Ballet (fr. Ballet, from lat. Ballo - I dance) is a kind of stage art, the main expressive means of which are music and dance inextricably linked.
Most often, ballet is based on some kind of plot, dramatic concept, libretto, but there are also plotless ballets. The main types of dance in ballet are classical dance and character dance. An important role here is played by pantomime, with the help of which the actors convey the feelings of the heroes, their "conversation" among themselves, the essence of what is happening. Elements of gymnastics and acrobatics are also widely used in modern ballet.
The birth of ballet
Ballet originated in Italy during the Renaissance (16th century) at first as a dance scene, an episode in a musical performance, an opera united by a single action or mood. Borrowed from Italy in France, the court ballet flourishes as a magnificent solemn show. The musical basis of the first ballets (The Queen's Comedy Ballet, 1581) was composed of folk and court dances, which were part of the old suite. In the second half of the 17th century, new theatrical genres appeared, such as comedy-ballet, opera-ballet, in which a significant place was given to ballet music and attempts were made to dramatize it. But ballet became an independent form of theatrical art only in the second half of the 18th century thanks to the reforms carried out by the French ballet master J. J. Nover. Based on the aesthetics of the French enlighteners, he created performances in which the content is revealed in dramatically expressive plastic images, approved the active role of music as "a program that determines the movements and actions of a dancer."
Further development of ballet
The further development and flowering of ballet falls on the era of romanticism.
Modern ballet costume (costume of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the performance "The Nutcracker")
Back in the 30s of the XVIII century. the French ballerina Camargo shortened her skirt (tutu) and abandoned heels, which allowed her to introduce bendings into her dance. TO late XVIII in. the ballet costume becomes much lighter and more free, which in no small measure contributes to the rapid development of dance technique. Trying to make their dance more airy, the performers tried to stand on their toes, which led to the invention of pointe shoes. In the future, the finger technique of female dance is actively developing. The first to use pointe dance as an expressive means was Maria Taglioni.
The dramatization of ballet required the development of ballet music. Beethoven, in his ballet The Creations of Prometheus (1801), made the first attempt to symphonize the ballet. The romantic trend is confirmed in Adam's ballets Giselle (1841) and Le Corsaire (1856). Delibes' ballets Coppelia (1870) and Sylvia (1876) are considered the first symphonic ballets. At the same time, a simplified approach to ballet music (in the ballets of C. Pugnya, L. Minkus, R. Drigo, etc.), as melodic music, clear in rhythm, serving only as an accompaniment for the dance, has also emerged.
Ballet penetrates into Russia and begins to spread even under Peter I in the beginning. XVIII century. In 1738, at the request of the French dance master Jean-Baptiste Lande, the first ballet school in Russia (now the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet) was opened in St. Petersburg.
The history of Russian ballet begins in 1738. It was then, thanks to the petition of Mr. Lande, that the first school of ballet art in Russia appeared - the St. Petersburg Academy of Dance named after Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova, now known all over the world. The rulers of the Russian throne have always cared about the development of dance art. Mikhail Fedorovich was the first of the Russian tsars to introduce a new position of dancer into the staff of his court. It was Ivan Lodygin. He had to not only dance himself, but also teach this craft to others. Twenty-nine youths were at his disposal. The first theater appeared under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Then it was established to show between the acts of the play a stage dance, which was called ballet. Later, by a special decree of Emperor Peter the Great, dances became an integral part of court etiquette. In the 30s of the eighteenth century, noble youth were obliged to learn dancing. In St. Petersburg, ballroom dancing has become an obligatory discipline in the Gentry Cadet Corps. With the opening of the summer theater in the Summer Garden, the winter theater in the wing Winter Palace cadets begin to participate in ballet dancing. The dance teacher in the corps was Jean-Baptiste Landé. He understood perfectly well that the nobles would not devote themselves to ballet in the future. Although they danced in ballets on a par with professionals. Lande, like no one else, saw the need for the Russian ballet theater. In September 1737, he submitted a petition in which he was able to substantiate the need to create a new special school, where girls and boys of simple origin would be taught choreographic art. Soon such permission was given. Twelve girls and twelve slender youths were selected from the palace servants, whom Lande began to teach. Daily work brought results, the audience was delighted with what they saw. Since 1743, Lande's former students begin to pay salaries as ballet dancers. The school very quickly managed to provide the Russian stage with excellent corps de ballet performers and magnificent soloists. The names of the best students of the first set remain in history: Aksinya Sergeeva, Avdotya Timofeeva, Elizaveta Zorina, Afanasy Toporkov, Andrey Nesterov
The national identity of Russian ballet began to form at the beginning of the 19th century thanks to the work of the French choreographer S.-L. Didlo. Didlot strengthens the role of the corps de ballet, the connection between dance and pantomime, and asserts the priority of female dance.
A real revolution in ballet music was made by Tchaikovsky, who brought into it continuous symphonic development, deep imaginative content, and dramatic expressiveness. The music of his ballets Swan Lake (1877), The Sleeping Beauty (1890), The Nutcracker (1892) acquired, along with the symphonic one, the ability to reveal the inner flow of action, to embody the characters of the characters in their interaction, development, and struggle. In choreography, Tchaikovsky's innovation was embodied by the choreographers Marius Petipa and L.I.Ivanov, who laid the foundation for the symphonization of dance. The tradition of symphonizing ballet music was continued by Glazunov in the ballets Raymonda (1898), The Maid Servant (1900), The Four Seasons (1900).
The beginning of the XX century was marked by innovative searches, the desire to overcome the stereotypes, conventions of the academic ballet of the XIX century. In his ballets, the choreographer of the Bolshoi Theater A.A. Gorsky strove to achieve a consistent development of dramatic action, historical accuracy, tried to strengthen the role of the corps de ballet as a mass character, to overcome the separation of pantomime and dance. M.M.Fokin made a major contribution to Russian ballet art by significantly expanding the range of ideas and images in ballet, enriching it with new forms and styles. His productions for the Russian Seasons of the ballets Chopiniana, Petrushka, Firebird and others brought fame to Russian ballet abroad. The miniature "The Dying Swan" (1907), created by Fokin for Anna Pavlova, has won worldwide fame. In 1911-13, on the basis of the Russian Seasons, a permanent troupe, the Russian Ballet of Diaghilev, was formed. After leaving the Fokine troupe, Vaslav Nijinsky became its ballet master. His most famous production was the ballet The Rite of Spring to music by Stravinsky.
Modern dance
Modern dance is a direction in the art of dance that appeared at the beginning of the 20th century as a result of a departure from the strict norms of ballet, in favor of the creative freedom of choreographers.
The ballet was based on free dance, the creators of which were interested not so much in the new dance technique or choreography as in dance as a special philosophy capable of changing life. This movement, which emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century (Isadora Duncan is considered its ancestor), served as the source of many directions of modern dance and gave impetus to the reform of ballet itself.
Ballet, the highest stage of choreography (from the Greek choreia - dance and grapho - I write), in which the art of dancing rises to the level of musical stage performance, emerged as a court aristocratic art much later than dance, in the 15th and 16th centuries. The term "ballet" appeared in Renaissance Italy in the 16th century. and meant not a performance, but a dance episode. Ballet is a synthetic art in which dance, the main expressive means of ballet, is closely related to music, with a dramatic basis - libretto, set design, with the work of a costume designer, lighting artist, etc. The ballet is diverse: plot - classic narrative multi-act ballet, drama ballet; plotless - symphony ballet, mood ballet, miniature. By genre, ballet can be comic, heroic, folklore. 20th century brought new forms to ballet: jazz ballet, modern ballet.
The origins of the dance.
Dance appeared as a way of expressing feelings through movement, gesture, plasticity and facial expressions and accompanied various aspects of the life of an ancient person (harvest festival, wedding ceremony, religious worship). From the ancient Greek Dionysian cult, the ancient theater grew, of which stage dance and its muse Terpsichore became a part . In the era of Hellenism the art of pantomime arose, developing both in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance (in the comedies del arte, harlequinades).
Ballet in the Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism.
Especially intensively the process of theatricalization of dance took place in Italy, where already in the 14-15 centuries. the first dance masters appeared and on the basis of folk dance a ballroom dance, a court dance, was formed. In Spain, the plot dance scene was called the sea (Moorish dance), in England - the mask . In the mid-16th - early 17th centuries. a figurative, pictorial dance, organized according to the type of drawing up geometric figures (ballo-figurato). Known Ballet of Turkish women,performed in 1615 at the court of the Medici dukes in Florence. The figurative dance involves mythological and allegorical characters. From the beginning of the 16th century. equestrian ballets are known in which riders pranced on horses to music, singing and recitation ( Tournament of the Winds, 1608, Battle of beauty, 1616, Florence). The origins of equestrian ballet go back to medieval knightly tournaments.
The first ballet performance combining music, word, dance and pantomime, Circe, or the Queen's Comedy Ballet, was staged at the court of Catherine de Medici (Paris) by the Italian choreographer Baltazarini di Belgioioso in 1581.Since then, the genre of court ballet (masquerades, pastorals, dance divertissements and interludes) began to develop in France. Ballet 16th century was a magnificent show in the baroque style with the performance of ceremonial Spanish dances - pavana, sarabanda. In the time of Louis XIV, the performances of the court ballet reached their highest splendor, including stage effects that gave the spectacle the character of an extravaganza. Louis XIV himself was no stranger to the muse of dance, in 1653 he acted as the Sun in Ballet of the nightfrom then on he was called "The Sun King". In the same ballet, the composer J.B. Lully danced, who began his career as a dancer.
The dance began to turn into ballet when they began to perform it according to certain rules. They were first formulated by the choreographer Pierre Beauchamp (1637–1705), who worked with Lully and who headed the French Academy of Dance in 1661 (the future theater of the Paris Opera). He wrote down the canons of a noble style of dance, which was based on the principle of eversion of the legs (en dehors). This position gave the human body the ability to move freely in different directions. He divided all the dancer's movements into groups: squats (plie), jumps (pliers, antrasha, convertibles, zhete , the ability to hover in a jump – elevation), rotation (pirouettes, fouettés), body positions (attitudes, arabesques). These movements were performed based on five leg positions and three arm positions (port de bras). All classical dance steps are derived from these positions of the legs and arms. Thus began the formation of ballet, which developed by the 18th century. from interludes and divertissements into independent art.
At the Paris Opera of the 17th century. a special genre of theatrical and musical performance was performed - operas and ballets by composers J.B. Lully, A. Camper, J.F. Ramot. Initially, only men were included in the ballet troupe. French dancers were famous for their grace and grace (nobility) in their manner of performance. Italian dancers brought to the stage of the Paris Opera a new style of dance - a virtuoso style, a technically complex, leaping style of dance. One of the founders of male stage dance was Louis Dupre (1697-1774). He was the first to combine both styles of performance in dance. The complication of the dance technique required changes in the female costume. In the first third of the 18th century. Marie Camargo and Marie Sallé were the first ballerinas to start performing jumps (antrasha), previously controlled only by men, so they abolished heavy figs and panniers, and then shortened their skirts and switched to shoes with lower heels. In the second half of the 18th century. appeared brilliant dancers Gaetan Vestris (1729-1808), Pierre Gardel (1758-1840), Auguste Vestris. Lightweight antique clothing that came into fashion on the eve of the French Revolution contributed to the development of ballet technique. However, the content of the ballet numbers was loosely connected with the plot of the opera and was in the nature of an entre, entering the minuet, gavotte and other dances in the course of an opera performance. The genre of a narrative ballet performance has not yet taken shape.
Ballet in the Age of Enlightenment.
The Age of Enlightenment is one of the milestones in the development of ballet. The educators called for the abandonment of the conventions of classicism, for the democratization and reform of the ballet theater. J. Weaver (1673–1760) and D. Rich (1691–1761) in London, F. Hilferding (1710–1768) and G. Anjolini (1731–1803) in Vienna together with the composer, opera reformer V. K. Gluck tried to turn the ballet into a plot performance similar to a dramatic one. This movement expressed itself most fully in the reform of L. Dupre's student Jean Georges Noverre. He introduced the concept of pas d "action (effective ballet). Noverre likened ballet to classicist drama and promoted a new attitude towards it as an independent performance. Attaching great importance to pantomime, at the same time he impoverished the vocabulary of dance.Nevertheless, his merit was the development of forms of solo and ensemble dance, the introduction of the form of multi-act ballet, the separation of ballet from opera, the differentiation of ballet into high and low genres - comic and tragic. Letters about dance and ballets (1760). The most famous ballets of Noverra on mythological subjects: Admet and Alcesta, Rinaldo and Armida, Psyche and Cupid, Death of Hercules - all to the music of J.J. Rodolphe; Medea and Jason, 1780, Chinese ballet, 1778, Iphigenia in Aulis - all to music by E. Miller, 1793. Noverre's legacy is 80 ballets, 24 ballets in operas, 11 divertissements. Under him, the formation of ballet as an independent genre of theatrical art was completed.
Ballet sentimentalism.
In the second half of the 18th century. the era of sentimentalism has come. Unlike the enlighteners, the sentimentalists made the character of their works an ordinary person, and not an ancient god or hero. The ballet theater became a public spectacle for the townspeople, and a type of performance appeared - comedy and melodrama. In the foreground was pantomime, which, pushing danceability into the shadows, turned ballet into a choreodrama, in connection with which increased interest in the literary basis of the action. The first ballet librettos appeared.
The heroines of the ballets were the sylphs and the forest spirits of the wilis, the characters of Celtic and Germanic folklore. The appearance of a dancer in a white tunic, embodying an unearthly creature with a wreath on her head and wings behind her back, was invented by French costume designers I. Leconte, E. Lamy, P. Lormier. Later, the term "white", "white-tunic" ballet appeared. White color - the color of the absolute, "white ballet" expressed a romantic longing for the ideal, the ballerina in an arabesque became his graphic formula. The role of corps de ballet dance has risen, dance and pantomime, solo, corps de ballet and ensemble dance merged into a single whole. Thanks to the development of finger technique, aerial flight of movements has become a new dance style.
Romantic ballet relied more heavily on the literary source ( Esmeralda, 1844, after V. Hugo, Corsair, 1856 by J.G. Byron), Katarina, the robber's daughter, C. Puni, 1846). The role of music has increased, which has become the author's, before ballet music was often a team, it served as a background and rhythmic accompaniment to the dance, created the mood of the performance. The ballet music of romanticism itself created drama and gave figurative musical characteristics to the heroes.
The pinnacle of romantic ballet was Giselle(1841), staged at the Paris Opera by J. Coralli and J. Perrot after the libretto by T. Gautier to music by A. Adan. IN Giselle the unity of music, pantomime and dance was achieved. In addition to pantomime, musical and choreographic leitmotifs developed the action of the performance, the intonational expressiveness of the melody gave the characters musical characteristics. Adam began the process of symphonizing ballet music, enriching it with an arsenal of expressive means inherent in symphonic music.
M. Taglioni and F. Elsler are the largest representatives and rivals of romantic ballet. Their personalities correspond to two branches of romanticism: the irrational (fantastic) and the heroic-exotic. The Italian Maria Taglioni represented the first direction, her Sylphide became a symbol of romantic ballet, her dance possessed grace, flightiness and poetry. The dance of the Austrian ballerina Fanny Elsler was characterized by temperament, swiftness, virtuosity, she represented the heroic and exotic direction of romantic ballet. As a characteristic dancer, she performed the Spanish cacucha dance, the Polish Krakowiak, and the Italian tarantella. Other notable dancers of romanticism: Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Cerrito (1817-1909), Lucille Grands (1819-1907). Grisi, the first performer of the part of Giselle, also became famous for playing the main role in the ballet C. Pugni Esmeralda... In 1845, Perrault composed the famous divertissement Pas de quatre (music by C. Puni), where Taglioni, Elsler, Grisi, Cerrito performed at the same time.
Its Danish offshoot stands apart in the history of ballet romanticism, especially in the works of August Bournonville. In 1836 he created his own version Sylphsto the music of H. S. Levenscheld. Danish romantic ballet (Biedermeier style against the background of romanticism) is a more earthy and chamber movement with folklore motifs, where pantomime plays a large role and more attention is paid to male dance, less finger technique is used, and female roles are secondary. These features are also typical of Danish ballet today. In 1830 Burnoville became the head of the Copenhagen Royal Theater and created many ballets over the course of 50 years. His male dance technique remains one of the leading in Europe.
It is believed that the short period of romanticism was the best period in the entire history of European ballet. If before the symbol of ballet was Terpsichore, then from the era of romanticism it became the sylph, the jeep. The longest ballet romanticism existed in Russia (swan scenes in Swan Lake and the dance of snowflakes in the Nutcracker L. Ivanova, act of shadows in La Bayadere, Pharaoh's daughtersand Raymonde M. Petipa). At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. new birth romanticism got in ChopinianaM.M. Fokina. This was the romanticism of a different era - the era of impressionism. The genre of romantic ballet was preserved in the second half of the 20th century. ( Leaves wither E. Tudor to music by A. Dvořák, Dancing at parties J. Robbins to music by F. Chopin).
Ballet in the second half of the 19th century (academicism, impressionism, modern).
When realism came to other forms of art, European ballet found itself in a state of crisis and decline. It lost its content and integrity and was replaced by an extravaganza (Italy), a music hall (England). In France, he entered the phase of conservation of used schemes and techniques. Only in Russia has ballet retained the character of creativity, where the aesthetics of grand ballet, academic ballet - a monumental performance with complex dance compositions and virtuoso ensemble and solo parts - have developed. The creator of the aesthetics of academic ballet is Marius Petipa, a French dancer who came to Russia in 1847. Ballets created by him in collaboration with L.I. Ivanov (1834-1901) and composers P.I. Tchaikovsky and A.K. Glazunov sleeping Beauty(1890), Nutcracker (1892), Swan Lake (1895) Raymonda (1898), Seasons (1900) became the pinnacles of classical symphonic ballet and moved the center of choreographic culture to Russia.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. the currents of impressionism and free dance (modern, duncanism, rhythmoplastic dance) penetrated the choreography. Modern dance originated at the turn of the 20th century. in the USA and Germany. Modern choreography rejected traditional ballet forms and replaced them with free dance, rhythmoplastics, and intuitive interpretation of music. If the classical school of ballet is built on inversion (en dehors), then modernity allows the position of the socks inward (en dedans). Modern does not use finger techniques, jumps and pull-ups, but actively develops body bends, shoulder and hip mobility, and hand expression. The ideologists of modernity were the French theoretician F. Delsarte (1811–1871), the American dancer Isadora Duncan with her renewed antiquity, and E. J. Dalcroze (1865–1914) with the system of eurythmy, rhythmoplastic dance. They declared the undivided domination of music over dance. Duncanism, in turn, influenced ballet impressionism represented by the work of the Russian choreographer M.M. Fokin. The turn to new ballet aesthetics was the activity of S.P. Diaghilev. The Russian Seasons organized by him (1909-1911) and the Russian Ballet troupe (1911-1929) had a tremendous influence on the development of world ballet.
WORLD BALLET OF THE 20TH CENTURY
Ballet history of the 20th century characterized by the processes of assimilation of the traditions of Russian classical ballet with European ballet companies. The leading tendencies are metaphor, plotlessness, symphony, free rhythmoplastics, modern dance, elements of folk, everyday, sports, jazz vocabulary. In the second half of the 20th century. postmodernism is developing, the arsenal of expressive means of which includes the use of cinema and photo projections, lighting effects, sound, electronic music, happening (participation of spectators in ballet), etc. The genre of contact choreography appeared, when a dancer "contacts" with objects on the stage and the stage itself. The dominant feature is the one-act ballet-miniature (short story, ballet-mood). The countries of the most developed choreographic culture were Great Britain, the USA, France, and the USSR. An important role in the development of world ballet was played by dancers of the second wave of Russian emigration (R. Nureev, N. Makarova, M. Baryshnikov) and dancers of the Russian school who worked in the West under contract (M. Plisetskaya, A. Asylmuratova (born 1961), N. Ananiashvili (born 1963), V. Malakhov (born 1968), A. Ratmansky (born 1968) Expressionist and then postmodern ballet developed in Germany, Holland, Sweden.
Ballet competitions have been held since 1964.
France.
In the 1920s – 1930s, France became the center of European ballet art, where until 1929 Diaghilev's Russian Ballet troupe and the groups that grew up on its basis worked. Fokine's traditions were developed by L.F. Myasin, B.F. Nizhinskaya, S.M. Lifar, who headed the troupes of Monte Carlo and Paris. In the second half of the 20th century. France gave the ballet such distinctive choreographers as Maurice Bejart and Roland Petit.
J. Balanchine worked in France before leaving for the USA in 1933. In 1932-1933 he organized the troupe "Balle rus de Monte Carlo" ( Bourgeois in the nobility R. Strauss, MozartianaP. Tchaikovsky). After the departure of Balanchine, the troupe was headed by V.G. Voskresensky (de Basil), the troupe began to be called "Balle rus de Monte Carlo of Colonel de Basil" (from 1939 to 1962 worked in the United States, in 1938-1948 Massine served as the ballet master of the troupe, preservation of Diaghilev's ballets). Lifar in 1944-1947 headed the "New Russian Ballet Monte Carlo", since 1947 it became known as "Nouveau balle rus de Monte Carlo of the Marquis de Cuevas."
In 1930-1959, with a break for the military 1944-1947, Serge Lifar was the head of the Paris Opera troupe, who staged 50 ballets in the neoclassical style there, modernizing classical dance and combining it with elements of free, folkloric, everyday dance. The most famous ballerinas of that time: Claude Bessy (born 1932), Lifar's student, who began her career with Balanchine, in 1972 had a resounding success in Bolero M. Bejara, from the same year - director of the ballet school at the opera theater, as well as lyric dancer Yvette Chauvire (1917), famous for her performance of the part of Giselle. Choreographic innovations developed outside the walls of the Opera, although ballets by Balanchine, D. Robbins, G. Tetley, P. Taylor, M. Cunningham, and Y. Grigorovich were staged there since the 1970s. In 1983-1989, a native of Russia, the Soviet dancer R.Kh. Nureyev again became the head of the Paris Opera ballet troupe. He staged a number of classical ballets there, and also invited one of the largest choreographers of our time, W. Forsyth, to cooperate, which brought a fresh stream to life dance troupe of the theater, which by that time had turned into a ballet museum. Among the opera dancers, Sylvie Guillem (b. 1965) and Isabelle Guérin (b. 1961) became famous. The outstanding classical dancer Patrick Dupont (born 1957) directed the troupe from 1990-1995.
Maurice Béjart joined the Ballet Etoile in the 1950s. Since 1960 he has headed the Ballet of the Twentieth Century, since 1987 - the Ballet of Bejart in Lausanne. He creates his own plastic language and solves philosophical problems in ballets, hence his interest in the oriental world and dance: Bakti, 1968 to Indian music, Our Faust to national music, 1975, Nijinsky, the clown of God to music by P. Henri and P. Tchaikovsky, 1971. The leading dancer of Bejart was Argentinian Jorge Donne (1947–1992), who died early. Bejart dedicated ballets to his memory Priest's house, Ballet for life, Tango, or a rose for Jorge Donna... In 1972 he created Songs of the Wandering Apprentice for Nureyev. Bejart's choreography is characterized by a plastic metaphor, impetuous rhythm, the priority of mass male dance. The most famous are original ballet editions Sacred spring (1959) and FirebirdI. Stravinsky (1970), Bolero M. Ravel (1961). He organized the Mudra school, in which ballet training is based on the study of psychology and modern philosophy.
In 1945-1951 Roland Petit founded the "Ballet of the Champs Elysees", in 1949-1967 - the Ballet of Paris. Among the best works: Youth and death J.S.Bach, 1946, CarmenJ. Bizet , 1949, Notre dame cathedral, 1965. Petit works in the genre of dramatic ballet, gravitates towards the dynamism of the plot, vivid imagery and theatricality, masterfully sets mass scenes, uses a combination of classical and jazz dance in his vocabulary. Among his dancers became famous: ZiziZhanmair (b. 1924, performer of the part Carmenin the ballet of the same name), Jean Babile (b. 1923, performer of the main role in the cult ballet of the 1950s Youth and death). In 1972, Petit organized the Ballet de Marseille ( Light up the stars, 1972, Sick rose G. Malera, staged in 1973 for Plisetskaya, Pink Floyd, 1973, In memory of an angel A. Berga, 1977, own versions of classical ballets Coppelia, 1975 and Nutcracker, 1976). Staged symphonic ballets at the Paris Opera Fantastic symphony G. Berlioz, 1974, Enlightened night A. Schoenberg, 1976.
Pierre Lacotte (b. 1932) in 1955–1956 and 1959–1962 - director of the Eiffel Tower Ballet. In 1963-1968 - the head of the troupe "National Ballet of French Musical Youth", then the troupe of the Monte Carlo ballet, until 2001 he headed the "National Ballet" of Nancy, is an expert on the classical heritage of French ballet, owns the subtle art of stylization, reconstruction of the spirit of romantic ballet (films - ballets for television Gallant Europe A.Kampra, ballet restoration SylphJ. Schneitzhoffer, Lady with camellias J. Verdi, 1977). He is called a "ballet archaeologist".
The Art Nouveau movement is presented « The modern ballet theater "J. Russillo (b. 1941), organized in 1972. Among the postmodern troupes, the troupe of A. Preljocaj (b. 1957, the troupe - since 1984), a student of M. Cunningham ( White tears, 1985, In memory of our heroes, 1986, I floatto the music. W.A. Mozart, 1994).
Great Britain.
English ballet of the 20th century traces a pedigree from the school of A. Pavlova and Marie Rambert (1888–1982) and Ninette de Valois, who worked for Diaghilev. In 1920, the School of Marie Rambert, a follower of the rhythmoplastic dance system of E.J. Dalcroze, was opened. F. Ashton and E. Tudor graduated from her school, and in 1930 they created the Rambert Ballet troupe. In 1926 Valois opened the Academy of Choreographic Arts in London, from which the Sadler's Wells Balle troupe emerged in 1942, and the Royal Ballet of Great Britain in 1957. Valois was its director until 1983. Since 1935, its leading choreographer of the Royal Ballet is Frederic Ashton, who created the style of English classical dance - austere, restrained and poetic. It is based on the school of E. Cecchetti, who taught at the Imperial St. Petersburg Ballet School and brought up such individuals as Pavlova, T. Karsavina, M. Fokin, V. Nizhinsky. For a long time the leading ballerina of Ashton was Margot Fontaine, whose career unexpectedly received a rebirth in the legendary duet with Nureyev; together they danced a number of classical ballets, as well as a ballet specially staged by Ashton Margarita and Armandbased on the Ladies with camellias A. Dumas to the music of F. List, 1963. Among Ashton's productions: Facade1931 W. Walton, A vain precaution, 1960 by F. Herold, Undine, 1958 H.W. Henze, A month in the country1976 by F. Chopin, plotless ballets Symphonic variations, 1946 S. Frank, Monotony, 1965-1966 E. Satie, multi-act Cinderella S. Prokofiev, 1948, with M. Fontaine - Sleep, 1964 by F. Mendelssohn. In 1970 Ashton created the "New Group" at the theater for avant-garde performances. Anthony Tudor (1908-1987), creator of psychological drama in ballet, worked in the theater before leaving for the USA (1939), staging there Lilac garden to music by E. Chausson, 1936, Gloomy Elegies to music Songs about dead children G. Malera, 1937.
In 1970-1977 the troupe was headed by Kenneth Macmillan. The emergence of the genre of dramatic ballet is associated with his name. His style is a combination of the Cecchetti school with acrobatics and complex lifts, he is characterized by the sophistication of choreographic drawing. His ballet Romeo and Juliet (music by Prokofiev, 1965, also created for Fontaine and Nureyev) became a cult classic. Ballets Manon (1974, to music by J. Massenet), Concert dances Stravinsky 1955, Nora, or the Diary of A. Frank, 1958, Anastasia A. Sulliven, 1971, Mayerling F. Liszt, 1978, IsadoraR. Bennett, 1981; Prince of pagodasB. Britten, 1989 created for the leading ballerina of Macmillan - Lynn Seymour (b. 1939), who danced in a duet with Christopher Gable (1940-1998), who later made a career in cinema. Macmillan's ballets danced the virtuoso Anthony Dowell along with Antoniet Sibley and Alexandra Ferry (born 1967). For his contribution to national culture, Macmillan received the title of sir. In the same years, John Cranko worked in the troupe, who is known as the director of many hours of narrative ballets ( Lady and jesterVerdi, 1954). Since the 1960s, Kranko worked in Germany, heading the oldest ballet in Europe, the Stuttgardt Ballet. After Macmillan left, ideas of free dance became a priority in the theater. The big dancers of the troupe Norman Morris (b. 1931), Anthony Dowell (headed the troupe since 1986), David Bintley (b. 1957) introduced balanchine, Robbins, Forsyth's productions into the repertoire. The leading dancers of the theater were also Beryl Gray (b. 1927), Robert Helpman (1909-1986), Moira Shearer (b. 1926).
Other troupes in Great Britain include the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the London Ballet Festival, which grew out of a collective founded in 1949 by former Diaghilev dancers Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin (1904-1983). The Balle Rambert troupe continues to work. At the beginning, the originals of classical ballets were preserved in her repertoire, and since 1966 priority has been given to works in the style of modern dance. In 1987, Richard Allston (b. 1948) became the head of the troupe, developing the ideas of the American modernist choreographer Mers Cunningham. In 1967, R. Cohen, a student of M. Graham, created the London Theater of Contemporary Dance, where he staged many of Graham's ballets. The theater is part of the London Center for the Study of Modern Dance.
USA.
The main achievement of American ballet is the work of George Balanchine, a native of Russia, a graduate of the Petrograd Theater School. He created a new direction in choreography - a symphonic plotless ballet of the neoclassical style, a self-sufficient choreographic performance (sometimes without a libretto, scenography and costumes). Balanchine's work was also greatly influenced by the Danish school of choreography, striving for subtlety, lively light work of the legs (the so-called Bournonville's pull-ups), a quick change in directions and increasing rhythms of movements. The largest dance theaters in the United States - New York City Balle and American Ballet Theater were born as a result of the interaction of Russian classical and American (modern dance, acrobatic, jazz, everyday vocabulary) traditions. The leading trend in American ballet is still plotless and metaphorical, chamber one-act ballet.
When Balanchine arrived in the USA in 1933, the leading direction in American choreography was modern dance, which had a folkloric coloring and included motives of Negro and Indian dances (bends of the body, rotational movements of the hips, the priority of ensemble dance over solo). Modern dance was developed by choreographers Ruth Saint-Denis and Ted Shawn (1891-1972), who founded the Denishaun dance school in Los Angeles in 1915. Many American choreographers studied there, including the most prominent ballerina and choreographer Martha Graham, who in 1926 created her own troupe and developed a special dance technique. Choreographers D. Humphrey, H. Lemon, A. de Mille, R. Page created genre ballets using Negro and Indian folklore. On the other hand, thanks to Russian émigré artists, the American public became acquainted with classical ballet: the studios of Russian dancers M. Fokin, A. Bolma, M. Mordkin worked in the USA; B.G. Romanov (1891-1957) headed the ballet troupe of the Metropolitan Opera (1938-1942, 1945-1950), in 1939 the Balle rus de Monte-Carlo troupe arrived in the United States (V.G. Voskresensky -de Basil), led in 1938-1948 by L.F. Myasin. The fusion of modernity with national and classical traditions formed the Balanchine style. In 1934, together with philanthropist Leonard Kernstein (1907–1996), Balanchine founded the School of American Ballet and, on its basis, the New York City Ballet Ballet Theater. In 2004 the theater celebrated the centenary of the birth of its founder and its 70th anniversary. The first ballets were staged on American subjects ( Gas station, 1938 by L. Christensen to music by W. Thomson, Billy boy J. Loring, Spring in Apalachi, RodeoA. de Mille, music. Copland), but soon the theater turned into the Balanchine House, where he staged 50 ballets for the troupe. These are mainly plotless ballets: Four temperaments P. Hindemith, 1946, Serenade, 1934, Concerto baroque J.S.Bach, 1940, Symphony in C major or Crystal Palace J. Bizet, 1947, Love songs - waltzes to music by I. Brahms, 1960, III suite P. Tchaikovsky, 1970, including to American music: Far West Symphonies H. Kay, 1954, Is it all the same J. Gershwin, 1970. Balanchine's neoclassical aesthetics is based on dance expressiveness, born of the expressiveness of the musical image. Balanchine, like Bejart, was a master of mass dance production, but he gave priority to female dance and said: "Ballet is a woman." His favorite composer was Stravinsky, with whom he collaborated from the time he worked for Diaghilev. During the period 1925-1972 Balanchine staged 27 ballets by Stravinsky, among them: Agon, 1957, Firebird, 1949, Pulcinella, 1972, Jewelry (Rubies), 1967. An analogue of such a fruitful collaboration between the choreographer and composer can be found in Petipa's alliance with Tchaikovsky. Leading Balanchine dancers: Andre Eglevsky (1917-1977), Eduard Villela, Melisia Hayden (b. 1923), Maria Tolchif, Diana Adams, Tanakil Le Clair (b. 1929), Violet Verdi, Allegra Kent (b. 1938), Karin von Haraldingen (b. 1941), Patricia McBride, Susan Farrell, Merrill Ashley. Balanchine's student Jerome Robbins (1918–1998) is known as the creator of jazz dance with elements of folk and everyday vocabulary. Staged ballets: Sailors on the shoreL. Bernstein, 1944, Facsimile, 1946, Cell to music Basel Concerto for Strings Stravinsky, 1951, new edition Faun's Afternoon Rest (1953), Concertto music by Chopin, 1956, romantic ballet Dancing at the party to music by Chopin, choreographic version Goldberg Variations Bach, 1971, Water Mill to music by T. Ito. His musicals are widely known: Funny girl, Fiddler on the roof 1964, West Side Story, 1957. In the 1950s and 1960s, Robbins worked extensively on Broadway. After the death of Balanchine in 1983, together with P. Martins, he headed the troupe. Balanchine's successor, Danish dancer Peter Martins, became famous in a duet with S. Farrell; how the choreographer staged the ballets: Night in stage lighting Ch. Ives, 1978, Ecstatic orange, 1987, Black and white, 1986, Echo, 1989, Ash, 1991 M. Thorp. In 1991 Martins staged for the first time, completely uncut in the West, ballet Sleeping beauty.
American Ballet Theater, created in 1939 by Lucia Chase, philanthropist and ballerina, student of M. Mordkin. Chase directed the theater until 1980. If New York City Balle is an author's theater, American Ballet Theater is an international creation of several choreographers. The foundation of the theater was laid by the English choreographer Anthony Tudor, who worked in the theater since its foundation artistic director (1939-1950 and from 1974). The founder of the so-called. psychological ballet (he was called the "choreographer of human grief"), Tudor was interested in the world of the subconscious, when referring to the inner world of a person he used the vocabulary of modernity ( Pillar of fire to music by A. Schoenberg, 1942 with Nora Kay, Underwater current R. Schumann , 1945, Romeo and JulietDilius, 1943 with Hugh Lang). In 1975 he staged a plotless romantic ballet for Gelsi Kirkland (born 1952), recognized as the best performer of the part of Giselle in the United States Leaves wither to music by A. Dvorak. The leading dancers in Tudor were Nora Kay (1920–1989) and Hugh Lang (1911–1988). K. McMillan, D. Robbins, modern choreographers Glen Tetley (born 1926), Birgit Kulberg (born 1908), Tuayla Tharp (born 1942) also worked at the theater. The leading dancers of the theater in different years were: Alicia Alonso, John Kriza (1919-1975), Igor Yuskevich (1912-1994) and Alicia Markova; Tony Lander (1931-1985) , Sally Wilson (b. 1932), Bruce Marks (b. 1937), Roy Fernandez (1929-1980), Lupe Serrano (b. 1930 ) , Scott Douglas (1927-1996), Cynthia Gregory, Martina Van Hamel (b. 1945), Fernando Bujones, Natalia Makarova, Rudolf Nureyev, Danish Eric Brun, Karla Fracci (b. 1936), Ivan Nagy (b. 1943), V.A. Malakhov.
In 1980-1989 the artistic director of the troupe was Mikhail Baryshnikov, his deputy was K. McMillan. During that period, the famous production of M. Morris (b. 1955), a choreographer who won the fame of "Mozart of Contemporary Dance", was staged. Drink to me only with your eyes to music by W. Thomson. Macmillan resumed Romeo and Juliet, N. Makarova made her edition La Bayadere Minkus (1980). At the invitation of Baryshnikov in 1989, the ballerina of the Kirov Theater I. Kolpakova (b. 1933) worked as a teacher of the troupe.
If in the 19th century. American ballet was just in its infancy, then in the second half of the 20th century. the country experienced a ballet boom of the 20th century. and turned into a country of highly developed choreographic culture. In 1945, there were 25 troupes, but this number soon grew to 250. Several troupes operate in New York alone (Tuila Tharp's modern theaters, Robert Joffrey's Joffrey Ballle (b. 1930), Arthur Mitchell's African American Harlem Dance Theater) , « Balle Feld "Eliot Feld, b. 1942, etc.). Large cities have their own ballet companies: Chicago Balle, founded by Maria Tolchif, San Francisco Balle, Boston Balle, Miami Balle, Littlefield Balle of Philadelphia, etc.
Germany.
Unlike ballet in other European countries, the influence of the Russian dance school is less pronounced in German. At the beginning of the 20th century. in Germany and Austria, expressionism developed in all forms of art. Expressionist ballet developed on the basis of modern dance techniques, represented by the works of choreographers R. Laban (1879-1958), K. Joss (1901–1979), M. Wigman and her students H. Holm (1898–1992), G. Palucchi (1902–1992). They abandoned beautiful movements, replacing them with broken lines and rough shapes. The most famous work of this style was the anti-war ballet by K. Joss Green table, 1932. In the 1920s – 1930s, the ideas of the Bauhaus school, which promoted constructivism, were also popular in Germany and viewed the dance as a precisely calculated construction and an acrobatic exercise devoid of emotional coloring. This direction found its expression in the work of V. Skoronel.
In the second half of the 20th century. interest in modernity grew in Germany into postmodern experiments. A distinctive feature of modern German ballet is the use of choreographic ideas from American, Dutch and Czech choreographers. In 1961 the Stuttgart Ballet was headed by G. Cranko. The style of his ballets resembled the Soviet choreographic drama of the 1930s – 1940s, these are multi-act narrative works: Romeo and Juliet (1962) to the music of Prokofiev, Onegin (1965) to music by Tchaikovsky, arranged by K.H. Stolze, The Taming of the Shrew (1969) to the music of A. Scarlatti in the same arrangement with the participation of the outstanding duet Marcia Heide (b. 1939) - Richard Cragan (b. 1944). Cranko created an experimental creative workshop from which William Forsyth (b. 1949), John Neumeier (b. 1942), Jiri Kilian grew up. After the death of Cranko, the troupe was headed by the modern choreographer Glen Tetley (b. 1926), a student of Holm, famous for the performances of the ballet dedicated to Cranko Voluntary (1973) F. Poulenc and his own edition The sacred springStravinsky. Neumeier, American choreographer, worked at the Stuttgart Ballet in the 1960s – 1970s, and directed the Hamburg and Frankfurt theaters. Committed to religious and philosophical themes, which he implements in many hours of ballets (four hours of ballet Passion for Matthew, 1981). Other productions include: Separate travel Barbera (1968), Rondo (1970), Romeo and Juliet (1971), Nutcracker (1972), DuskA. Scriabin (1972), sleeping Beauty, ElegyTchaikovsky (1978), Ariel Mozart, Fourth symphony Mahler (1977). Forsyth is the ideologue of postmodern ballet, the head of the Frankfurt ballet; he is often called Balanchine of the 21st century. His choreography is based on associations, and often includes lyrics, films and photo projections. These are ballets Love songs(1979) folk music and In the middle, at some elevation to the music of L. Stuk and T. Willems, which he staged at the invitation of Nureyev at the Paris Opera in 1988. Forsyth was one of the first to use Willems' electronic music. Modern choreography cannot be imagined without the work of Pina Bausch (b. 1940), with her Dance Theater (Wuppertal, since 1971), a student of K. Joss, P. Taylor, E. Tudor, who simultaneously develops the expressionist tradition of German ballet and the psychological school of American ( Fragments, 1967; Arias, 1979; Palermo, Palermo, 1989; window washer, 1997; In the land of meadows, 2000; For the children of yesterday, today and tomorrow, 2002). The Berlin Opera Ballet was headed by K. McMillan in 1966-1969, currently (since 2002) its art director and leading soloist is V.A. Malakhov, who develops the classical direction of ballet.
Netherlands.
Before World War II, the most powerful influence was the German free dance, and in the second half of the 20th century. The Netherlands became the birthplace of postmodern dance. After the war, the Dutch National Ballet troupe was created in Amsterdam, in 1967 under the direction of Rudi van Danzig (b. 1933). In his outstanding ballets Monument to the deceased youth (1965) and The threads of time (1970) Nureyev danced to the music of J. Burman, who recalled that in these productions he first performed a dance lying on the floor of the stage. Van Danzig, like Forsyth, uses the harsh sound of electronic music and the futuristic scenery of Tour van Schaik. From other works: Night island J.C. Debussy (1965), Family circle B. Bartok (1958). In 1959 the Dutch Dance Theater troupe was founded in The Hague under the direction of Hans van Manen (b. 1932). The theater dedicated itself exclusively to contemporary choreography. Since 1973, Manen has been a ballet master of the Netherlands National Ballet. Performances: Symphony in 3 movements Messiana (1965), Metaphors Lesyura (1965), Five pieces to music by Hindemith (1966), Mutations K. Stockhausen (1970) , Sacred spring (1974). In 1978, Jiri Kilian became the director of the Dutch Dance Theater, who, like Tudor, develops the style of psychological ballet. Kilian uses movements performed while lying on the floor, achieves sculptural poses, composes high supports and rotations ( Return to a foreign country, 1974–1975, Symphonietta L. Janacek, 1987; A frequently visited place K.Chavez; Time to sleep Takemitsu. Other troupes in the country: the Dutch "Theater 3", the Dutch ballet "Scapino" under the direction of N. Kriste (Rotterdam).
Sweden.
Alternative forms of ballet have also developed in Sweden, with Swedish choreographers at the forefront of dance thought. The first Swedish ballet company operated in Paris from 1920-1925 under the guidance of the daring experimenter Jean Berlin (1893-1930). In 1949-1950 and 1963-1964 he also directed the Royal Swedish Ballet; in 1951-1952 and 1960-1963 this post was held by E. Tudor ( Echo of pipes to the music. B. Martin, 1963). In 1946-1947 the troupe was directed by Birgit Kulberg (born 1908, a student of K. Joss and M. Graham). In 1967 she founded the Kulberg Balle troupe, where she staged the famous ballet Freken Juliamusic by T. Rangström, as well as ballets Medea Bartok (1950), Romeo and Juliet Prokofiev (1969). Her handwriting is a combination of classical dance and modern, grotesque and pantomime. Mats Ek (born 1945), son of Kulberg, took over in 1990 with unconventional postmodern ballet productions Giselleand Swan Lake. Eck is one of the founders of postmodern aesthetics (theory of allusions, coding, polystylistics). His style is an ironic play with classical plots, quotes, dance canons, as a result of which the effect of clearing the cliché and a fresh look at the classics is created.
Denmark.
The Danish Royal Ballet is one of the oldest in Europe. The main task of Danish choreographers was the preservation of the Bournonville school, and thanks to Hans Beck (1861-1952) ( Coppelia, 1896), it was completed, but, on the other hand, further development stopped. In 1932-1951, during the directorship of Harald Lander (1905-1971), Vera Volkova (1904-1975), the largest expert on the Vaganova system in the West, worked in the theater. During this period, the Danish school came out of isolation and graduated the famous dancers P. Martins and E. Brun. Eric Brun (1928-1986), distinguished himself with a restrained, refined and at the same time courageous manner of dance. He has danced leading roles in classical ballets in theaters in the USA, Canada and Europe. In 1967-1971 he directed the Royal Swedish Ballet, in the 1980s - the National Ballet of Canada. Staged classical romantic ballets Little concertG.G. Gulda (1953), own editions Giselle(1959), Sylphs(1964), Coppelia (1975).
Canada.
The leading troupe, the National Ballet of Canada, was founded in Toronto in 1951 by Celia Franca (b. 1921), a ballerina of the English troupes Balle Rambert and Sadler's Wells Balle. She created a classical dance school based on the principles of English. She directed the troupe until 1974, with her in the theater Brun and Baryshnikov danced. In 1996, James Koudelka (b. 1955), one of the most interesting choreographers, became the director of the theater. There is a tradition in the theater to invite Russian dancers. Since 1994 V. Malakhov has been working in the National Ballet, A. Ratmansky danced with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, founded in 1938. In 1957, the Grand Canadian Ballet was created in Montreal.
Other countries.
The ballet of countries with a rich choreographic past (Austria, Italy) is currently on the periphery of ballet ideas. The musical theaters in Vienna and Milan prioritize opera. Although in Italy there is a centuries-old school of virtuoso dance, but talented ballerinas, as a rule, realize themselves abroad (Carla Fracci, b. 1936), Alessandra Ferucci, b. 1963), and Italian ballet is on the brink of survival.
In the second half of the 20th century. ballet has penetrated into countries where folk dance traditions are strong. In Spain appeared "Ballet lyrico national" under the direction of the former artist of the "Netherlands Dance Theater" Nacho Duato (b. 1957), in Latin America « National Ballet of Cuba ”(1948), created by the ballerina“ American Balle ”Alicia Alonso,“ Argentine Ballet ”, founded by the dancer of the same theater Julio Bocca (b. 1967). Ballet troupes appeared in Japan, where both classical ballet and modern dance are popular: Tokyo Ballet (1964), the KARAS group of Saburo Teshidawa (1985), open to all directions, from classical to performance.
Russian ballet.
Ballet in Russia, as well as in Europe, arose as a court art under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The first Russian ballet is considered Ballet about Orpheus and Eurydice(1673, music by G. Schütz, choreographer N. Lim, Comedian Horomina in the village of Preobrazhensky, Moscow). In 1738 the St. Petersburg Ballet School (now the Vaganova Academy of Choreography) was opened. The choreographers of the school J.B. Lande and A. Rinaldi staged a ballet divertissement in the opera at the court of Anna Ioannovna The power of love and hate(1736). Later, both served as court choreographers. Since the 1760s, Russian ballet has developed along the European mainstream of classicism theater. The choreographers, composers and set designers were Austrians and Italians.
In 1759–1764, the famous ballet masters F. Hilferding (1710–1768) and G. Anjolini (1731–1803) worked in Russia, staging ballets on mythological subjects ( Semira based on the tragedy of A.P. Sumarokov, 1772). In 1773, a ballet school was opened in Moscow - a ballet department at the Moscow Educational House, the basis of the future Moscow Academy of Choreography. The Moscow troupe, created as a public one, enjoyed greater independence than the state-owned Petersburg troupe. The art of the St. Petersburg troupe was more courtly, strict and academic, while the Moscow ballet was more democratic and poetic, committed to comedy and genre ballets ( Christmas time fun, G. Anjolini, 1767). Differences persisted later: the Leningrad ballet is still distinguished by classical severity, academicism, dance cantilence, the Moscow ballet - bravura, powerful leap, athleticism. The playwright Sumarokov sought the right to create his own state theater in Moscow, but Catherine II in the same year gave the monopoly on the organization of the theater to Prince P.V. Urusov and his companion, the Englishman M.G. Meddoks. The Moscow Bolshoi Theater traces its genealogy from the Meddoks and Urusov entreprise (Petrovsky Theater), organized in 1776. The Maddox troupe was created on the basis of the previously existing troupe of N.S. Titov (1766-1769), the theater of Moscow University. On the opening day of the Petrovsky Theater on December 30, 1780, a ballet-pantomime was staged by the Austrian choreographer L. Paradis, who arrived in Russia with the Hilferding troupe Magic shop... In the 1780s, choreographers F. Morelli, P. Pinyuchi, J. Solomoni arrived from Italy to Russia. At the turn of the 18th – 19th centuries. staged at the Petrovsky Theater, as well as in the serf troupes of N.P. Sheremetyev and N.B. Yusupov, magnificent divertissements performed as an addition to an opera or drama. Ballets on national themes were popular: Rustic simplicity, Rustic picture, Gypsy ballet, The capture of Ochakov(all - 1 third of the 19th century). Among the productions of Solomonini, the most famous choreographer who worked in Vienna with Noverre, the ballet of the latter Medea and Jason, 1800, Petrovsky Theater, American ballet or the defeated cannibals, 1790, Kuskovo, then Petrovsky Theater. From 1800 Solomonini served as the chief choreographer of the Petrovsky Theater. In 1800 he delivered A vain precaution choreography by J. Doberval under the title Deceived old woman.
In St. Petersburg, the first public Bolshoi Theater (Stone), in the future the Imperial Mariinsky Theater, opened in 1783. In 1803 its ballet troupe split from the opera, taking a privileged position among other genres of theater. The ballet enjoyed government subsidies and was subordinate to the management of the imperial theaters.
At the turn of the 18-19 centuries. the time has come for the approval of Russian ballet. Domestic composers A.N. Titov, S.I.Davydov, K.A.Kavos, F.E.Sholts, as well as the first Russian choreographer I.I.Valberkh (1766-1819) appeared. He combined the traditions of Russian folk dance with the dramatic pantomime and virtuoso technique of Italian ballet. Working in the mainstream of sentimentalism, Walberch staged the first ballet on a national theme - melodrama New Werther Titov, 1799. During the war of 1812, popular patriotic divertissements spread, and Walberch staged a ballet in St. Petersburg Love for the fatherland Kavos, which was based on Russian folk dance. In 1812, the genre of divertissement took off, thanks to it the dancers AI Kolosova (1780-1869), TI Glushkovskaya (1800-1857), AI Voronina (1806-1850) gained fame.
The most important event for Russian ballet was the arrival in Russia of a prominent choreographer of the pre-romanticism era Sh.L. Didlo (he worked in St. Petersburg in 1800-1809, 1816-1829). He staged Anacreontic ballets Marshmallow and Flora (1808), Cupid and Psyche (1809), Acis and Galatea (1816), as well as ballets on historical, comedy, everyday themes: Young thrush (1817), Return from India or wooden leg (1821). Didlot became the founder of the genre of anacreontic ballet, named after the ancient poet Anacreon, the creator of the genre of love lyrics. M. Danilova (1793-1810), E.A. Teleshova (1804-1857), A.S. Novitskaya (1790-1822) became famous in Didlot's ballets. Under his leadership, the Russian ballet school began to form, he staged more than 40 ballets, gradually making the transition from mythological themes to modern literary subjects. In 1823 he delivered Prisoner of the Caucasus based on the poem by A.S. Pushkin, collaborated with the composer Kavos. AI Istomina (1799-1848) shone in his performances, whose dance was glorified by Pushkin, describing it as "a flight performed by the soul." Istomina's art foreshadowed the beginning of Russian romantic ballet and embodied the originality of the Russian school, focused on emotional expressiveness.
After the expulsion of the French in 1812, the Russian ballet school was headed by A.P. Glushkovsky (1793–1870), a follower of Walberch and Didlot. His activity marked an era in the history of Russian ballet. During the war of 1812, he staged 18 ballets and a large number of divertissements (melodramas, anacreontic ballets, Scholz's ballets Ruslan and Ludmila based on a poem by Pushkin, 1812, and Three belts, or Russian Sandrillon, 1826 based on the ballad of V.A. Zhukovsky). He successfully combined the possibilities of pantomime and dance, became the first theorist and historian of Russian ballet, educated a galaxy of students: D.S. Lopukhina (1806-1855), I.K. Lobanov (1797-1840) and others. She was of great importance for the Moscow ballet activities of the choreographer and teacher F. Gullen-Sor (Richard) (1805-1860), a French ballerina who came to Moscow in 1823 ( Marshmallow and Flora, 1815, SandrillonF. Sora, 1825, Muses celebration, 1825). She had a great influence on the formation of the individualities of EA Sankovskaya (1816–1878), TS Karpakova (1812–1842).
First third of the 19th century - the time when the national ballet school was formed. At the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, the magnificent extravaganzas of A. Blanc and A. Titus dominated on a well-equipped stage. The performance of ballet scenes in Mikhail Glinka's operas prepared the Russian ballet for the symphonic development of images. The tours of M. Taglioni in 1834–1842 and F. Elsler in 1848–1851 were of great importance. 1830-1840s - the time of romanticism in Russian ballet. In St. Petersburg, E.A. Andreeyanova (1819-1857) became the best romantic dancer, in Moscow - E. Sankovskaya, who is considered the first among the great Russian ballerinas. She took lessons in dramatic art from M.S. Shchepkin, her best roles: Sylphide, Esmeralda, Ondine (Virgin of the Danube), Elena Vardek (Katarina, the robber's daughter). Contemporaries called her the soul of the Moscow ballet. Petersburg Ballet in 1848-1859 was headed by the leader of romanticism J. Perrot. Romanticism in Russia lasted longer than in the West, because Russian ballet enjoyed the patronage of the court for many years and remained a court art. When realism came to other forms of art in the 1860s, Russian ballet retained its already conservative romantic orientation. Petipa began in the style of romanticism (the act of shadows in La BayadereA. Minkus, 1877, ballets King Candavl C. Puni, 1868, Don Quixote Minkus, 1869, Pharaoh's daughterC. Puni, Magic mirror A. Koreshchenko), in which he continued the process of dance symphonization. The greatest choreographer of that period was A. Saint-Leon (1821-1870). In 1859-1869 he served in St. Petersburg ( Coppelia L. Delibes, The Little Humpbacked Horse Ts.Puni). These were the years when divertissement and staging effects dominated, but at the same time K. Blazis worked in St. Petersburg, improving the technique and vocabulary of Russian ballet. Under him, the dance was finally divided into classical and characteristic. Of the ballerinas who danced in those years, MN Muravieva (1838–1879) and the dancer VF Geltser (1840–1908) stand out.
In 1882, the monopoly of the imperial theaters was abolished, as a result of which virtuoso Italian ballerinas came to Russian ballet — Virginia Zucchi (1847–1930), Pierina Legnani (1863–1923), Carlotta Brianza (1867–1930), Antonietta Del Era. They played an important role in the approval of the academic ballet and performed the main roles in ballets directed by Petipa. Arriving from France in 1847 and becoming the main choreographer of the Mariinsky Theater in 1862, Petipa created classical dance ensembles, approved its canonical forms (adagio, pas de deux, dance suites, grand pas, final coda), developed the principle of symmetry in the construction of the corps de ballet, contrasting comparisons of mass and solo dance. Petipa continued the process of symphonizing the dance and came to cooperate with symphonic composers Tchaikovsky and Glazunov (previously the choreographers worked with the staff of the court composers invited from abroad - the Czech L. Minkus and the Italian C. Puni , who still thought in terms of ballet-divertissement). The result of this fruitful cooperation was the masterpieces of choreographic art, which are still the basis of the repertoire of any ballet theater: sleeping Beauty (1890), Nutcracker(1892), Swan Lake (1895) Tchaikovsky, Raymonda(1898), Seasonsand Maid-mistress Glazunov, 1900. All these are the heights of ballet symphony. First production Swan Lakeby the Czech choreographer W. Reisinger in 1877 was unsuccessful. In the process of preparing these multi-act ballets, the type of large (academic) ballet developed. Leonid Ivanov, the second choreographer of the Mariinsky Stage, went even further, already beyond the bounds of academicism, having composed poetic scenes of swans (acts Swan Lake, 1895) and the dance of snowflakes in Nutcracker, 1892). Having developed corps de ballet dance, Ivanov turned the fairy tale ballet into a philosophical parable. His choreography continued the tradition of the "white" romantic ballet of the early 19th century. and foreshadowed the style of the 20th century ballet, its impressionistic and metaphorical imagery. Under Petipa and Ivanov, the performing talent of E.O. Vazem (1848–1937), brothers N.G. and SG Legat (1869-1937), (1875-1905), M. Kshesinskaya, OI Preobrazhenskaya (1870-1962), who destroyed the monopoly of visiting Italian ballerinas and mastered the Italian virtuoso technique. A Spanish choreographer, teacher J. Mendes (1843-1905), worked at the Moscow school, who raised the level of the troupe and educated the individualities of L.A. Roslavleva (1874-1904), the Italian A.A. Dzhuri (1872-1963), E.V. Geltser and her permanent partner VD Tikhomirov (1876-1956).
By the beginning of the 20th century. the Russian school of dance was established, absorbing the elements of the French school of Didlot, the Italian Blasis, Cecchetti and the Danish school of H. Johanson. As a result, the Russian ballet school became the best in the world, and the success of Russian Seasons and Diaghilev's Russian Ballet troupe proved this.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. in Russian art, the era of modernity reigned, a director's theater appeared. The type of spectacular multi-act performance with pantomime scenes and canonical forms of classical dance is outdated. To comply with the aesthetic concept of the Silver Age, the ballet needed reforms, the beginning of which was laid by the choreographer of the Bolshoi Theater A.A. Gorsky, who worked in the theater from 1902-1924. In contrast to the outdated academism, he put forward a choreographic drama in which the stage action was expressed by dance ( Daughter of Gudula A.Yu. Simona, 1902, Salammbô A.F. Arends, 1910). In the spirit of the choreodrama, Gorsky repeatedly reworked Swan Lake, Giselle... Under Gorsky, the individualities of V.A. Karalli (simultaneously - silent movie stars, 1886-1972), S.V. Fedorova (1879-1963), A.M. Balashova (1887-1979), O.V. Fedorova (1882 –1942), M.M. Mordkin (1880–1944).
The experiments of M.M. Fokin were of even greater importance. He fought against obsolete academicism by introducing elements of free and folklore vocabulary into classical dance. He composed a new type of performance - a one-act ballet with a through action, stylistic unity of music, choreography and scenography and focused on capturing the moment with choreographic methods. The monumental performance was replaced by a one-act miniature ballet. Fokine created ballets for the Mariinsky Stage Eunice, Egyptian nights scene Polovtsian dances in the opera by A. Borodin Prince Igor, ballet Armida Pavilion N.N. Cherepnina (1907); Chopininana (Sylphs) F. Chopin (1908), later for "Russian Seasons" - Carnival (1910) and Butterflies, (1912) to music by R. Schumann, symphonic poem by M. N. Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade(1910), Vision of a rose K.M. Weber (1911), Daphnis and Chloe M. Ravel (1912). Fokine attached great importance to scenography. Artists of the World of Art association (L.S. Bakst, A.N.Benois, N.K. Roerich, K.A.Korovin, A.Ya. Golovin), who designed Fokine's productions, became their full-fledged co-authors. The success of his ballets was facilitated by the work of dancers: A. Pavlova, T. Karsavina, Nijinsky, Mordkin, A.R. Bolm (1884-1951). The concert number became the symbol of the choreography of impressionism Swan C. Sen-Saëns (1907), composed by Fokine for Pavlova. Despite its enormous success, ballet impressionism turned out to be a historically limited style: trying to convey the subtlest shades of mood in movement, it lost meaningfulness. Fokin's collaboration with Pavlova and Karsavina turned out to be short-lived. In 1909 Pavlova created her own troupe, "Queen Colombin" Karsavina returned to classical ballet.
Diaghilev's ballet seasons.
Since 1909, the talented entrepreneur SP Diaghilev has been organizing an annual tour of the Russian ballet in Paris, called the Russian Seasons. For Russian Seasons, Fokine moved his productions at the Mariinsky Theater to Paris ( Chopininana in the Parisian version is named Sylphs, Egyptian Nights - Cleopatra) and staged Stravinsky's ballets Firebird (1910) and Parsley (1911), which had a resounding success. After Fokine left Diaghilev, two more Stravinsky ballets were staged by Nijinsky, ( Faun's Afternoon Rest, 1912; Sacred spring). As a choreographer, Nijinsky was the first to turn to the forms of expressionist ( Sacred spring) and plotless ( Games K. Debussy; 1913) ballet. Possessing a phenomenal jump, he returned priority to the male dance ( Vision of a rose Weber). In 1911-1929 Diaghilev founded his own troupe, Diaghilev's Russian Ballet, which toured Europe and the United States. Diaghilev's choreographers were L. Massine (staged a cubist ballet Parade (1917) with scenery by P. Picasso and music by E. Satie to libretto by J. Cocteau, Tricorne (1919) M. de Falla, plotless ballet Oh yeahto music by N. Nabokov (1928), Women in a good mood D. Scarlatti, Russian tales A. Lyadova); Bronislava Nijinska (staged Stravinsky's ballets Bike about Fox (1922); Wedding(1923); Pulcinella(1920); MercuryE . Sati (1924), LaniF . Poulenca, (1924), Steel gallop S. Prokofiev, (1927). In 1924 Balanchine joined the troupe, who again turned to Stravinsky's music, composing ballets Fireworks, Nightingale song and Apollo Musaget, 1928, as well as BallIN . Rieti, 1925, Cat A. Soge, 1927, Prokofiev's expressionist ballet Prodigal son, 1929. Stravinsky's music for ballets had a resounding success The sacred spring, painting pictures of pagan Russia with its daring accords and rhythms. Nijinsky guessed the musical theme Spring, transforming it into plastic en dedans ("closed" position of the legs: socks and knees are brought together). Dodecaphony Stravinsky opened a new stage in world music. In 1916 he continued the theme of Parsley in Bike about the Fox, the Rooster, the Cat and the Ram. In the early 1920s, Stravinsky returned to neoclassicism ( Pulcinella, 1919 to the music of J. Pergolesi), since 1950, dodecaphony again prevailed in his music ( Agon, 1957). Diaghilev expanded the range of musical works performed as ballet music, including Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and the music of the French avant-garde (composers of the so-called Six: Sati, Fauré, Soge, Oric, Orff, Poulenc).
Despite the emigration of many outstanding artists, the difficulties of the revolution and the Civil War, ballet companies from Moscow and St. Petersburg retained their repertoire and continued to work (E.V. Geltser, V.V. Krieger (1893–1978), E.P. Gerdt (1891–1975 Ballet schools functioned as well.In the 1920s, Vaganova's famous system of teaching classical dance (1879-1951) began to take shape, which reworked various techniques that influenced the Russian school in the book The basics classical dancerevered as a ballet Bible. Vaganova's method, based on the study of the natural reactions of the body, requires harmony and coordination of movements, her students were distinguished by the amplitude of movements, a soaring jump and a strong back, which gave them the ability to control the body even in flight, prolonged elevation, expressive flexible arms. Although Vaganova herself studied with Johanson, a representative of the Danish school of choreography, she did not include the Bournonville school in her system. Nevertheless, the Soviet school, along with the Danish, is considered the best in training male dancers, which is characterized by a powerful soaring jump, dynamic rotations, athleticism, and the ability to upper supports. In 1920, the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theaters received the status of academic theaters and were renamed the State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet and the State Academic Bolshoi Theater.
1920s - the time of the Russian avant-garde, experiments and searches in all areas of art. A new generation of choreographers has announced itself. Gorsky continued to work at the Bolshoi Theater ( Swan Lake, 1920; Stenka Razin, 1918; Giselle, 1922; Forever fresh flowers B. Asafiev, 1922). K.Ya. Goleizovsky began his experiments, who created the "Moscow Chamber Ballet" ( FaunC. Debussy, 1922). In 1925 he staged ballet at the Bolshoi Theater Joseph the BeautifulS.N.Vasilenko in the avant-garde costumes of B.R. Erdman.
In Petrograd, the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater was headed by FV Lopukhov. He put on a dance symphony The greatness of the universeto music by Beethoven (1922), allegorical revolutionary ballet Red vortex V.M.Deshevoy (1924), ballets by Stravinsky Pulcinella (1926), A tale about a Fox, a Rooster, a Cat and a Ram (1927), NutcrackerTchaikovsky in the constructivist scenery of V.V. Dmitriev (1929). Lopukhov was an outstanding experimenter and boldly introduced new vocabulary: elements of acrobatics and sports, folk rituals and games. He introduced in the men's dance the ballerina's upper support on one arm. This element has become one of the hallmarks of the Soviet style in ballet.
In democratic Moscow, under the influence of the modern Duncan dance, numerous studios of free plastic and rhythmoplastic dance by L.I. Lukin, V.V. Maya, I.S. Chernetskaya, N.S. Gremina and N.N. Rakhmanov, L.N. Alekseeva arose. IN « Mastfor "N. Foregger experimented with" dancing machines ", in Petrograd worked studios" Heptakhor "," Young Ballet "G.M. Balanchivadze (Balanchina). A choreological laboratory has been set up at the State Academy of Art Sciences (GAKhN) to deal with theoretical problems of free dance.
A.N. Ermolaev, V.M. Chabukiani, A.F. Messerer became famous in the male dance . In the women's dance, M.T.Semenova, O.V. Lepeshinskaya, T.M. Vecheslova (1910–1991), N.M. Dudinskaya were in the lead. G.S. Ulanova, K.M. were conquered by lyricism, the ability to create psychological complexity of characters. Sergeev, M.M. Gabovich (1905-1965).
Since 1932, the style of socialist realism has become the only one possible in all types of art. A multi-act plot performance has returned to the ballet ( Red poppyR.M. Glier, staged by V.D. Tikhomirov and L.A. Lashchilin, 1927). The Bolshoi Theater became the first ballet theater in the country, the embodiment of the Soviet ballet style (heroism, cantilence, emotionality of dance). The Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater (since 1935 - named after S.M. Kirov) preserved the academic traditions of classical ballet. The demand for realism in ballet, the trend towards literary centrism, led in the 1930s to the revival of choreodrama or drama ballet, where psychologized or danced pantomime dominated dance. The Soviet choreodrama of the 1930s – 1940s is a plot performance with a predominance of characteristic dance, distinguished by its staged splendor. Everything that goes beyond realism is declared by formalism ( Light stream Lopukhov - Shostakovich, 1935). Choreographers V.I. Vainonen, R.V. Zakharov, L.M. Lavrovsky worked in the genre of drama ballet. The most famous ballets Bakhchisarai fountain, 1934; Lost illusions, 1935; Bronze Horseman, 1949 staged by Zakharov (the flood scene became the apotheosis of the style, when the Bolshoi stage turned into a lake); Prisoner of the Caucasus, 1938; Romeo and Juliet, 1940; Cinderella, 1949 S. Prokofiev staged by Lavrovsky; Flame of Paris, 1932 Vainonen; Laurencia, 1939 Chabukiani. Drum ballet choreographers abandoned large classical ensembles. In the field of choreodrama, symphonic composers worked: B. Asafiev, R. Glier, A. Kerin, A. Khachaturian. In connection with the increasing role of pantomime, in the 1930s a new school of performance was formed, which is characterized by acting talent, psychological depth, which reached its apogee in Ulanova's work.
In the 1930s – 1940s, new ballet theaters emerged: the troupe of the KS Stanislavsky and VI Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater on the basis of the Moscow Artistic Ballet troupe of V. Krieger; Maly Opera House (MALEGOT) in Leningrad. New choreographers N.S. Kholfin (1903-1979), V.P. Burmeister (1904-1971), Moscow, B.A. Fenster (1916-1960), Leningrad appeared. An outstanding choreographer was Burmeister, who worked in 1941-1960, 1963-1970 at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Musical Theater ( TatyanaAND . Crane, 1947; Coast of happiness A. Spadavecchia, 1948; original edition Swan Lake, 1953; Esmeralda Puni, 1950; Straussian, 1941; Snow Maiden Tchaikovsky, 1963). Comedy ballet and ballet for children became Fenster's element ( Imaginary groom and youth M.I. Chulaki; 1949, Dr. Aibolit, I. Morozova, 1948, MALEGOT). A new galaxy of dancers appeared: V.T.Bovt (1927–1995), M.M. Plisetskaya, R.S.Struchkova (1925–2005), N.B.Fadeechev (b. 1933), A.Ya.Shelest (1919 –1998), etc.
Since the 1920s, musical theaters have also worked in Sverdlovsk, Perm, Saratov, Gorky, Kuibyshev, as well as in the capitals of the Union republics. Since the mid-1950s, ballet schools have been established at the Perm and Sverdlovsk theaters.
By the early 1950s, there was a need for ballet reforms. In 1956, the first foreign tour of the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe took place in London, which was a huge success, but at the same time revealed a lag between Soviet choreography and Western choreography.
Leningrad choreographers were the first to embark on the path of reforms: Y. N. Grigorovich ( Stone Flower S.S. Prokofiev, 1957; The legend of love A.A. Melikov, 1961 in the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Kirov), I.D.Belsky (b. 1925) staged ballets Coast of hope A.P. Petrov, 1959; Leningrad SymphonyD.D. Shostakovich, 1961; The Little Humpbacked Horse R.K.Schedrina, 1963), L.V. Yakobson in 1969 created the ensemble "Choreographic miniatures". They returned danceability to ballet, enriched the vocabulary of dance with acrobatic elements, revived mass dance, previously forgotten genres of one-act, symphonic ballet, expanded the theme of ballets.
F. Lopukhov and K. Goleizovsky returned to their work. O. M. Vinogradov (b. 1937) ( Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, 1964–1965; Asel V.A. Vlasov, 1967, Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater; Goryanka music by M.M. Kazhlaev, 1968; Yaroslavna music by B.I.Tishchenko, 1974, MALEGOT), N.D. Kasatkina (b. 1934) and V.Yu. Vasilev (b. 1934), who created the ensemble "Moscow Classical Ballet" in 1977, since 1992 - "State Theater classical ballet "( Gayane Khachaturian, 1977; world creation Petrova, 1978; Romeo and Juliet Prokofiev, 1998, etc.); G.D. Aleksidze (b. 1941), developing the genre of dance symphonies ( Oresteia, 1968; Scythian suite Prokofiev, 1969; Theme with variationsBrahms; Concerto in F major Vivaldi; in 1966-1968 for the Leningrad theater "Chamber Ballet" in 1966-1967 created ballet programs Aphorisms to the music. Shostakovich; Metamorphosis Britten, then revived the ballet Rameau Gallant India; Pulcinella Stravinsky and Prodigal son Prokofiev, both - 1978); B.Ya. Eifman (b. 1946), experimented at the Kirov and Maly Opera Theaters ( FirebirdStravinsky, 1975, Moron to the music. 6 symphonies by Tchaikovsky, 1980; Master and MargaritaPetrova, 1987; in 1977 he created the St. Petersburg Ballet Theater. Leningrad choreographer D.A. Bryantsev (b. 1947), who began his career at the Kirov Theater, in 1985 became the head of the ballet troupe of the Musical Theater. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko ( Optimistic tragedy M. Bronner, 1985; Corsair Adana, 1989; Othello A. Machavariani, 1991). In 1966 in Moscow, IA Moiseev organized Young Ballet (since 1971 - Classical Ballet), the first choreographic concert ensemble in the USSR.
The leader of the new wave was Grigorovich, a master of dance metaphor in a story ballet. With his arrival at the State Academic Bolshoi Theater in 1964, the theater experienced a rise, culminating in his productions: Nutcracker, 1966 and SpartacusKhachaturian, 1968. For the Bolshoi Theater he composed the original version Swan Lake (1968), multiple editions Sleeping beauty, (1963, 1973), in 1975 staged a ballet Ivan groznyj, in 1979 – Romeo and Julietboth on muses . Prokofiev, Angara A. Eshpaya, in 1982 - Golden age Shostakovich. In Grigorovich's ballets, the duets of NI Bessmertnov –L.M. Lavrovsky (b. 1941), ESMaksimov –V.Vasiliev became famous, the talent of M.E. Liepa (1936-1989), N.I. Sorokina (b. 1942), N.V. Timofeeva (b. 1935). However, by the early 1980s, new performances by Grigorovich appeared less and less, while ballets by other directors (Plisetskaya, Kasatkina and Vasilev, Vasiliev, Vinogradov, A. Alonso ) made their way onto the stage with difficulty. In fact, the Bolshoi was in crisis due to the monopoly of one choreographer, while all ballet theaters in the country were equal to the Bolshoi. Innovative techniques, having become immutable canons, have become a cliche. If foreign choreography did not penetrate the Bolshoi Theater, then the Kirov Theater with the arrival of O. Vinogradov (1977) became more open to world trends. During his repertoire, ballets by Balanchine, Robbins and Tudor, Macmillan, Neumeier, Bournonville appeared in the repertoire, an Evening of ancient choreography by P. Lacotte from previously unknown fragments of ballets by Perrot, Taglioni, Saint-Leon, Petipa was held.
In 1960-1970 a new wave of talented dancers appeared: Yu.V. Vladimirov (b. 1942), MV Kondratyeva (b. 1934), LI Semenyaka, (b. 1952), AA Asylmuratova ( b. 1961), I. A. Kolpakova (b. 1933), N. A. Dolgushin, (b. 1938), A. E. Osipenko, (b. 1932), F.S. Ruzimatov (b. 1963) , A.I.Sizova (b. 1939), Yu.V. Soloviev (1940–1977). M. Plisetskaya continued to work. A. Alonso created for her Carmen Suite, R.Pety - Death of a roseMahler, Bejart - Isadoraand Bolero... As a choreographer, she staged R. Shchedrin's ballets: Anna Karenina, 1972; Gull, 1980; Lady with a dog, 1984. As a choreographer V. Vasiliev performed: Anyuta, V. Gavrilina, 1986; Romeo and Juliet, 1990; Macbeth K. Molchanov, 1980; Giselle, Swan Lake, 1999.
A new generation of composers has appeared: R.K.Schedrin, Petrov, M.M. Kazhlaev, N.N.N. Karetnikov, K.S. Khachaturian, A.B. Zhurbin, V.V. Besedina, M.B. .Bronner, Eshpye. In the geography of ballet, the leading place is occupied by Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Ural region (Perm, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk). A strong ballet school has developed in Perm. A graduate of the Perm Choreographic School N.V. Pavlova (born in 1956) in 1973, who received the Grand Prix of the Moscow Ballet Competition, became one of the leading lyrical ballerinas of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater; in the post-Soviet period, distinctive modern dance troupes appeared in Perm and Chelyabinsk.
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing economic crisis brought immense hardship to ballet companies, which had previously been generously subsidized by the state. Many dancers and educators left the country to settle in the United States, England, Germany and other Western countries.
With the end of the Grigorovich era in 1995, the Bolshoi went through a crisis associated with an ill-conceived personnel and economic policy of the theater. Russian ballet has missed several generations of the evolution of European choreography and is currently experiencing a shortage of dance ideas. At the same time, the level of the performing school has been preserved. Vivid individualities have developed such as N.G. Ananiashvili, M.A.Aleksandrova, A.A.Antonicheva, D.V. Belogolovtsev, A.Yu.Bogatyrev, A.N. Vetrova, N.A. Gracheva, D.K. .Gudanov, S.Yu.Zakharova, Yu.V. Klevtsov, Ilze and Maris Liepa, N.M. Tsiskaridze (Bolshoi Theater); D.V. Vishnevaya, U. V. Lopatkina, I. A. Nioradze (Mariinsky Theater); M.S.Drozdova, N.V. Ledovskaya, T.A. Chernobrovkina, V. Kirillov, A. Domashev, G. Smilevsky, V. Dick (Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater).
After 1991, Russian ballet began to master the experience of Western ballet in the field of modernity, jazz, free plastic arts. The Bolshoi is actively staging ballets by Western choreographers ( Sylph edited by E-M. von Rosen, Denmark, 1994; Symphony in C major, Agon, MozartianaBalanchine, 1998-1999; The Queen of Spadesto the music of Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony, Passacaglia Webern, 1998; Notre dame cathedral Petit, 2003; Pharaoh's daughter Lacotte, 2000; A vain precaution F. Ashton, 2002; A dream in a summer night Neumeier, 2004). Even earlier, the Mariinsky Theater turned to Balanchine's ballets. For ballet production Prodigal sonS. Prokofiev's theater received the Golden Mask award in 2003. In the same year, the theater first performed three famous Forsyth ballets: Steptext to the music of Bach, Dizzying rapture with precisionto the music of Schubert and Where golden cherries hang to music by T. Willems and L. Stuk. Reconstructions of old productions are popular: sleeping BeautyTchaikovsky, La Bayadere Minkus, 1991 at the Bolshoi Theater, Swan Lake at the Mariinsky, CoppeliaDelibes in Novosibirsk, A.M. Liepa's experience in restoring Fokin's ballets, 1999 ( Parsley, scene Polovtsian dances, Scheherazade). On the other hand, the Russian and Soviet classics are not only restored, but subjected to modernized interpretations ( Don Quixote as amended by Fadeechev, 1999, Light stream and BoltShostakovich as amended by A. Ratmansky, respectively, 2003 and 2005, Romeo and Juliet R. Poliktaru, 2004, all - Bolshoi Theater, NutcrackerK.A. Simonova, 2002, (director and ballet artist M.M. Shemyakin), Cinderella Ratmansky, 2003, both - Mariinsky Theater, Romeo and Juliet, 1997 and Nutcracker, 2000, at the Perm Theater "E. Panfilov Ballet".
The practice of dancers and choreographers abroad was legalized. Many dancers have made international careers (I. Mukhamedov, A. Asylmuratova, Ananiashvili, D. Vishneva, Malakhov, V. Derevyanko, A. V. Fedotov, Y. M. Posokhov, I. A. Zelensky, Ratmansky). V. Malakhov, a graduate of the Moscow Academy of Choreography, laureate of ballet competitions, in 1997 was named the best dancer in the world, works simultaneously in several foreign ballet companies, since 2002 - director of the Berlin State Theater Unter den Linden, realizes himself as a choreographer. D. Bryantsev ( The Taming of the Shrew M. Bronner, 1996; one act ballets Bravo, Figaro 1985; Scythiansand Cowboys D. Gershwin, 1988; The lonely voice of a man Vivaldi, N. Paganini and O. Kitaro, 1990; Ghost ball Chopin, 1995; Biblical legends, Shulamith V. Besedina and Salome P. Gabriel, 1997-1998, Lady with camellias Verdi, 2001), since 1994 Bryantsev has been simultaneously working as the chief choreographer of the Petersburg troupe of the Chamber Ballet; Eifman's Petersburg Ballet Theater acquired the status of the State Academic ( Russian HamletBeethoven-Mahler, 1999; Requiem Mozart 1998; Karamazov, 1995 to the music of Rachmaninoff, Wagner, Mussorgsky and gypsy songs, Tchaikovsky, 1995 ("The Golden Mask"), Teresa RakenBach-Schnittke, Don Quixote Minkus, Red Giselleto the music. Tchaikovsky, My Jerusalem, 1998, musical Who is who, 2004.
One of the leading choreographers in Russia was Ratmansky (b. 1968), who was "discovered" by Ananiashvili when he was a dancer of the Danish Royal Ballet. He composed ballets for her: The delights of mannerism to music by R. Strauss and Dreams of Japanwho received the "Golden Mask". Currently, while continuing to live in Denmark, he works as the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet ( Light streamShostakovich, 2002). At the Mariinsky Theater he staged Cinderella, at the Fadeechev Dance Theater - L. Bernstein's ballet Lea("The Golden Mask" -2003). Ananiashvili herself headed her own entreprise, in 2004 she became the artistic director of the Georgian national ballet and director of the Tbilisi Choreographic School. V. Chabukiani. Moldavian choreographer Radu Poliktaru, who graduated from the Minsk Choreographic School and won first prize at the competition of ballet dancers named after I. Serge Lifar in Kiev, 2003, staged a postmodern version in the Bolshoi Theater Romeo and JulietProkofiev (2004).
Independent private troupes and schools of different directions appeared: “Dance Theater” under the direction of Fadeechev (another name “A. Ratmansky Ballet Theater”), “Imperial Ballet” by G. Taranda, a number of postmodern dance theaters (E.A. Panfilova, G.M. Abramova, A.Yu. Pepelyaeva). The first private ballet theater was E. Panfilov's Experiment Theater in Perm (1987), in 2000 it received the status of the state and its modern name: “E. Panfilov's Perm Theater”. Panfilov (1956–2002) created a distinctive style, combining classical, modern, jazz and folklore. He staged 49 ballets and 70 miniatures ( Runto the music. A.G. Schnittke, 1988; Mistralon the muses of K. Orf, 1993; Man in black, woman in green, to the music. Tchaikovsky, 1994; Dead islandto the music. Rachmaninoff, 1991; Fantasies in black and fiery colorto the music. I.V. Mashukov, Enigma and M. Ravel groups, 1991; Vision of a roseWeber, 1994; Parrot cage to ballet music Carmen Bizet-Shchedrin, Romeo and Juliet, Prokofiev, 1996; Vision of a roseWeber, Parrot cage to the music of the opera by Bizet Carmen, Habakkuk ... Mystery Dance music by V. Martynov, 1998; Different trams, 2001, Blockadeto the music of the Siege Symphony by D. Shostakovich, 2003). Panfilov's theater was a completely author's performance, he composed not only choreography, but also decoration, costumes, lighting. In addition to the main troupe, a number of auxiliary ones have been created at the theater, consisting not only of professional dancers (Tolstoy Ballet, since 1994, Fight Club, since 2000, Belle Corps de ballet, since 2004). For the play about the war Baba, year 1945, performed by the Tolstoy Ballet, the theater was awarded the Golden Mask Prize in the Best Innovation nomination -2000. Panfilov, a daring experimenter, who died early, was called the second Diaghilev and the choreographer of the 21st century. Since 2002, the theater's artistic director is S.A. Rainik, one of the leading dancers of the troupe.
Among other theaters of contemporary dance (Contemporary Dance) - twice laureate of the "Golden Mask" award "Theater of Contemporary Dance" under the direction of V. and O. Pon, (Chelyabinsk, since 1992; Kinomania or is there life on Mars, 2001; Does the English queen know life, 2004), laureate of the international dance competition in Paris, group "Provincial Dances" under the direction of T. Baganova, (Yekaterinburg, since 1990, Wedding Stravinsky, 1999), Moscow Theater "Class of experimental plastics" G. Abramov, choreographer of the theater A.A. Vasiliev, since 1990, "Dance Theater A. Kukin" , since 1991, the group “Nota bené” by V. Arkhipov, choreographer of the theater “Satyricon”, since 1999. One of the most intellectual dance theaters in Russia is the Moscow group “PO.V.S.Tantsy” (ballet on the floor Body leaves on electronic music, 2003).
CLASSIC DANCE TECHNIQUE
In classical dance, five leg positions are adopted, performed in such a way that the legs are turned outward (hence the term "eversion"). It is not about turning only the feet with the socks in different directions, the whole leg should be turned, starting from the hip joint. Since this is only possible with sufficient flexibility, the dancer must exercise daily and for long periods of time to learn how to effortlessly assume the required position.
What is eversion needed for?
Firstly, eversion allows you to easily and gracefully perform all lateral movements. The dancer can move from side to side while remaining facing the viewer. Secondly, when the necessary eversion has been developed, the legs move more easily, you can raise your leg into the air much higher without disturbing the balance of the body. When the leg is extended in an inverted position, the hips remain on the same, horizontal level. If the dancer does not have eversion, then he has to raise one hip in order to give the leg the opportunity to move up, and the balance is disturbed. Thus, eversion gives maximum freedom of movement while maintaining maximum balance. Thirdly, due to the inversion of the body line, the general appearance of the dancer becomes more attractive.
Classical dance positions.
First position: Feet touching with heels and with toes turned outward, forming a straight line on the floor.
Second position is similar to the first, but the heels of the inverted legs are spaced from one another by the length of the foot (i.e., by about 33 cm).
Third position: the feet are close to each other so that the heel of one foot is in contact with the middle of the other foot (i.e. one foot covers half the other). This position is rarely used today.
Fourth position: inverted feet are parallel to each other at a distance of about one foot (33 cm). The heel of one foot should be right in front of the toe of the other; this distributes the weight evenly.
Fifth position is similar to the fourth, with the difference that the feet fit snugly against each other.
All steps of classical dance are derived from these positions. Initially, the positions are performed with both feet on the floor and with straight knees. Then various options arise: you can bend one or both knees (pliés), tear off one or both heels (when standing on the toes), lift one leg into the air (the knee can be straight or bent), lift off the ground, taking one of the positions in air.
Conclusion.
By the end of the 20th century. the problems facing the art of ballet became more and more clear. In the 1980s, when Balanchine, Ashton and Tudor died (in the 1980s), and Robbins retired from active work, a creative vacuum arose. Most of the young choreographers working in the late 20th century were not overly interested in developing the resources of classical dance. They preferred a mixture of different dance systems, with classical dance being impoverished, and modern dance devoid of originality in revealing bodily capabilities. In an effort to convey what constitutes the essence of modern life, choreographers use the finger technique as if to accentuate thoughts, but ignore the traditional hand movements (port de bras). The art of support has been reduced to a kind of interaction between partners, when a woman is dragged across the floor, thrown, circled, but almost never supported or danced with her.
Most troupes build a repertoire, including classics from the 19th century. ( Sylph, Giselle, Swan Lake, sleeping Beauty), the most famous ballets by masters of the 20th century. (Fokine, Balanchine, Robbins, Tudor and Ashton), popular productions by Macmillan, Cranco, Tetley and Kilian and works of a new generation of choreographers such as Forsyth, Duato, Koudelki. At the same time, dancers receive better training because there are more knowledgeable teachers. A relatively new field of dance medicine has opened up the dancer's access to injury prevention techniques.
There is a problem of introducing dancers to music. Widespread popular music does not know a variety of styles, in many countries, teaching musical literacy is at a low level, when staging dances, phonograms are constantly used - all this interferes with the development of musicality among dancers.
Ballet competitions have become a new phenomenon in recent decades, the first of which was held in Varna (Bulgaria) in 1964. They attract not only with prizes, but also with the opportunity to appear to judges representing the most prestigious organizations. Gradually the number of contests increased, at least ten in different countries; some offer scholarships instead of money. Due to the need for choreographers, choreographer competitions also arose.
The most famous ballet competitions: Moscow International, Benois de la Dance, Grand Pas, European Contemporary Dance Festival EDF, (Moscow); Maya, Vaganova prix, Mariinsky, Stars of the White Nights, Exercise Modern (Petersburg), Serge Lifar's ballet competition in Kiev. International ballet competitions are also held in Varna (Bulgaria), Paris (France), Lausanne (Switzerland), Osaka (Japan), Rieti (Italy), Jackson (USA). Numerous contemporary dance contests evoke great public resonance (Biennale of Contemporary Dance, Lyon, Pina Bausch Contemporary Dance Festival (Wuppertal).
Elena Yaroshevich
Literature:
Krasovskaya V. , part 1. Choreographers. L., 1970
Krasovskaya V. Russian ballet theater of the early 20th century, part 2. Dancers. L., 1972
Karp P. About ballet... M., 1974
Gaevsky V. Divertissement. The fate of classical ballet. M., 1981
Krasovskaya V. Western European ballet theater from its beginnings to the mid-18th century... L., 1983
Krasovskaya V. Western European Ballet Theater. Age of Noverra... L., 1983
Krasovskaya V. Western European Ballet Theater. Pre-romanticism... L., 1983
Krasovskaya V. Western European Ballet Theater. Romanticism. L., 1996
Solway D. Rudolf Nureyev on stage and in life... M., 2000
Ballet (from Latin ballo - I dance) is a kind of stage art, the content of which is revealed in dance and musical images. It harmoniously combines music, choreography, painting, performing arts of artists. The main means of expression in ballet are dance and pantomime. The origins of various types of stage dance (classical, character, grotesque) refer 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, they can be a choreographic miniature or a concert composition.
Since its appearance in Europe in the XVI century. ballet constantly attracted the attention of prominent figures of theatrical art. So, the French comedian of the 17th century. J. B. Moliere introduced ballet scenes into his plays, which he called comedies-ballets.
Dances in Moliere's comedies and ballets and in operas and ballets by J. B. Lully were staged by Pierre Beauchamp (1636 - c. 1719) In 1661 he became head of the Royal Academy of Dance in Paris. Beauchamp has established five basic positions of classical dance (starting positions of the legs) on which the technique of classical dance is based.
Initially, ballet performances included dance and pantomime along with vocal numbers and literary text.
In the 18th century. the development of ballet as an independent art form was facilitated by the activities of many choreographers and performers in various countries. The French ballerina Marie Salleux (1707-1756) replaced the heavy, bulky clothes of the dancer with a light dress that did not restrict movement. Her contemporary, the English dancer and choreographer John Weaver (1673-1760), first began to stage action-driven ballets, abandoning singing and recitation. Austrian choreographer Franz Hilferding (1710-1768) introduced into his productions reliable pictures of the life of the people, real characters, by means of ballet truthfully revealing their experiences, the meaning of their actions. French dancers Louis Dupre (1697-1774) and Marie Camargo (1710-1770) improved their dance technique. Marie Camargo achieved greater freedom of movement by shortening her skirt and abandoning heels.
A great contribution to the development of ballet was made by the French choreographer Jean Georges Noveur (1727-1810). In his ballets Psyche and Cupid, The Death of Hercules, Medea and Jason, Iphigenia in Taurida and others, he acted as an innovative director. He created performances that were distinguished by the logic of dramatic development. The basis of his performances was an 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 of the ballet characters, abandoned the traditional masks that covered the faces of the actors. He theoretically substantiated his innovative experience as a stage director in the book Letters on Dance and Ballets (1759), drawing on the aesthetics of the Encyclopedic philosophers of the Enlightenment.
Many talented choreographers were Novers' students and followers, including Jean Doberval (1742-1806), author of the popular and nowadays ballet Vain Precaution; Charles Louis Didlot (1767-1837), who worked in Russia for a long time and contributed to the advancement of Russian ballet to one of the first places in Europe.
In the XIX century. the ballet theater has experienced both inspirational creative ups and downs and the drama of fading. In 1832, the Italian choreographer Filippo Taglioni (1777-1871) staged the ballet La Sylphide (music by J. Schneizhofer), which marked the beginning of the era of romanticism in choreographic art. The plots of romantic performances told about how, in his eternal striving for beauty, for high spiritual values, a person comes into conflict with the surrounding reality and only in the illusory world of dreams, dreams can find an ideal, find happiness. Taglioni, developing the lyrical direction of the art of romanticism, inserted into the dramatic fabric of the ballet detailed dance dialogues of the characters, in which their feelings and relationships were revealed. In his performances, the corps de ballet developed and supplemented the solo role of the main character, in the role of which was played by his daughter Maria Taglioni (1804-1884). The inspirational art of this talented ballerina has gone down in ballet history. She first introduced the pointe dance (at the fingertips), which enhanced the expressiveness of ballet art.
The work of the French ballet master Jules Joseph Perrot (1810-1892) personified another direction of ballet romanticism - the dramatic. His heroes in a bitter struggle defended their right to love, freedom, 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, striving to make the crowd scenes lively and emotional. Perrot's ballets Giselle (music by A. Adam, staged together with choreographer Jean Coralli, (1779-1854) and Esmeralda (music by C. Pugna) still adorn the repertoire of many ballet companies. 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 Company in Copenhagen.
Since the middle of the XIX century. crisis phenomena are revealed in Western European ballet art. The bourgeoisie is entering the arena of social and political life in Western Europe. Her tastes become defining in art. And romantic ballets with their deep content are replaced by pompous, meaningless performances. Ballet troupes disintegrate, a protracted period of decline sets in. The revival of ballet art is associated with performances in Western Europe by Russian artists - Anna Pavlova, Mikhail FoKin, Tamara Karsavina, Vaclav Nijinsky, Serge Lifar and others. These performances, which had great success and were called the Russian Seasons, were organized since 1907 by the theatrical figure S.P.Dyagilev. Diaghilev's Russian ballet gave rise to new ballet troupes that renewed the traditional forms of classical dance.
In the XX century. ballet is successfully developing in many countries of the world. Outstanding ballet masters in the West are Ninette de Valois, Frederic Ashton, Margot Fontaine (Great Britain), Roland Petit, Maurice Bejart, Yvette Chavireux (France), Agnes de Mille, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Robert Joffrey (USA) and many others.
The socialist countries make their own 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 founded in Cuba in 1948, is well known. In 1959, this troupe was named the National Ballet of Cuba.
In Russia, the development of ballet art went its own way. The first Russian choreographer was Ivan Ivanovich Valberkh (Lesogorov) (1766-1819), whose work covered both literary themes and events of modern life, in particular the Patriotic War of 1812. Thanks to Valberch, an original type of national performance - a divertissement depicting paintings folk life.
The creation of Russian ballet was facilitated by the work of Charles Louis Didlot. Among his students are ballet master Adam Glushkovsky (1793-1870), ballerinas Avdotya Istomina (1799-1848) and Ekaterina Teleshova (1807-1857), praised by A.S. Pushkin and A.S. Griboyedov. Didlot enriched the repertoire of the Russian ballet theater with performances in which he denounced tyranny and revealed the high moral qualities of ordinary people. He laid the foundation for ballet Pushkin, staging in 1823 the play "The Prisoner of the Caucasus, or the Shadow of the Bride" (based on Pushkin's poem).
Ballerina Ekaterina Sankovskaya (1816-1878) was a prominent representative of Russian romantic ballet, whose art was highly appreciated by V.G.Belinsky and A.I. Herzen.
The Russian Ballet Theater creatively reworked the discoveries of Western ballet, staged performances in accordance with national traditions. So, on the Russian stage, Giselle's sentimental story turned into a poem about a high selfless feeling that overcomes evil, darkness, death. And this was not a small merit of the first performer of the part 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 L. Minkus's ballets "Don Quixote", P. I. Tchaikovsky "The Sleeping Beauty" and "Swan Lake" (staged together with L. I. Ivanov), A. K. Glazunov "Raymonda" and others the unique style of the Russian school of classical dance, which is characterized by the embodiment of the content of the ballet performance in perfect academic forms. Talented Russian dancers performed in Petipa's performances - Elena Andreyanova, Pavel Gerdt, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Nikolai and Sergey Legaty, Olga Preobrazhenskaya, Anna Pavlova, Mikhail Fokin ...
At the same time with 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 the opera by A.P. Borodin "Prince Igor", ballets by P. I. Tchaikovsky "The Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake" (together with M. I. Petipa), and each of them testifies to a deep understanding a master of choreography, musical drama of compositions, 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 developed later by other composers - A. K. Glazunov, I. F. Stravinsky, S. S. Prokofiev. Tchaikovsky believed that a ballet performance should be built in accordance with the laws of musical drama, 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 the Western ballet theater was going through a period of crisis, in Russia, on the contrary, the art of ballet was experiencing a creative upsurge. The ballet companies of the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi theaters are successfully operating in St. Petersburg and Moscow. In St. Petersburg, at the Mariinsky Theater, dancer and choreographer Mikhail Mikhailovich Fokin (1880-1942) pursues a creative search in the genre of one-act ballet in two directions: he develops the principles of ballet production based on symphonic music (Chopiniana to music by F. Chopin) and called a plot ballet-play with a reliable interpretation of events, depicting 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 KS Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko. The search for innovators of theatrical art captivated and captured the young Gorsky. And in his performances "Don Quixote" by Minkus, "Salammbo" by Arends and others, he tried to translate into ballet stage principles of outstanding theater masters. Gorsky's productions were distinguished by their historical authenticity, precision of dramatic development, and carefully developed characteristics of the characters.
Fokin's ballet performances were performed by such wonderful artists as Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Vaslav Nijinsky, in Gorsky's productions - Ekaterina Geltser, Mikhail Mordkin, Vasily Tikhomirov and others.
After the Great October Socialist Revolution, a bright and distinctive 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, the figures of the national choreographic scenes built on this basis the original building of their theater, creatively using national characteristics and traditions of art. Since the 20s. professional choreographic troupes are being formed throughout the Soviet Union. National ballet theaters mutually enriched each other's creative experience, including the experience of Russian ballet. Ballets by KF Dankevich, AM Balanchivadze, KA Karaev, AP Skulte, SA Balasanyan, FZ Yarullin and other national composers gained wide popularity.
Among the outstanding Soviet choreographers who contributed to the formation of Soviet ballet are 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 the performances. Developing and enriching the traditions of Russian dance art, Soviet masters turn primarily to the creations of classical and modern literature - Lope de Vega, Shakespeare, Balzac, Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Chekhov, Kuprin, Green, Bulgakov, Aitmatov ... Large-scale ideological, philosophical, moral problems posed in the best works of world literature, figures of the Soviet ballet strive to embody on stage by means of their art. So, for example, composer B. V. Asafiev and choreographer R. V. Zakharov in the ballet "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai" emphasized the main idea of \u200b\u200bthe Pushkin poem of the same name, once formulated by V. G. Belinsky: "rebirth" of a wild soul through a high feeling of love " ... Rostislav Vladimirovich Zakharov (1907-1984) set himself the goal of making the dance art a means of expressing the deep thoughts and feelings inherent in the work of Pushkin in the ballet production.
Great interest in showing the inner life of a person is one of the important distinctive features of the Soviet ballet theater. And regardless of the genre to which the performance belonged - to the folk-historical ballet-novel ("The Flame of Paris", composer B. V. Asafiev, choreographer V. I. Vainonen), heroic tragedy ("Laurencia", A. A. Kerin and V. M. Chabukiani), philosophical and psychological drama (Romeo and Juliet, S. Prokofiev and L. M. Lavrovsky), choreographic comedy (Young Peasant Woman, B. V. Asafiev and R. V. Zakharov; "Mirandolina", S. N. Vasilenko and V. I. Vainonen), ballet-tale, ballet-legend ("Stone Flower", S. Prokofiev and Y. N. Grigorovich; S.M. Slonimsky and V.V. Vasiliev), its authors have always solved the main task - to most fully represent the viewer of a person in all the richness of his thoughts and feelings, to show by means of plastic imagery the way of formation of his character, gaining high moral principles.
This approach to the depiction of the hero of a choreographic performance was initiated by the first Soviet ballet, The Red Poppy by R. M. Glier, staged at the Bolshoi Theater in 1927, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of October. 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 rebirth under the influence of the ideas of October. These ideas were embodied 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 Yablochko dance. This is how another feature of the Soviet ballet was defined in The Red Poppy - the interpretation of the heroic theme as one of the most important. This theme was subsequently developed and enriched in such compositions as the already named "Flames of Paris", "Laurencia" and others. Carefully worked out directorial score for both crowd scenes and solo parts with their psychologism made it possible for the corps de ballet artists to reveal their creative individuality in an interesting way, and performers of the leading parties.
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 the ballet "Spartacus" by A. Khachaturian at the Bolshoi Theater. The choreographer's multivalued 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 standpoint of today's reality, strong, significant characters were revealed in the complex interweaving of human relations, actions, passions, and a circle was revealed in their clashes and conflicts important ideological and moral problems for our time.
The enrichment of the ballet theater with modern intonations, in-depth portrayal of characters are inherent in all of Yuri Grigorovich's creations - 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 music by D. D. Shostakovich).
Modern intonations are typical of Soviet ballet productions (The Inspector General, The Knight in the Panther's Skin, The Battleship Potemkin), performed by O. Vinogradov, chief choreographer of the Kirov Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater. 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 fullness and splendor of the possibilities of classical dance. She created images of proud, rebellious heroines in the ballets Swan Lake by PI Tchaikovsky, Raymonda by AK Glazunov, The Flame of Paris by BV Asafiev.
The unique art of Galina Ulanova embodies the best features of Russian ballet - expressiveness, depth, spirituality, classical perfection of performance. The images of Maria (“The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” by Asafiev), Giselle (“Giselle” by A. Adam), Cinderella (“Cinderella” by S. Prokofiev), Juliet (“Romeo and Juliet” by Prokofiev) and others are unforgettable.
Natalia Dudinskaya's art is characterized by psychological depth and emotional expressiveness. She was the first performer of the main roles in many Soviet ballets.
The hallmarks 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 the traditions of the Russian choreographic school with the innovative aspirations of Soviet ballet in her work. The ballerina's virtuoso skills are captured in many parts performed by her in classical and modern ballet performances. Among her best roles are Odette and Odile in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Carmen in Bizet's Carmen Suite - Shchedrina, Anna Karenina in the ballet of the same name by RK Shchedrin, and others.
The dance of Raisa Struchkova is full of inimitable grace and grace. Her artistic talent was clearly expressed in the roles of Mary, Juliet, Cinderella, in an extensive concert repertoire.
Irina Kolpakova's performing skills are distinguished by classical expressiveness and beauty of forms. Marina Kondratyeva's art attracts with spirituality and profound lyricism.
Asaf Messerer was an excellent performer of parts in classical ballets.
The lyrical male dance in Soviet ballet art found its most vivid embodiment in the work of Konstantin Sergeev, in the roles of Vatslav (The Fountain of Bakhchisarai by Asafiev), Romeo (Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev), etc. He staged a number of ballets - Cinderella by Prokofiev, By the "path of thunder" Karaev ...
The heroic beginning was inherent in the art of Alexei Ermolaev (1910-1975), the performer of the roles of Philippe ("The Flame of Paris"), Tybalt ("Romeo and Juliet"), etc.
Vakhtang Chabukiani became one of the most prominent figures in Soviet ballet art. He is all in the element of dance, inspired impulse. In his productions of "Heart of the Mountains" by AM Balanchivadze, "Othello" by AD Machavariani and the temperamental performance of the main parts in these ballets, Chabukiani asserted the triumph of the heroic male dance.
When Ekaterina Maksimova plays 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 gentle, devoted, and then heartbroken woman.
Vladimir Vasiliev combines in his work incomprehensible virtuosity and the finest acting skills. Wonderful are his courageous Spartacus, the brave Icarus in the ballet of the same name by S. M. Slonimsky, from whom V. Vasiliev began his career as a ballet master.
Natalia Bessmertnova is called the “Soviet romantic ballerina” for her inspirational performance of the parts of the classical and modern repertoire.
Nina Timofeeva, Lyudmila Semenyaka, Gabriela Komleva, Mikhail Lavrovsky, Maris Liepa, Nikolai Fadeechev and many other artists glorified the school of Soviet ballet all over the world.
Nadezhda Pavlova, a student of the Perm Ballet School, 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. Her best roles include roles in the ballets Giselle, Don Quixote, Leili and Majnun.
In sunny Georgia, the talent of Elena Gvaramadze and Vera Tsignadze flourished. The Kyrgyz ballerina Bubusara Beishenalieva (1926-1973) left a noticeable mark on the art of 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 the Soviet multinational ballet are Ukrainian dancers Elena Potapova and Valentina Kalinovskaya. Uzbek ballerinas Galiya Izmailova and Bernard Kariev embodied in their dances the characters of the liberated women of the Soviet East. The names of Belarusian ballet dancers Lydia Ryazhenova, Lyudmila Brzhozovskaya, Yuri Troyan, Azerbaijani ballerina Gamer Almaszade, Armenian dancer Vilen Galstyan and many others are known.
Spectators of all continents enthusiastically applaud the Soviet ballet. Outstanding Soviet artists and entire ballet companies of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater and the Musical Theater named after KS Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, the Leningrad Theater named after S. M. Kirov, the Kiev Theater named after T. G. Shevchenko and other Soviet theaters tour abroad with great success, always causing admiration for their unsurpassed art.
New independent choreographic troupes are being created in our country - ballet theaters, ensembles of classical ballet, chamber ballet, and plastic drama. This helps to identify new talents and help them come to art.
Ballet is an art form in which the creator's intention is embodied by means of choreography. The ballet performance has a plot, theme, idea, dramatic content, libretto. Plotless ballets take place only in rare cases. In the rest, with choreographic means, dancers must convey the feelings of the characters, plot, action. A ballet dancer is an actor who, with the help of dance, conveys the relationship of the characters, their communication with each other, the essence of what is happening on the stage.
The history of the emergence and development of ballet
Ballet appeared in Italy in the 16th century. At this time, choreographic scenes were included as an episode in a musical performance, an opera. Later, already in France, ballet developed as a magnificent, sublime court performance.
15 October 1581 is considered to be the birthday of ballet all over the world. It was on this day in France that the Italian choreographer Baltazarini presented his creation to the public. His ballet was called Cercea or The Queen's Comedy Ballet. And the duration of the performance was about five hours.
The first French ballets were based on court and folk dances and melodies. Along with musical scenes, there were conversational, dramatic scenes in the performance.
Ballet development in France
The growth of popularity and the flourishing of ballet art was promoted by Louis the 14th. The courtiers of that time gladly took part in the performances themselves. Even the radiant king got his nickname "The Sun King" because of the role he performed in one of the ballets of the court composer Lully.
In 1661, Louis the 14th became the founder of the world's first ballet school - the Royal Academy of Dance. Lully became the head of the school, who determined the development of ballet for the next century. Since Lully was a composer, he determined the dependence of dance movements on the construction of musical phrases, and the nature of dance movements on the nature of the music. In collaboration with Moliere and Pierre Beauchamp, the dance teacher of Louis the 14th, the theoretical and practical foundations of ballet were created. Pierre Beauchamp began to create the terminology of classical dance. To this day, the terms for designating and describing the main ballet positions and combinations are used in French.
In the 17th century, ballet was replenished with new genres, such as ballet-opera, ballet-comedy. Attempts are being made to create a performance in which the music would organically reflect the storyline, and the dance, in turn, would organically flow into the music. Thus, the foundations of ballet art are laid: the unity of music, dance and drama.
Starting in 1681, participation in ballet performances became available to women. Until that time, only men were ballet dancers. Ballet received its finished form as a separate art form only in the second half of the 18th century thanks to the stage innovation of the French ballet master Jean Georges Nover. His reforms in choreography assigned an active role to music as the basis for ballet performance.
Ballet development in Russia
The first ballet performance in Russia took place on February 8, 1673 in the village of Preobrazhenskoye at the court of Tsar Alexander Mikhailovich. The originality of Russian ballet is shaped by the French choreographer Charles-Louis Didlot. He affirms the priority of the female part in dance, increases the role of the corps de ballet, strengthens the connection between dance and pantomime. A real revolution in ballet music was made by P.I. Tchaikovsky in his three ballets: The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. These works, and behind them the performances, are an unsurpassed pearl of musical and dance genres, unmatched in terms of the depth of dramatic content and the beauty of figurative expressiveness.
In 1783, Catherine II created the Imperial Opera and Ballet Theater in St. Petersburg and the Bolshoi Kamenny Theater in Moscow. On the stages of famous theaters, Russian ballet was glorified by such masters as M. Petipa, A. Pavlova, M. Danilova, M. Plisetskaya, V. Vasiliev, G. Ulanova and many others.
The 20th century saw innovation in literature, music and dance. In ballet, this innovation manifested itself in the creation of dance - plastic dance, free from the technique of classical choreography. Isadora Duncan was one of the founders of the modern ballet.
Features of classical choreography
One of the main requirements in classical choreography is the inversion of the legs. The first performers of the ballet were court aristocrats. All of them mastered the art of fencing, which used inversion positions of the legs, allowing better movement in any direction. From fencing, the demands of eversion turned into choreography, which was taken for granted for the French courtiers.
Another feature of ballet - performance on the toes - appeared only in the 18th century, when Maria Taglioni first used this technique. Each school and each dancer contributed their own characteristics to the art of ballet, enriching it and making it more popular.
- (from the Greek ballizein to dance). Theatrical performances, accompanied by music, in which the characters express different 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
Since 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 (from 1779 the Theater School), which included ballet classes (now the Choreographic School); ... Saint Petersburg (encyclopedia)
- (French ballet from Italian balletto), a kind of stage art, the content of which is revealed in dance-musical images. Ballet began to form in Europe in the 16th century. Its flowering is associated with romanticism, which has advanced, starting from the second third ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
BALLET, ballet, husband. (French ballet). 1. Theatrical performance on a certain 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 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Dance is the only art for which we ourselves serve as a material. Ted Sean Russia: hundreds of miles of fields and ballet in the evenings. Alan Hackney Ballet is an opera for the deaf. Emil Meek Ballet: an art that owes its popularity in no small measure to that ... Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms
Ex. choreography Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Context 5.0 Informatics. 2012. ballet n., Number of synonyms: 6 gala ballet (1) ... Synonym dictionary
BALLET, ah, 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. Sensible ... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
Husband. a spectacle made up of dancing and silent action. Ballet, related to such a performance; ballet dancer husband. ballet dancer wives. ballet dancer. Ballet master husband. composer, composer of ballets; owner of the society of ballet dancers; ... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
Ballet - opera for the deaf ... Sloўnik Skeptyka
Ballet - The ballet foreshadows marital infidelity, as well as failures in business, in commerce, quarrels and jealousy between lovers. In addition, a dream about ballet indicates that in ordinary life you tend to torture yourself. You often endure that ... Large universal dream book
ballet - padishas. p e r and f r. Shara Zhienulova, MD Olardyk arasyndan "balet padishasy" atanyp ketken Kazhayp bishi Shara Zhienulovany ayryksha bulip aytuha bolady (Kaz. Adeb., 19.10.1971, 4) ... Kazakh tilinin tusindirme sozdigi
Books
- Ballet. Encyclopedia,. 1981 edition. The preservation is very good. The first in the USSR encyclopedia dedicated to ballet art, includes general information about ballet, explanations of the most common terms; ...
- Ballet. 1992. Issue No. 2,. The BALLET magazine is a publication for true connoisseurs of this wonderful art, combining plasticity, drama, music and emotionality. The language of dance is universal, understandable to everyone. Magazine…
