1. Introduction to Ballet

2. BALLET BEGININGS
The earliest precursors to ballet were lavish entertainments in the courts of Renaissance Italy.
Italian court ballets were further developed in France in 1581 producing the first scripted ballet, Le Ballet Comique de la Reine.
Most French court ballets were designed primarily for the entertainment of the aristocrats. This led to the development of elaborate stage effects which turned into Theater Production.
The court ballet reached its peak during the reign of Louis XIV ( ). Many of the ballets were choreographed by Pierre Beauchamp, who is said to have defined the five position of the feet.

3. Early Professional Ballet
In 1661, Louis XIV established the Acadmie Royale de Danse, a professional organization for dancing masters.
At this time, all dances were performed by professional dancers, not kings and courtiers. These dancers were always men, also dancing the role of women in productions.
The first female dancers to perform professionally in a theater production was in 1681 in a ballet named Le Triomphe de l’Amour.
Eighteenth century dancers used masks, wigs, large headdresses, and heeled shoes.
Jean Georges Noverre influenced many choreographers both during and after his lifetime by advising using movement that is natural and easily understood. Toe dancing began to develop around this time.

4. Romantic Ballet
La Sylphide, first performed in Paris in 1832, introduced the period of the Romantic Ballet.
La Sylphide inspired many changes in the ballets of the time including in-theme, style, technique, and costume.
Women dominated the romantic ballet. Ballerinas eclipsed the most famous men dancers of the time.
Denmark, even until today, maintains the standards of the original romantic ballet. Many of the original romantic ballets are still performed today by the Royal Danish Ballet.
Russia also preserved the integrity of the ballet during the late 19th century. A Frenchman, Marius Petipa, was the chief choreographer of the Imperial Russian Ballet and his best known works are The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.

5. 20th Century Ballet
The Ballets Russes opened in Paris in 1909 and won immediate success. Male dancers were a hit because male dancers had almost disappeared in France.
The offshoots of The Ballets Russes revitalized ballet all over the world. Many of the choreographers started ballet companies like Britain’s famous Royal Ballet, the Ballet Russe of Monte Carlo, French Ballet, and the American Ballet Theatre.
In the 1920s and 1930s, modern dance began to develop in the United States. American dancers Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey broke away from traditional ballet to create their own movement of dance.
Modern dance eventually extended the movement vocabulary of ballet to include the use of the torso and in movements done lying or sitting on the floor.
Two great American ballet companies were founded in New York City in the 1940s, American Ballet Theatre and the New York City Ballet.
In 1956, Russian ballet companies came to the West to perform and highly influenced American Ballet from then on even bringing Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov to be the director of the American Ballet Theatre.

6. Ballet Vocabulary 7th Grade
Balancé to rock or sway; 3 steps similar to step-ball-change
Barre a horizontal bar at waist level on which ballet dancers rest a hand for support during exercises 
Chaîné Turn chained/linked; a two step turn in relevé where the body rotates 180 degrees with each step
Dégagé to disengage; an extension of a tendu where the foot comes off the floor
Demi Plié small bend; bend the knees where heels do not come off ground 
En croix in a cross; forward, side, back, side pattern-can also be done from the back 
Grand large
Petit small
Battement to beat; a brush kick
Grand Plié big bend; big bend the knees where heels come slightly off the ground (except 2nd position)
Petit Jeté small throw; a small side leap landing on one foot with opposite foot coming to coupe
Pas de Bourré step of little steps; step back, side, front
Passé to pass; a passing of the foot at the opposite knee while the toe is pointed
Pirouette to whirl; a turn, performed in relevé with the leg in passé
Relevé to rise; rising to the ball of the foot
Reverance to revere; a curtsey or bow
Rond de jambe circle of the leg; working leg executes a semi-circle on the floor with straight knees
Tendu to stretch; the working foot starts from a closed position and is stretched along the floor to a full point and returned to its original position

7. Ballet Vocabulary 8th Grade
Arabesque named from an old ornament; body balanced over on one with back leg extended Battement Piqué pricked beat; when the toe of a straight leg with pointed foot taps the floor Changement to change; from 3rd/5th position, plié and spring into the air landing in the opposite 3rd/5th position Coupé to cut; foot pointed with toe touching the ankle of the opposite foot Développé to develop; the working leg is drawn to the knee of the supporting leg and extended out at any height échappé to escape; a jump of legs to an open position and then close again Glissade to glide; a small side leap from 1 foot to the other foot into a closed position Grande Jeté big throw; a large brush leap with straight legs trying to reach the splits in air Piqué Turn to prick; stepping directly onto a pointed supporting foot and turning opposite of the leg in passé Port de bras carriage of the arms; a pattern of arm positions Sauté to jump; a jump in any position Temps Levé means time lifted; to jump from one foot to the same foot Tombé to fall; a lunge or weight shift onto another foot

8. Ballet Vocabulary You Already Know
Plie A bending of the knees over the feet
Releve Rising to the ball of the foot
Chaine A two-step turn where the body rotates 180 degrees with each step
Battement A brush kick
Turn-out Outward rotation of the hips
Jete Leap; from one to one different

9. 3 Parts to the Ballet Lesson
Barre Exercises executed at the barre
Adage Slow and graceful movements, controlled movements; turns
Allegro Brisk, often rapid, steps; includes jumps
Barre Exercises
Warm-up
Plies
Tendu
Degage
Rond de Jambe
Frappe
Grande Battement
Developpe

10. Positions
of the Feet

11. Positions of the Arms High: 5th – 1st = 4th Low: 2nd + 1st = 3rd
High: 5th – 2nd = 3rd

12. Contemporary Ballet