1. Classical Dance: From Ballet to Broadway

2. Ballet
-Ballet is a refined style of classical dance that emphasizes the verticality of the body, an outward rotation of the legs with fluid foot and leg work, and virtuosic turns and jumps.
-Because ballet is physically strenuous, dance solos or duets (pas de deux) normally last between two to four minutes.
-Dancers needs constant breaks to catch their breath, so dance stories must be told in many scenes.
-Music for ballet is often rhythmic, colorful, and full of rapidly changing, clearly delineated moods.
Ballet Basics – use the back of your chair for balance:

3. Ballet has roots in European court dances, which were basically refined social dances of common people.
-Court dancers would display their grace in upright postures and in controlled coordinated movements of arms, hands, and head.
-During the reign of Louis XIV in France, the basics of ballet became established through state supported dance academies.
-Dancers trained in these schools developed skills well beyond average.
-They were so accomplished the created a new occupation – professional dancers.
-Flourished throughout Europe in the 19th century (especially Russia)
-Famous Russian ballets:
-Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and the Nutcracker

4. -The Nutcracker – most frequently performed Christmas ballet
-based on story from E. T. A. Hoffmann.
-depicts the dreams of Clara, a young girl who is given a nutcracker for Christmas
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Dance of the Merlitons
Pytor Tchaikovsky

5. - the choreography was by Vaslav Nijinsky
-One of the most scandalous ballets is Rite of Spring written by Igor Stravinsky.
- the choreography was by Vaslav Nijinsky
-On opening night of Rite of Spring in Paris of 1913, the audience was so upset by the music and the dancing that a riot broke out. The police had to be called that evening because the audience was so angry.
-Why??? – because it broke the rules of classical ballet
-dancers legs were bent and turned in
-heavy movements
-revolutionary new sounds
-pagan story line
-Rite of Spring is now considered to be a very famous Modernist work.
Rite of Spring – more modern ballet by Stravinsky – notice it’s not graceful (on purpose)

6. -In 19th century minstrel shows, dances were commonplace.
Theatrical Dance
-In 19th century minstrel shows, dances were commonplace.
-Operettas in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s contained ample dancing.
-Vaudville shows in the early 20th century had a lot of dancing.
-Dance is a standard part of many Broadway musicals today.
Minstrel show advertisement Early American Operetta Early Vaudville advertisement

7. -It’s a modern-day version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
In West Side Story , composed by Leonard Bernstein, the dances and the music are memorable because they are a part of the story.
-Opened on Broadway in 1957.
-It’s a modern-day version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
-Portrays conflict between two street gangs – Jets and the Sharks
-Love story between Tony and Maria – caught in the middle of the conflict
Opening Scenes
-West Side Story has a blend of different musical styles:
-Jazz represents the Jets
-Latin American dance rhythms represents the Sharks (Puerto Rican)
Mambo
Cool
-This music was so popular that Bernstein made an arrangement of all of the dance numbers for orchestra called Symphonic Dances from “West Side Story”.