1. Academie Royale de la Danse Pierre Beauchamp
Write down these Ballet Words/Terms/Namesof Persons of Significance. Define them and take notes. You may have to view the YouTube videos at home.
court dance
Catherine de Medici
King Louis XVI
Academie Royale de la Danse
Pierre Beauchamp
The Five Positions of Ballet
Georges Noverre
The Seven Basic Movements of Dance
La Sylphide
Maurius Petipa
Don Quixote
George Balanchine
Michael Fokine
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Sara Mearns

2. A Brief History of Ballet
Arts & Humanities
(Music/Dance)
2013

3. Early Ballet—Baroque
Ballet grew from early court dance traditions established by rulers in the European Renaissance.

4. Catherine de Medici
Known as a significant patron of the arts, Catherine de Medici married a French king. She brought a dance master with her from Italy, and he created ballets for the royal family’s entertainment.

5. King Louis XVI
Louis loved dance and established the Academie Royale de la Danse. His ballet master, Pierre Beauchamp, developed the five positions of ballet.
This is one of King Louis XVI’s dancing shoes!

6. The Five Positions in Ballet

7. Romantic Ballet—The Transition
During this period, ballet developed slowly with dance academies popping up all over Europe. Royals in many countries gave money to open theatres and opera houses, where ballet was also performed.

8. Romantic Ballet—The Transition, continued
Plier—to bend
Jean-Georges Noverre, a choreographer, created the Seven Basic Movements of Dance.
Etendre—to stretch
Relever—to rise
Sauter—to jump
Tourner—to turn
Glisser—to glide
Elancer—to dart

9. Romantic Ballet
The first Romantic Ballet performed was La Sylphide, which contained supernatural elements (ghosts, fairies, sylphs). The costumes had changed by this time to include tulle and tu-tus.

10. Classical Ballet
During this period, the center of ballet shifted from France to Russia. Marius Petipa (1818—1910) danced at the Imperial Theatre and became chief ballet master. He created 77 works and 37 opera danced.

11. Classical Ballet, continued
Petipa choreographed ballets such as Don Quixote, La Bayadere, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake.

12. Modern & Contemporary Ballet
As ballet progressed in Europe, several prominent Russian ballet dancers moved to the United States, enriching our culture with their talent and artistry.

13. Modern & Contemporary Ballet, continued
These dancers include the following:
George Balanchine—known for broadening the vocabulary of ballet by making it more athletic.
Michael Fokine—believed the dancer needed to feel the music, he etched a place for male dancers.
Mikhail Baryshnikov—a Soviet defector, he danced for the New York City Ballet and the American Ballet—still living and creating.

14. Mikhail Baryshnikov’s talent is extensive
Mikhail Baryshnikov’s talent is extensive. Take a look at a few of his performances.
…as a ballet dancer extraordinaire.
…as a actor/dancer.

15. Wonder what it takes to become a ballet dancer
Wonder what it takes to become a ballet dancer? Watch this video to learn about one of the principal dancers at the New York City Ballet, Sara Mearns.