type of performing arts. The specificity of ballet is the transmission of content through dance, in musical and choreographic images. As a rule, music is composed by composers specifically for a given ballet based on literary script(libretto).

European ballet, whose homeland is Italy, began to take shape during the Renaissance. It was finally formed in the 18th century.

In Russia, ballet performances have become regular since the 30s of the 18th century. Mastering the experience of foreign choreographers and studying the folk culture of dance, Russian artists gradually created an original style of performance, an original school of dance, which finally took shape in the second half of the 19th century. The pinnacle of this art of the 19th century was the work of Russian choreographers M. Petipa and L. Ivanov, who created the style of academic ballet (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty).

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BALLET

French-ballet, from Late Latin. ballo-dancing) is a type of musical theater. The specificity of B. is the transfer of content through dance, in musical and choreographic images (Choreography). B. - synthetic art: its content, along with dance, is determined by the script, music and theatrical means of expression (design, direction, acting); sometimes it may include vocals - both as independent numbers and as additional or sole musical accompaniment. As a result of interaction with cinema, a new genre is currently being born - film ballet. The nature of B. is twofold: on the one hand, it gravitates towards music and corresponding techniques of expressiveness, on the other, it develops as a theatrical art. The history of B. knows periods when k.-l. of the two principles became the leading one, determining the originality of the performances created at that time and their genre: from dance symphony to choreodrama. As a rule, music is composed by a composer specifically for a given music based on a literary script, or less often - selected from finished works. In the traditional European way. culture of Belarus, along with classical and folk-characteristic dance, pantomime can be used. In the 20th century The material for creating choreographic images is also “free dance”, “modern” dance, other types of dance or their elements in combination with classical dance. Europe B., whose homeland is Italy, began to take shape during the Renaissance. Later it appeared in England, Austria, France. It was finally formed in the 18th century. In Russia, ballet performances have become regular since the 30s. XVIII century Mastering the experience of foreign choreographers, studying folk choreographic culture, Russian. Dance masters gradually created an original style of performance, Russian. national dance school, which finally took shape in the second half of the 19th century. The pinnacle of 19th century ballet theater. Russian creativity became choreographers M. I. Petipa and L. I. Ivanov, who created the style of academic ballet (“Swan Lake”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Raymonda”, “The Nutcracker”). Complex symphonic forms of classical dance appeared, and B. met with the music of symphonic composers P. I. Tchaikovsky and A. K. Glazunov. By the beginning of the 20th century. B. entered the treasury of national Russian. culture, while the ballet theater in the West fell into decay and degenerated into an entertaining spectacle. Foreign tours Russian. B. at that time (the Parisian seasons of S. P. Diaghilev) were, in essence, the rediscovery of this type of art for Western viewers, and gave impetus to the revival of B. in plural countries. Soviet B. inherited all the best from the Russians. B., developed his achievements, proposed new ideological and aesthetic principles. Based on Russian B. gave birth to national ballets of the union republics, together with them forming the multinational Soviet ballet art.

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Ballet (from the Latin ballo - I dance) is a type of stage art, the content of which is revealed in dance and musical images. It harmoniously combines music, choreography, painting, and performing arts. The main means of expression in ballet are dance and pantomime. Origins various types stage dance (classical, characteristic, grotesque) belong to folk dance. Choreographic performances, like dramatic ones, can be divided into tragedies, comedies, and melodramas. They can be multi-act or one-act, plot or plotless, and can be a choreographic miniature or a concert composition.

Since its appearance in Europe in the 16th century. ballet constantly attracted the attention of outstanding figures of theatrical art. Thus, the French comedian of the 17th century. J. B. Moliere introduced ballet scenes into his plays, which he called comedies-ballets.

The dances in the comedies-ballets of Molière and in the operas-ballets of J.B. Lully were choreographed by Pierre Beauchamp (1636 - ca. 1719). In 1661 he headed the Royal Academy of Dance in Paris. Beauchamp established five basic positions of classical dance (starting positions of the legs), on which the technique of classical dance is based.

In the beginning, ballet performances included dance and mime along with vocal performances and literary text.

In the 18th century the development of ballet as independent type art contributed to the activities of many choreographers and performers in various countries. The French ballerina Marie Salleu (1707-1756) replaced the dancer's heavy, bulky clothes with a light dress that did not restrict movement. Her contemporary, the English dancer and choreographer John Weaver (1673-1760), first began staging plot-based ballets and abandoned singing and recitation. The Austrian choreographer Franz Hilferding (1710-1768) introduced authentic pictures into his productions folk life, real characters, through the means of ballet, truthfully revealing their experiences and the meaning of their actions. French dancers Louis Dupre (1697-1774) and Marie Camargo (1710-1770) improved the dance technique. Marie Camargo achieved greater freedom of movement by shortening her skirt and ditching the heels.

The French choreographer Jean Georges Nover (1727-1810) made a great contribution to the development of ballet. In his ballets “Psyche and Cupid”, “The Death of Hercules”, “Medea and Jason”, “Iphigenia in Tauris” and others, he acted as an innovative director. He created performances that were distinguished by the logic of dramatic development. The basis of his productions was expressive dance pantomime. He attached great importance to music, believing that it “should represent a kind of program that establishes and predetermines the movements and play of each dancer.” Nover advocated the naturalness of feelings and the truthfulness of the characters in the ballet, and abandoned the traditional masks that covered the faces of the actors. He theoretically substantiated his innovative experience as a director in the book “Letters on Dance and Ballets” (1759), relying on the aesthetics of the encyclopedist philosophers of the Enlightenment.

Nover's students and followers were many talented choreographers, including Jean Dauberval (1742-1806), author of the now popular ballet “Vain Precaution”; Charles Louis Didelot (1767-1837), for a long time who worked in Russia and contributed to the promotion of Russian ballet to one of the first places in Europe.

In the 19th century The ballet theater has experienced both inspired creative upswings and dramatic decline. In 1832, the Italian choreographer Filippo Taglioni (1777-1871) staged the ballet La Sylphide (music by J. Schneizhoffer), which marked the beginning of the era of romanticism in choreographic art. The plots of romantic performances told about how, in his eternal desire for beauty and high spiritual values, a person comes into conflict with the reality around him and only in the illusory world of dreams can he find an ideal and find happiness. Taglioni, developing the lyrical direction of the art of romanticism, inserted into the dramatic fabric of the ballet extensive dance dialogues of the characters, in which their feelings and relationships were revealed. In his performances, the corps de ballet developed and complemented the solo part of the main character, played by his daughter Maria Taglioni (1804-1884). The inspired art of this talented ballerina has gone down in the history of ballet. She was the first to introduce dancing on pointe shoes (on the tips of the fingers), which enhanced the expressiveness of ballet art.

The work of the French choreographer Jules Joseph Perrault (1810-1892) personified another direction of ballet romanticism - dramatic. His heroes fought hard to defend their right to love, freedom, and happiness. Perrault usually staged his performances based on the plots of famous literary works - V. Hugo, G. Heine, J. V. Goethe. He carefully developed pantomime episodes, organically linking them with dance, and strove to make crowd scenes lively and emotional. Perrault's ballets "Giselle" (music by A. Adam, staged together with choreographer Jean Coralli, (1779-1854) and "Esmeralda" (music by C. Pugni) still adorn the repertoire of many ballet troupes. The first performer of Giselle was Carlotta Grisi (1819 -1899).

The art of the outstanding Austrian ballerina Fanny Elsler (1810-1884) is associated with romantic ballet.

An important role in the development of romantic ballet was played by the work of the Danish choreographer August Bournonville (1805-1879), who staged more than 50 performances with the Royal Ballet in Copenhagen.

Since the middle of the 19th century. crisis phenomena are discovered in Western European ballet art. The bourgeoisie is entering the arena of socio-political life in Western European countries. Her tastes become decisive in art. And romantic ballets with their deep content are being replaced by pompous, meaningless spectacles. Ballet troupes disintegrate, and a protracted period of decline ensues. The revival of ballet art is associated with performances in Western Europe Russian artists - Anna Pavlova, Mikhail Fokin, Tamara Karsavina, Vaslav Nijinsky, Serge Lifar and others. These performances, which had great success and were called the Russian Seasons, were organized starting in 1907 by theater figure S. P. Diaghilev. Diaghilev's Russian Ballet gave rise to new ballet companies that updated the traditional forms of classical dance.

In the 20th century ballet is successfully developing in many countries around the world. Outstanding ballet masters in the West are Ninette de Valois, Frederick Ashton, Margot Fonteyn (Great Britain), Roland Petit, Maurice Bejart, Yvette Chauvireux (France), Agnes de Mille, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Robert Joffrey (USA) and many others.

Socialist countries make their contribution to the development of ballet (see Theater of the Socialist Commonwealth Countries). Thus, the art of the ballet troupe of the talented dancer and choreographer Alicia Alonso, which was created in Cuba in 1948, is well known. In 1959, this troupe received the name of the National Ballet of Cuba.

In Russia, the development of ballet art went its own way. The first Russian choreographer was Ivan Ivanovich Walberkh (Lesogorov) (1766-1819), whose work covered both literary themes and events of modern life, in particular the Patriotic War of 1812. Thanks to Walberkh, a distinctive type of national performance was established on the Russian stage - divertissement, depicting paintings people's life.

The development of Russian ballet was facilitated by the work of Charles Louis Didelot. Among his students are choreographer Adam Glushkovsky (1793-1870), ballerinas Avdotya Istomina (1799-1848) and Ekaterina Teleshova (1807-1857), sung by A. S. Pushkin and A. S. Griboyedov. Didelot enriched the repertoire of the Russian ballet theater with performances in which he denounced tyranny and revealed high moral qualities ordinary people. He laid the foundation for the ballet Pushkiniana, staging the play “The Prisoner of the Caucasus, or the Shadow of the Bride” (based on Pushkin’s poem) in 1823.

A prominent representative of Russian romantic ballet was the ballerina Ekaterina Sankovskaya (1816-1878), whose art was highly appreciated by V. G. Belinsky and A. I. Herzen.

The Russian Ballet Theater creatively reworked the discoveries of Western ballet and staged productions in accordance with national traditions. Thus, on the Russian stage, the sentimental story of Giselle turned into a poem about a high, selfless feeling that conquers evil, darkness, and death. And this was a considerable merit of the first performer of the role of Giselle in the Russian theater, Elena Andreyanova (1819-1857).

Marius Petipa, who came to Russia in 1847, staged over 60 ballets on the St. Petersburg stage. In his productions of the ballets L. Minkus “Don Quixote”, P. I. Tchaikovsky “Sleeping Beauty” and “Swan Lake” (staged together with L. I. Ivanov), A. K. Glazunov “Raymonda” and others, the most fully revealed the unique style of the Russian school of classical dance, which is characterized by the embodiment of the content of a ballet performance in perfect academic forms. Talented Russian dancers performed in Petipa's performances - Elena Andreyanova, Pavel Gerdt, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Nikolai and Sergei Legaty, Olga Preobrazhenskaya, Anna Pavlova, Mikhail Fokin...

At the same time as M. Petipa at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater (now the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov), the wonderful choreographer Lev Ivanovich Ivanov (1834-1901) worked on ballet productions. Among his works are Polovtsian dances in A. P. Borodin’s opera “Prince Igor”, P. I. Tchaikovsky’s ballets “The Nutcracker” and “Swan Lake” (together with M. I. Petipa), and each of them testifies to a deep understanding master of choreography of musical dramaturgy of works, about his desire to express the content of the performance in perfect plastic images.

End of the 19th century - this is the time of P. I. Tchaikovsky’s innovative reforms in ballet music, supported and subsequently developed by other composers - A. K. Glazunov, I. F. Stravinsky, S. S. Prokofiev. Tchaikovsky believed that a ballet performance should be structured in accordance with the laws of musical dramaturgy, express the most complex emotions and experiences of the human soul, and affirm the sublimity and poetry of feelings.

At the beginning of the 20th century, when Western ballet theater was going through a period of crisis, in Russia, on the contrary, the art of ballet was experiencing a creative upsurge. Ballet troupes of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theaters operate successfully in St. Petersburg and Moscow. In St. Petersburg at the Mariinsky Theater, dancer and choreographer Mikhail Mikhailovich Fokin (1880-1942) conducts a creative search in the genre of one-act ballet in two directions: he develops the principles of staging a ballet based on symphonic music (“Chopiniana” to the music of F. Chopin) and at the same time develops a form like this the so-called plot ballet-play with a reliable interpretation of events, depiction of the feelings and characters of the characters, their relationships (“Egyptian Nights” by A. S. Arensky, “Petrushka” by I. F. Stravinsky, etc.). In Moscow, at the Bolshoi Theater, Alexander Alekseevich Gorsky (1871-1924) staged his productions. This was the time of the formation of the Moscow Art Theater, led by K. S. Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko. The search for innovators in theatrical art captivated and captured the young Gorsky. And in his performances “Don Quixote” by Minkus, “Salambo” by Arends and others, he sought to implement the principles of outstanding theater masters on the ballet stage. Gorsky's productions were distinguished by historical accuracy, accuracy of dramatic development, and carefully developed characteristics of the characters.

Such wonderful artists as Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Vaslav Nijinsky performed in Fokine’s ballet performances; in Gorsky’s productions - Ekaterina Geltser, Mikhail Mordkin, Vasily Tikhomirov and others.

After the Great October Socialist Revolution, a bright and original phenomenon emerged in Soviet art - a multinational ballet theater. It developed based on the Russian school of classical dance. With the help of talented masters from Moscow and Leningrad, comprehending the achievements of the Russian ballet school, mastering its repertoire, figures of national choreographic scenes built on this basis the original building of their theater, creatively using national characteristics and art traditions. Since the 20s. Professional choreographic troupes are being formed throughout the Soviet country. National ballet theaters mutually enriched each other's creative experience, including the experience of Russian ballet. The ballets of K. F. Dankevich, A. M. Balanchivadze, K. A. Karaev, A. P. Skulte, S. A. Balasanyan, F. Z. Yarullin and other national composers gained wide popularity.

Among the outstanding Soviet choreographers who contributed to the formation Soviet ballet, - Fedor Vasilyevich Lopukhov (1886-1973) and Kasyan Yaroslavich Goleizovsky (1892-1970).

Soviet ballet art is distinguished by the depth and ambiguity of the thematic content of performances. Developing and enriching the traditions of Russian dance art, Soviet masters turn primarily to the works of classical and modern literature - Lope de Vega, Shakespeare, Balzac, Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Chekhov, Kuprin, Green, Bulgakov, Aitmatov.. The large-scale ideological, philosophical and moral problems posed in the best works of world literature are sought to be realized by Soviet ballet artists on stage through the means of their art. For example, composer B.V. Asafiev and choreographer R.V. Zakharov in the ballet “Bakhchisarai Fountain” emphasized main idea Pushkin’s poem of the same name, at one time formulated by V. G. Belinsky: “rebirth” of a wild soul through a high feeling of love.” Rostislav Vladimirovich Zakharov (1907-1984) set out to make the art of dance a means of expressing the deep thoughts and feelings inherent in Pushkin’s work in staging the ballet.

Great interest in showing the inner life of a person is one of the important distinctive properties of the Soviet ballet theater. And regardless of what genre the performance belonged to - folk historical ballet-novel (“The Flames of Paris”, composer B.V. Asafiev, choreographer V.I. Vainonen), heroic tragedy (“Laurencia”, A.A. Crane and V. M. Chabukiani), philosophical and psychological drama (“Romeo and Juliet”, S. S. Prokofiev and L. M. Lavrovsky), choreographic comedy (“The Young Lady-Peasant”, B. V. Asafiev and R. V. Zakharov; “Mirandolina”, S. N. Vasilenko and V. I. Vainonen), ballet-skaz, ballet-legend (“Stone Flower”, S. S. Prokofiev and Yu. N. Grigorovich; “Icarus”, S. M. Slonimsky and V. V. Vasiliev), its authors always solved the main task - to most fully present to the viewer a person in all the richness of his thoughts and feelings, to show through the means of plastic imagery the path of development of his character, his acquisition of high moral principles.

This approach to depicting the hero of a choreographic performance began with the first Soviet ballet, “The Red Poppy” by R. M. Gliere, staged at the Bolshoi Theater in 1927, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution. Ekaterina Vasilievna Geltser (1876-1962) created on the ballet stage the image of a modern heroine - the Chinese dancer Tao Hoa, subtly conveying her spiritual revival under the influence of the ideas of October. These ideas were personified in the ballet by the sailors of the Soviet ship, whose generalized heroic-pathetic image is embodied in the large-scale folk element of the dance “Apple.” Thus, in “The Red Poppy” another feature of Soviet ballet was defined - the interpretation of the heroic theme as one of the most important. This theme was subsequently developed and enriched in such works as the already named “Flames of Paris”, “Laurencia”, etc. A carefully designed director’s score for both crowd scenes and solo parts with their psychologism made it possible for both the corps de ballet dancers and the corps de ballet dancers to interestingly reveal their creative individuality. performers of leading parts.

At the end of the 60s. work on the heroic theme received a new impetus thanks to the innovative production by Yuri Nikolaevich Grigorovich (b. 1927) of A. I. Khachaturian’s ballet “Spartacus” at the Bolshoi Theater. The choreographer’s ambiguous and deep understanding of the figurative essence of classical dance helped him create a grandiose stage canvas, where the events of ancient history were philosophically interpreted from the perspective of today’s reality, in the complex interweaving of human relationships, actions, passions, strong, significant characters were revealed, and in their clashes and conflicts a circle was revealed important ideological and moral problems for our time.

The enrichment of the ballet theater with modern intonations, an in-depth portrayal of characters are inherent in all the works of Yu. N. Grigorovich - productions of classical ballets by P. I. Tchaikovsky and A. K. Glazunov and modern ballet performances (“Romeo and Juliet”, “The Stone Flower” by S. S. . Prokofiev, “The Legend of Love” by A. D. Melikov, “Angara” by A. Ya. Eshpai, “The Golden Age” to the music of D. D. Shostakovich).

Modern intonations are characteristic of the productions of Soviet ballets (“The Inspector General,” “The Knight in the Skin of the Tiger,” “Battleship Potemkin”), performed by O. M. Vinogradov, chief choreographer of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov. Interesting ballet works are born on the stages of other cities in our country.

The remarkable skill of Soviet ballet dancers is known throughout the world.

Ballerina Marina Semenova showed the possibilities of classical dance in all its fullness and brilliance. She created the images of proud, rebellious heroines in the ballets “Swan Lake” by P. I. Tchaikovsky, “Raymond” by A. K. Glazunov, “Flames of Paris” by B. V. Asafiev.

The unique art of Galina Ulanova embodies best features of Russian ballet - expressiveness, depth, spirituality, classical perfection of performance. The images she created on stage of Mary (“The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” by Asafiev), Giselle (“Giselle” by A. Adam), Cinderella (“Cinderella” by S. S. Prokofiev), Juliet (“Romeo and Juliet” by Prokofiev) and others are unforgettable.

The art of Natalia Dudinskaya is characterized by psychological depth and emotional expressiveness. She was the first performer of the main roles in many Soviet ballets.

The distinctive features of Olga Lepeshinskaya’s talent were optimism and temperament, which manifested themselves with particular force in the ballets “Don Quixote” by L. Minkus, “The Flames of Paris” by Asafiev, “Cinderella” by Prokofiev and others.

Maya Plisetskaya combines in her work the traditions of the Russian choreographic school with the innovative aspirations of Soviet ballet. The ballerina's virtuoso skill is captured in many of the roles she performed in classical and modern ballet performances. Among her best roles are Odette and Odile in “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky, Carmen in “Carmen Suite” by Bizet - Shchedrin, Anna Karenina in the ballet of the same name by R. K. Shchedrin, etc.

The dance of Raisa Struchkova is full of unique grace and elegance. Her artistic talent was clearly expressed in the roles of Mary, Juliet, Cinderella, and in an extensive concert repertoire.

Irina Kolpakova's performing skills are distinguished by classical expressiveness and beauty of forms. The art of Marina Kondratieva attracts with its spirituality and profound lyricism.

Asaf Messerer was an excellent performer of roles in classical ballets.

Lyrical male dance in Soviet ballet art found its most vivid embodiment in the work of Konstantin Sergeev, in the roles of Vaclav (The Fountain of Bakhchisarai by Asafiev), Romeo (Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev), etc. He staged a number of ballets - Cinderella by Prokofiev, Karaev’s “Path of Thunder”...

The heroic principle was inherent in the art of Alexei Ermolaev (1910-1975), who performed the roles of Philip (“The Flames of Paris”), Tybalt (“Romeo and Juliet”) and others.

One of the most prominent figures in Soviet ballet art was Vakhtang Chabukiani. He is completely in the element of dance, an inspired impulse. In his productions of “Heart of the Mountains” by A. M. Balanchivadze, “Othello” by A. D. Machavariani and the temperamental performance of the main roles in these ballets, Chabukiani asserted the triumph of heroic male dance.

When Ekaterina Maksimova plays the role of Kitri in Don Quixote, her brilliant dance expresses the character of a temperamental Spanish girl. And in the ballet “Spartacus” by A. I. Khachaturian, she creates a completely different image - a tender, devoted, and then heartbroken woman.

Vladimir Vasiliev combines incomprehensible virtuosity and subtle acting skills in his work. His courageous Spartacus and brave Icarus are beautiful in the ballet of the same name by S. M. Slonimsky, from which V. Vasiliev’s career as a choreographer began.

Natalia Bessmertnova is called the “Soviet romantic ballerina” for her inspired performance of roles from classical and modern repertoire.

Nina Timofeeva, Lyudmila Semenyaka, Gabriela Komleva, Mikhail Lavrovsky, Maris Liepa, Nikolai Fadeyechev and many other artists glorified the school of Soviet ballet throughout the world.

A student of the Perm Choreographic School, Nadezhda Pavlova, was awarded the highest award at the Second International Ballet Competition in Moscow. The audience warmly welcomes this ballerina, who has become a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater.

Tajik ballerina Malika Sabirova (1942-1982) talentedly embodied the theme of love and fidelity in her work. To her best roles include roles in the ballets “Giselle”, “Don Quixote”, “Leili and Majnun”.

The talent of Elena Gvaramadze and Vera Tsignadze blossomed in sunny Georgia. Kyrgyz ballerina Byubyusara Beishenalieva (1926-1973) left a noticeable mark on the art of the Soviet ballet theater. Ballet dancer Larisa Sakhyanova, who has now become a teacher of young dance masters of Buryatia, delighted her audience with the expressiveness of the dance. Prominent representatives of Soviet multinational ballet are Ukrainian dancers Elena Potapova and Valentina Kalinovskaya. Uzbek ballerinas Galia Izmailova and Bernard Karieva embodied the characters of liberated women of the Soviet East in their dances. The names of Belarusian ballet dancers Lidia Ryazhenova, Lyudmila Brzhozovskaya, Yuri Troyan, Azerbaijani ballerina Gamer Almaszade, Armenian dancer Vilen Galstyan and many others are well known.

Soviet ballet is enthusiastically applauded by audiences on all continents. Outstanding Soviet artists and entire ballet groups of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater and the Musical Theater named after K. S. Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, the Leningrad Theater named after S. M. Kirov, the Kyiv Theater named after T. G. Shevchenko and other Soviet theaters tour abroad with great success, always causing admiration for their unsurpassed art.

In our country, new independent choreographic troupes are being created - ballet theaters, ensembles of classical ballet, chamber ballet, and plastic drama. This helps to identify new talents and help them come into art.

What is ballet, history of ballet

“We want not just to dance, but to speak through dance”
G. Ulanova

The amazing, beautiful and multifaceted world of ballet will not leave anyone indifferent. This word was first heard in Italy, the genre itself arose in France, in addition, ballet is the real pride of Russia, moreover, in the 19th century it was the Russian performance created P.I. Tchaikovsky , became a genuine example.

Read about the history and significance of this genre in the cultural enrichment of a person on our page.

What is ballet?

This is a musical and theatrical genre in which several types of arts are closely intertwined. Thus, music, dance, painting, dramatic and fine arts unite with each other, building a coherent performance that unfolds in front of the public on the theater stage. Translated from Italian, the word “ballet” means “dancing”.

When did ballet originate?

The first mention of ballet dates back to the 15th century; there is information that the court dance teacher Domenico da Piacenza proposed combining several dances for the next ball, writing a solemn finale for them and labeling them as ballet.

However, the genre itself arose a little later in Italy. The starting point is 1581; it was at this time in Paris that Balthazarini staged his performance based on dance and music.In the 17th century, mixed performances (opera and ballet) became popular. At the same time, greater importance in such productions is given to music rather than dance. Only thanks to the reformative work of the French choreographer Jean Georges Novera, the genre acquires classical outlines with its own “choreographic language”.

The formation of the genre in Russia

There is information that the first performance of “The Ballet of Orpheus and Eurydice” was presented in February 1673 at the court of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The most talented choreographer Charles-Louis Didelot made a great contribution to the formation of the genre. However, the famous composer is considered to be a real reformer P.I. Tchaikovsky . It is in his work that the formation of romantic ballet takes place. P.I. Tchaikovsky paid special attention to music, turning it from an accompanying element into a powerful instrument that helps dance subtly capture and reveal emotions and feelings. The composer transformed the form of ballet music, and also built a unified symphonic development.The work of A. Glazunov also played a significant role in the development of ballet (“ Raymonda "), I. Stravinsky (" Firebird ", "The Rite of Spring", " Parsley "), as well as the work of choreographers M. Petipa , L. Ivanova, M. Fokina. Creativity stands out in the new century S. Prokofiev , D. Shostakovich, R. Gliera , A. Khachaturyan.
In the 20th century, composers began their search to overcome stereotypes and established rules.

Who is a ballerina?

Not everyone who dances in ballet used to be called a ballerina. This is the highest title that dancers received upon achieving a certain amount of artistic merit, as well as several years after working in the theater. Initially, everyone who graduated from the Theater School was accepted as corps de ballet dancers, with rare exceptions as soloists. Some of them managed to achieve the title of ballerina after two or three years of work, some only before retirement.

Main Components

The main components of ballet are classical dance, character dance and pantomime.Classical dance originates in France. It is incredibly flexible and elegant. Solo dances are called variations and adagios. For example, the well-known Adagio from the ballet by P. I. Tchaikovsky. Moreover, these numbers can also be performed in ensemble dances.

In addition to the soloists, the corps de ballet takes part in the action, creating crowd scenes.
Often the dances of the corps de ballet are characteristic. For example, “Spanish Dance” from “Swan Lake”. This term refers to folk dances introduced into the performance.

Films about ballet

Ballet is a very popular art form, which is also reflected in cinema. There are many beautiful paintings about ballet, which can be divided into three broad categories:

1. Documentary films are documentaries of a ballet performance, through which you can get acquainted with the work of great dancers.
2. Film-ballet - such films also show the performance itself, but the action no longer takes place on stage. For example, the film “Romeo and Juliet” (1982), directed by Paul Zinner, where the main roles were played by the famous R. Nureyev and C. Fracci; "The Tale of the Little Humpbacked Horse" (1961), where main role performed by Maya Plisetskaya.
3. Feature films, the action of which is related to ballet. Such films allow you to immerse yourself in the world of this art and sometimes the events in them unfold against the backdrop of a production, or they tell about everything that happens in the theater. Among such films, Proscenium, an American film directed by Nicholas Hytner, which the public saw in 2000, deserves special attention.
4. Special mention should be made of the biographical films: “Margot Fonteyn” (2005), “Anna Pavlova” and many others.

One cannot ignore the 1948 film “The Red Shoes” directed by M. Powell and E. Pressburger. The film introduces viewers to a performance based on Andersen's famous fairy tale and immerses the audience in the world of ballet.

Director Stephen Daldry presented the film “Billy Elliot” to the public in 2001. It tells the story of an 11-year-old boy from a mining family who decides to become a dancer. He gets a unique chance and enters the Royal Ballet School.

The film “Giselle Mania” (1995), directed by Alexei Uchitel, will introduce viewers to the life of the legendary Russian dancer Olga Spesivtseva, whom her contemporaries nicknamed Red Giselle.

In 2011, the acclaimed film “Black Swan” by Darren Aronofsky was released on television, which shows the life of the ballet theater from the inside.

Modern ballet and its future

Modern ballet is very different from classical ballet with more daring costumes and free dance interpretation. The classics included very strict movements, in contrast to the modern, which is most appropriately called acrobatic. A lot in this case depends on the chosen topic and idea of ​​the performance. Based on it, the director already selects a set of choreographic movements. In modern performances, movements can be borrowed from national dances, new directions of plastic arts, and ultra-modern dance movements. Interpretation is also carried out in a new way, for example, Matthew Byrne's acclaimed production of Swan Lake, in which girls were replaced by men. The works of choreographer B. Eifman are a real philosophy in dance, since each of his ballets contains a deep meaning. Another trend in modern performance is the blurring of genre boundaries, and it would be more correct to call it multi-genre. It is more symbolic compared to the classic one, and uses many quotes and references. Some performances use the montage principle of construction, and the production consists of disparate fragments (frames), which all together make up the overall text.

Moreover, throughout modern culture There is a huge interest in various remakes, and ballet is no exception. Therefore, many directors try to force the audience to look at classic version on the other side. New readings are welcome, and the more original they are, the greater success awaits them.

Pantomime is an expressive game using gestures and facial expressions.

In modern productions, choreographers expand the established framework and boundaries; in addition to classical components, gymnastic and acrobatic numbers are added, as well as modern dancing (modern, free dance). This trend emerged in the 20th century and has not lost its relevance.

Ballet– a complex and multifaceted genre in which several types of art are closely intertwined. No one can be indifferent to the graceful movements of the dancers, their expressive performance and the enchanting sounds of classical music. Just imagine how ballet will decorate a holiday; it will become a real pearl of any event.

The most beautiful of all arts, ballet, tells stories of love and death in a language understandable to all people on Earth. Enduring values, repeated crimes and miracles of faith, oath and duty find their expression in dance. “In the beginning there was the Word,” says the Bible, but Maya Plisetskaya objects: “In the beginning there was a gesture!” The art of silent movement does not require human language or translation. The beauty of the body in movement, the body as an instrument for creating art, now themselves serve as “plots” for plotless dances. Ballet is impossible without the technique of classical dance, without the nature of the body, without sacrifice and unconditional love, without sweat and blood. And yet ballet is a perfect movement that makes you forget about everything petty and earthly.

A brief history of Russian ballet.

The first ballet performance in Russia took place on Maslenitsa on February 17, 1672 at the court of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Preobrazhenskoye. Before the start of the performance, the actor portraying Orpheus came on stage and sang German couplets, translated to the Tsar by a translator, in which the wonderful properties of the soul of Alexei Mikhailovich were extolled. At this time, on both sides of Orpheus stood two pyramids decorated with banners and illuminated with multi-colored lights, which, after Orpheus’ song, began to dance. Under Peter I, dances appeared in Russia modern meaning of this word: minuets, country dances, etc. were introduced. He issued a decree according to which dancing became the main part of court etiquette, and noble youth were obliged to learn dancing. In 1731, the Land Noble Corps was opened in St. Petersburg, which was destined to become the cradle of Russian ballet. Since the graduates of the corps in the future were expected to occupy high government positions and needed knowledge of secular manners, the study of fine arts, including ballroom dance, a significant space was allocated in the building. On May 4, 1738, the French dance master Jean Baptiste Lande opened the first ballet dance school in Russia - “Dancing Her” Imperial Majesty school" (now the Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Ya. Vaganova).

In specially equipped rooms of the Winter Palace, Lande began training 12 Russian boys and girls. The students were recruited from children of simple origin. Education at the school was free, the students were fully supported. Ballet received further development in Russia during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna. Among the cadets of the Ground Corps, Nikita Beketov excelled in dancing. Moreover, Beketov, who later became Elizabeth’s favorite, enjoyed the special favor of the empress, who herself dressed the young man, who excellently performed female roles. In 1742, the first ballet troupe was created from students of the Lande school, and in 1743 fees began to be paid to its participants. On August 1, 1759, on the empress’s name day and on the occasion of the victory over the Prussian troops at Frankfurt, the ballet-drama “Refuge of Virtue” was solemnly staged, which was a huge success.

During the reign of Catherine II, ballet in Russia gained even greater popularity and was further developed. On the occasion of her coronation, a luxurious ballet “Joyful Return to the Arcadian Shepherds and Shepherdesses of the Goddess of Spring” was given in the Moscow palace, in which the most noble nobles participated. It is known that the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich, often danced in ballet performances at the court theater. Since the era of Catherine II, a tradition of serf ballets has appeared in Russia, when landowners started troupes made up of serf peasants. Of these ballets, the ballet of the landowner Nashchokin enjoyed the greatest fame.

In 1766, the choreographer and composer Gasparo Angiolini, discharged from Vienna, added a Russian flavor to ballet performances - introduced musical accompaniment ballet performances of Russian melodies, which surprised everyone and gained universal praise. At the beginning of the reign of Paul I, ballet was still in fashion. It is interesting that under Paul I, special rules for ballet were issued - it was ordered that there should not be a single man on stage during the performance, the roles of men were danced by Evgenia Kolosova and Nastasya Berilova.

This continued until Auguste Poirot arrived in St. Petersburg. During the reign of Alexander I, Russian ballet continued its development, reaching new heights. Russian ballet owes its success at this time, first of all, to the invited French choreographer Carl Didelot, who arrived in Russia in 1801. Under his leadership, dancers such as Maria Danilova and Evdokia Istomina began to shine in Russian ballet. At this time, ballet in Russia achieved unprecedented popularity. Derzhavin, Pushkin and Griboyedov sang the ballets of Didelot and his students - Istomin and Teleshova. The Emperor loved ballet performances and almost never missed a single one. In 1831, Didelot left the St. Petersburg stage due to a conflict with theater director Prince Gagarin. Soon a star began to shine on the St. Petersburg stage European ballet Maria Taglioni.

She made her debut on September 6, 1837 in the ballet La Sylphide and delighted the public. Such lightness, such chaste grace, such extraordinary technique and facial expressions have never been shown by any of the dancers. In 1841, she said goodbye to St. Petersburg, having danced more than 200 times during this time.

In 1848, Taglioni’s rival, Fanny Elsler, famous for her grace and facial expressions, came to St. Petersburg. Following her, Carlotta Grisi visited St. Petersburg, who made her debut in 1851 in “Giselle” and had great success, showing herself to be a first-class dancer and an excellent mimic actress. At this time, choreographers Marius Petipa, Joseph Mazilier and others consistently staged luxurious ballets and, by attracting talented artists, tried to put forward ballet performances, which were beginning to cool down thanks to Italian opera. Among the ballet critics of that time was Vissarion Belinsky, who wrote articles about Taglioni, Guerino and Sankovskaya. During the reign of Alexander II, the promotion of domestic talents began in Russian ballet. A number of talented Russian dancers graced the ballet stage. Although great economy was observed in ballet productions, the experience of Mariyca Petipa made it possible to stage elegant ballet performances at low financial costs, the success of which was greatly facilitated by the excellent decorations of the artists. During this period of development of Russian ballet, dancing took precedence over plasticity and facial expressions.

During the reign of Alexander III, ballets were given at the Mariinsky Theater twice a week - on Wednesdays and Sundays. The choreographer was still Marius Petipa. At this time, foreign ballerinas were touring in St. Petersburg, including Carlotta Brianza, who was the first to perform the role of Aurora in the ballet “The Sleeping Beauty” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The leading dancers were Vasily Geltser and Nikolai Domashev. In the 20th century - A. V. Shiryaev, 1904 A. A. Gorsky, 1906 Mikhail Fokin, 1909. At the beginning of the 20th century, the custodians of academic traditions were artists: Olga Preobrazhenskaya, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Vera Trefilova, Yu. N. Sedova, Agrippina Vaganova , Olga Spesivtseva. In search of new forms, Mikhail Fokin relied on modern fine art.

Anna Pavlova. Invitation to the Dance aka Invitation to the valse.

The choreographer’s favorite stage form was the one-act ballet with laconic continuous action and a clearly defined stylistic coloring. Mikhail Fokine owns the following ballets: “Pavilion of Armida”, “Chopiniana”, “Egyptian Nights”, “Carnival”, 1910; "Petrushka", "Polovtsian Dances" in the opera "Prince Igor". Tamara Karsavina, Vaslav Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova became famous in Fokine's ballets. The first act of the ballet “Don Quixote”, to the music of Ludwig Minkus, reached contemporaries in the edition of Alexander Gorsky.

Russian ballet of the twentieth century.

Galina Ulanova in the ballet "Giselle."

Pas de deux from the ballet "Swan Lake" by Tchaikovsky.

Russian ballet of the 21st century.

Pas de deux from the ballet "Corsair" by Adana.

Pas de deux from the ballet "Don Quixote" by Minkus.

Pas de deux from the ballet "La Bayadère" by Minkus.

Adagio and pas de deux from the ballet "Giselle" by Adam.

- (from the Greek ballizein to dance). Theatrical performances accompanied by music, in which the characters express various passions not through words, but exclusively through facial movements and dances. Dictionary of foreign words included in... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

From the mid-30s. XVIII century In St. Petersburg, court ballet performances became regular. In 1738, the first Russian ballet school was opened in St. Petersburg (since 1779, the Theater School), which included ballet classes (now the Choreographic School); ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)

- (French ballet from Italian balletto), a type of stage art, the content of which is revealed in dance and musical images. Ballet began to take shape in Europe in the 16th century. Its heyday is associated with romanticism, which put forward, starting from the second third... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

BALLET, ballet, husband. (French ballet). 1. A theatrical performance based on a specific plot of dances and pantomimes to music. Go to the ballet. || A piece of music intended for such a performance. The orchestra performed a waltz from the popular... ... Dictionary Ushakova

Dance is the only art for which we ourselves serve as material. Ted Shawn Russia: hundreds of miles of fields and ballet in the evenings. Alan Hackney Ballet is opera for the deaf. Emil the Meek Ballet: an art that owes its popularity to a large extent to... Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms

Noun choreography Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Context 5.0 Informatics. 2012. ballet noun, number of synonyms: 6 gala ballet (1) ... Dictionary of synonyms

BALLET, huh, husband. 1. The art of stage dance. Classic b. 2. Theatrical performance of dancing and pantomime, accompanied by music. B. on ice (skating). 3. Artists participating in such a performance. | adj. ballet, oh, oh. Intelligent... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Husband. a spectacle composed of dancing and silent action. Ballet, related to such a performance; male ballet dancer female ballet dancer ballet dancer. Choreographer husband composer, composer of ballets; owner of a society of ballet dancers;... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Ballet- opera for the deaf... Slounik Skeptyka

Ballet- Ballet foreshadows adultery, as well as failures in business, commerce, quarrels and jealousy between lovers. In addition, a dream about ballet indicates that in ordinary life You tend to torture yourself. Do you often suffer from... Large universal dream book

ballet- padishas. p e r i f r. Shara Zhienkulova d.m. Olardyn arasyndan “b a l e t p a d i s h a s y” atanyp ketken gazhaiyp bishi Shara Zhienkulovany airyksha bolip aytuga bolady (Kaz. Adeb., 10.19.1971, 4) ... Kazak tilinin tүsіndіrme сөздігі

Books

• Ballet. Encyclopedia, 1981 Edition. The condition is very good. The first encyclopedia in the USSR dedicated to ballet art includes general information about ballet, explanations of the most common terms;... Category: Dance. Ballet. Choreography Publisher: Soviet Encyclopedia,
• Ballet. 1992. Issue No. 2, BALLET Magazine is a publication for true connoisseurs of this beautiful art, combining plasticity, drama, music and emotion. The language of dance is universal and understandable to everyone. Magazine… Category: Dance. Ballet. Choreography Series: Ballet (magazine) Publisher: