role) and featured a brand new score by Joby Talbot . In 2014, Wheeldon premiered another full-length ballet, The Winter's Tale for the Royal Ballet , Covent Garden , again a co-commission with the National Ballet of Canada , based on the Shakespeare play of the same name. It, too, featured a score by Joby Talbot and has been given generally good reviews – 'a ballet to keep' says The Daily Telegraph , and 'a spectacular full-length narrative work that will stand
2576-485: The most widely known and performed ballet style is late Romantic ballet (or Ballet blanc ). Classical ballet is based on traditional ballet technique and vocabulary . Different styles have emerged in different countries, such as French ballet , Italian ballet , English ballet , and Russian ballet . Several of the classical ballet styles are associated with specific training methods, typically named after their creators (see below). The Royal Academy of Dance method
2632-611: The port de bras and the épaulement are performed, more rounded than when dancing in a Russian style, but not as rounded as the Danish style. The Vaganova method is a style of ballet training that emerged from Russian ballet , created by Agrippina Vaganova . After retiring from dance in 1916, Vaganova turned to teaching at the Leningrad Choreographic School in 1921. Her training method is now internationally recognized and her book, The Fundamentals of Classical Dance (1934),
2688-427: The right amount of focus at each stage of the student's career. These textbooks continue to be extremely important to the instruction of ballet today. The method emphasizes development of strength, flexibility, and endurance for the proper performance of ballet. She espoused the belief that equal importance should be placed on the arms and legs while performing ballet, as this will bring harmony and greater expression to
2744-684: The stage following years of training at the Académie. Ballet started to decline in France after 1830, but it continued to develop in Denmark, Italy, and Russia. The arrival in Europe of the Ballets Russes led by Sergei Diaghilev on the eve of the First World War revived interest in the ballet and started the modern era. In the twentieth century, ballet had a wide influence on other dance genres, Also in
2800-595: The test of time' says The Toronto Star . Wheeldon was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for "services to promoting the interests and reputation of British classical and theatrical dance worldwide". In December 2016, Wheeldon's Nutcracker was premiered by the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. Instead of the traditional upper-class party scene, Wheeldon has opted for
2856-861: The twentieth century, ballet took a turn dividing it from classical ballet to the introduction of modern dance , leading to modernist movements in several countries. Famous dancers of the twentieth century include Anna Pavlova , Galina Ulanova , Rudolf Nureyev , Maya Plisetskaya , Margot Fonteyn , Rosella Hightower , Maria Tall Chief , Erik Bruhn , Mikhail Baryshnikov , Suzanne Farrell , Gelsey Kirkland , Natalia Makarova , Arthur Mitchell , and Jeanne Devereaux . Stylistic variations and subgenres have evolved over time. Early, classical variations are primarily associated with geographic origin. Examples of this are Russian ballet , French ballet , and Italian ballet . Later variations, such as contemporary ballet and neoclassical ballet, incorporate both classical ballet and non-traditional technique and movement. Perhaps
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#17329021371362912-418: The working foot typically. This method also incorporates very basic use of arms, pirouettes from a low développé position into seconde, and use of fifth position bras en bas for the beginning and end of movements. The Bournonville method produces dancers who have beautiful ballon ("the illusion of imponderable lightness" ). The Royal Academy of Dance method , also referred to as the English style of ballet,
2968-479: Was an artistic movement of classical ballet and several productions remain in the classical repertoire today. The Romantic era was marked by the emergence of pointe work, the dominance of female dancers, and longer, flowy tutus that attempt to exemplify softness and a delicate aura. This movement occurred during the early to mid-nineteenth century (the Romantic era ) and featured themes that emphasized intense emotion as
3024-444: Was captured in a Vimeo video by Daniel Robinson. Ballet Ballet ( French: [balɛ] ) is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary . Ballet has been influential globally and has defined
3080-486: Was established in 1920 by Genee, Karsavina, Bedells, E Espinosa, and Richardson. The goal of this method is to promote academic training in classical ballet throughout Great Britain. This style also spread to the United States, and is widely utilized still today. There are specific grade levels which a student must move through in order to complete training in this method. The key principle behind this method of instruction
3136-496: Was nominated for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Choreography at the Tony Awards , winning the latter. In 2023, he was a jury member at Prix de Lausanne ballet competitions. In 2024 Wheeldon created a new full-length ballet on commission for The Australian Ballet , Oscar , based on the life of Oscar Wilde . Wheeldon married yoga instructor Ross Rayburn in 2013. The ceremony took place on Fire Island , NY and
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