Russia's contributions to ballet

Russia contributed more than what a lot of people know to the ballet world. If it wasn't for Peter I, Empress Anna his niece, and Catherine I, the ballet world both in Russia and the rest of the world would probably not be as strong and influential as it is today. One of the reasons why it would not be as influential as it is today is because the Russian ballet thrived on the patronage of the royal family. Catherine the Great was one of the most influential royals dedicated to helping ballet thrive. To the royals, especially Peter I and Catherine I, ballet was a way for them to modernize and make Russia a more European and enlightened country. This was a way for the West to be able to look at Russia and see all of the advancements and strengths that it really had. Lastly, it was a way for Russia to call something its own and simply to dominate. The types of ballet that we see today, for example modern and contemporary, has its origins from the Russian traditions established from this time period. The Soviets contributed to ballet in their own ways. The Soviets forced ballet choreographers to change their performances from their common tragic endings to happy endings and if they didn't do so, they were not allowed to perform anymore. Due to these harsh Soviet restrictions, many dancers such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolf Nureyev, and Natalia Markova defected Russia to never return. Most of those dancers came to the United States to start schools and teach Americans. Had the Soviets not made these restrictions, we may not have the type of schooling and training in America that we do to this very day. 

Peter I (The Great)

Empress Anna

Catherine I (The Great)

USSR

 
   

Sources:

 Webb, Shawncey. "Foundation of St. Petersburg’s Imperial Ballet School." Great Events from History: The Eighteenth Century. Ed. John Powell. Hackensack: Salem, 2006. n. pag. Salem Online. Web. 07 May. 2015. <http://online.salempress.com>.

Google Images- Peter I, Empress Anna, Catherine I, USSR Flag    

Ballet in the 19th Century/ The Spread throughout the Western World in the 20th Century

Ballet grew as an art form even more in the 19th century. With additions to the school in staff and more students becoming enrolled, the art form was able to grow and Russia was able to spread its influence throughout the Western world. Dancers from different countries in the west came to Russia to dance which would influence ballet even more. The 19th century was a doorway for Russia to house ballet theaters and schools in order to allow dancers and choreographers to experiment and innovate which at other times, in other countries, it was not that easy to do. It was the one time that Russia allowed freedom of thought, ideas, and movement. Allowing dancers from other countries around the world to come into Russia to dance, created a way for Russia to take those different dance forms and mesh them together to create a new style of ballet which would then be known as the new classical tradition. Then in the 20th century, dancers, choreographers, and troupes including Vaslov Nijinsky, Georges Banlanchine, and Sergei Diaghilev, would bring the Russian Ballet to the West. The ballet would continue to be strong all the way through to the 1950's with the influence of the Bolshoi and Kirov Companies (formerly known as the Imperial Mariinsky Company). These companies would then tour the West and later the United States with dancers including Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Natalia Markova where the Russian Ballet would become an integral part of dance throughout the western world. During the Russian Revolution of 1917, the influence of immigrant teachers trained in Russia became very important to the ballet as a whole. The Revolution contributed to the growth of the Russian Ballet throughout the world.

Sources:

  Webb, Shawncey. "Foundation of St. Petersburg’s Imperial Ballet School." Great Events from History: The Eighteenth Century. Ed. John Powell. Hackensack: Salem, 2006. n. pag. Salem Online. Web. 07 May. 2015. <http://online.salempress.com>.

Google Images: Kirov Ballet     

The "Fathers" of the Russian Ballet

I decided to split up my regular choreographers of the Russian Ballet and the so called "fathers" of the Russian Ballet. Both of these men impacted, changed, and greatly influenced the way the ballet was seen around the world and performed not only in Russia, but also in the Western world as well. They would push ballet into a more sophisticated art form with a new era and also push Russia forward in becoming a leading force behind ballet in general. The first man, Ivan Ivanovich Valberkh was the first Russian choreographer and the second man is Charles Didelot, who is most famously known as the "father of Russian Ballet."

Ivan Ivanovich Valberkh- Ivan was a Russian born dancer who then went on to become the first ever Russian Ballet choreographer. He aided in Russia's efforts to become the leading force behind ballet as an art form. He was also known to have incorporated adapted classical steps from France and add them to modern themes and movements which would alter the ballet world forever. He was the first choreographer in Russia to attempt to create a whole ballet with a contemporary theme which is now what we see a lot in the dance world today.

Ivan Ivanovich Valberkh

 Charles Didelot- Didelot was a French native. He is most famously known as the ultimate "father of the Russian Ballet." Charles Didelot combined all of the elements previously used in the Russian Ballet and moved the Russian Ballet into its Romantic period after he arrived in St. Petersburg in 1801.

Charles Didelot

Sources:

Google Images- Ivan Valberkh and Charles Didelot

Webb, Shawncey. "Foundation of St. Petersburg’s Imperial Ballet School." Great Events from History: The Eighteenth Century. Ed. John Powell. Hackensack: Salem, 2006. n. pag. Salem Online. Web. 07 May. 2015. <http://online.salempress.com>.

Choreographers/ Musicians in Russian Ballet

There were many people that influenced ballet and helped it grow into its profound art form. In this post, i'm going to mention a few of them. The individuals that will be mentioned are Marius Petipa, Igor Moiseyev, and Tchaikovsky.

First we start with Marius Petipa. Marius Petipa was a French choreographer and dancer. He, along with Charles Didelot, are considered the Fathers of the Russian Classical Ballet. He was a great deal of influence in the Imperial School during classical ballet's zenith. He collaborated with musical composer Tchaikovsky on the productions of Sleeping Beauty, Seasons, and Raymonda. His works would later inspire dancer, Georges Balanchine. Petipa would enter St. Petersburg in 1847 when he was invited to be a part of the Imperial School. He would stay in Russia for the rest of his life. In 1858, he would become Ballet Master of the school and then in 1862, he was appointed Choreographer in Chief which he would be until he retired in 1903

Marius Petipa

       

Peter IIich Tchaikovsky

Peter IIich Tchaikovsky- Tchaikovsky was a Russian born composer. He is mostly known for his huge collabroations with choreographer Marius Petipa. Due to the way his music appealed to the general public, he was able to help revise the decline of the Russian Ballet during the mid-nineteenth century with his compositions in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and the Nutcracker. His music appealed to the general public so much that it helped to drive the importance and power of the Russian Ballet.

Igor Moiseyev- Moiseyev was a Russian born choreographer that started off with heading a Soviet folk dance that gained a lot of popularity over the years. He was trained at the Bolshoi Theatre School of Choreography in Moscow. He was considered both as a classical dancer and character dancer. In 1930, he began choreographing ballets for the company. He was restricted by the USSR to just perform folk dances in various regions. From then on, he would make sure that every ballet and performaSnce he choreographed were very true to folk dances. His dance group would become known as the Moiseyev Dancers. His dancers would be the first Russian artists to be brought to tour the United States which they did in 1974 and then when they performed at Radio City Music Hall in 1991. In 1958, Moiseyev came back to the Bolshoi in order to choreograph the ballet Spartacus. He would go on to receive Russia's Order of Merit, a Lenin Prize, and three Stalin Prizes.

Igor Moiseyev

Sources:

Hering, Doris. "Petipa, Marius (1819–1910)." Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online, 2015. Web. 6 May. 2015.

Abraham, Gerald E. H. "Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilich (1840–1893)." Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier
Online, 2015. Web. 6 May. 2015.
"Moiseyev, Igor Aleksandrovich (1906–2007)." Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online, 2015. Web. 7 May. 2015.

Yahoo Images- Marius Petipa, Tchaikovsky
New York Times- Igor Moiseyev

Jean-Baptiste Lande- Imperial Ballet Master

The Imperial Mariinsky Company

The Imperial Mariinsky Company was a dance school/ company. This company was founded in St. Petersburg in 1738 with the motivation and drive from Peter I (Peter the Great). This company would pave the way for Russia to become the leaders in the world of ballet. This is also when classical ballet would reach its zenith. 

How would this school/company become formed? At first, there was no school of dance in Russia it was just a simple way of expressing yourself through movement. When Peter I returned back to Russia from his travels in 1698, he pushed to modernize Russia and Ballet was a way to do so. Before Peter I died, he invited many influential performers to Russia. One of the most influential was Jean Baptiste Lande who would remain in Russia to start the first school of dance in Russia. After Peter I died, ballet was still a critical part to Russian culture. In September of 1737, Lande presented a letter to Empress Anna, who was Peter's niece asking her to establish a school of dance under his direction as Ballet Master. On May 4, 1738 Empress Anna made a decree acknowledging Lande as the Imperial Ballet Master. He was then responsible for teaching different forms of theatrical dance. It wasn't until May 15, 1738 that the school was actually founded in St. Petersburg and would become the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet School. The school was located in the Winter Palace. The school consisted 3 years of extensive training. The school thrived for two years but when Empress Anna died, the classes stopped for a year. Lande was sent away from Russia to recruit new dancers for the school. Once there was an established authority back in Russia when Empress Elizabeth Petrovna came to the throne in 1741, the dance classes resumed and Lande was called back to Russia. At this time, there were two different forms of dance taught at the school the more serious French inspired ballet taught by Lande and the comic dance theme inspired by the Italian commedia dell'arte taught by Fusano (Antonio Rinaldi) and his wife Giulia. This combination of  both the serious techniques of dance and the comic techniques would become the foundation for the Russian style of ballet. The school developed even more over the next few years especially when it became influenced by the patronage of Catherine the Great when she established the Directorate of Imperial Theaters to administer ballet, opera, and drama in 1766. The first Russian choreographer named Ivan Ivanovich Valberkh emerged from this school. However in 1801, the father of Russian ballet, Charles Didelot, would come to St. Petersburg and move the Russian Ballet into a Romantic period. The school would become the Kirov Ballet in later years.

Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg

Sources:
Yahoo Images- Jean-Baptiste Lande and Mariinsky Theater

Webb, Shawncey. "Foundation of St. Petersburg’s Imperial Ballet School." Great Events from History: The Eighteenth Century. Hackensack: Salem, 2006. n. pag. Salem Online. Web. 06 May. 2015. <http://online.salempress.com>.

History of Ballet

Before we jump into how ballet impacted the Russian world and history, it is important to know exactly what ballet is. Ballet is a form of dance that has its own unique techniques, traditions, methods, schools of training, and finally a style of movement that distinguishes it from any other theatrical dance form. The word ballet derives from the Italian word "ballare" which simply means to dance. The word not only refers to the type of dance itself, but the dance company and the production as a whole. What many people think of when they hear the word ballet, is simply dancing but in reality, ballet includes four different elements and they are dancing, drama, music, and décor. However, ballet did not originate in Russia. It actually originated in Italy in the 15th century. This was referred to as the emergence of Classical Ballet. There are now many forms of ballet that derived from Classical Ballet. Some of them include Contemporary, Lyrical, Modern, and of course En Pointe. When ballet was first introduced in Italy only the kings, princes, and nobles were among the dancers. Ballet was considered to be "for the elite." Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx was the first choreographer of an actual full production that was commissioned by Catherine de Medici and performed in Paris in 1581. It wasn't until 1661 that ballet actually had any academic principles. They would be formed when King Louis XIV opened the Royal Academy of Dancing in Paris that year. This academic school would lead to the fundamentals of ballet. This is where we see the five different feet positions with the arms that correspond to each foot position. Every dance step in classical originates from one of these positions. Some of these positions are arabesques, pirouettes, and glissades. Over the years ballet has since evolved and expanded. Every ballet step is codified in French universally and used in every dance company in every nation. Dancing "en pointe" became an integral part of the classical ballet form and was made famous by Marie Taglioni in 1832. Due to her great triumph, dancing "en pointe" became synonymous with ballet automatically. Classical ballet would reach its "golden age" in St. Petersburg in 1890 with the performance of Sleeping Beauty by the Imperial Marinsky Company which I will discuss more in depth in coming blog entries. This performance combined all four of the previous mentioned ballet components with the choreography of Marius Petipa, the music of Tchaikovsky, and one of the most beloved stories of all time into a huge show. This performance would lead into Russia's dominance of the Ballet world, especially in the 19th century. The Company's techniques would quickly spread through the western world during the 20th century. After the Russian Revolution, ballet emerged even faster and became even more popular. Today's Modern Ballet owes its very existence and inspiration from Russian tradition during those times. Now that we have a brief understanding of the history of ballet, let's get into the importance of the "Russian Ballet" and how it was started, how it was impacted by Russian politics, how it became a huge Russian custom, and how it is still very popular even to this day.   

Citation- Terry, Walter. "Ballet." Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online, 2015. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

 

The five positions of the feet in classical ballet