Ballet Dances
Famous Classical Ballets
Ballet dances are grand and glorious, you will notice with all the classical works that they have a close similarity. The dances are graceful and controlled, showing off the fine technique and wonderful skill of the dancers.
The music is a huge aspect for every dance and will always work together with the movement. Musicality is a top quality for a dancer and can really set you apart from the rest to show your natural talent.
No matter what type of dance, it will always take a lot of practice to perform with control and ease.
The concise footwork and skilled coordination takes a lot of work to feel natural with.
The main qualities to think about in any ballet dance is your performance, musicality and control of movement.
The technique will come with practice, but the dynamic and energy is what you really need to stand out.
During 1870-1909 is regarded as the classical period of ballet and all the ballets that were created during this period are very similar. They all consist of love, pas de deux and beautiful costumes.
Here are the main ballets created in the classical period -
These ballet productions were all choreographed by Petipa; with Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and Nutcracker being Tchaikovsky ballets.
Petipa is a great legend in ballet and was both a dancer and choreographer himself. He is considered like the father of ballet and known as a huge influence to ballet today.
I have seen many, many classical ballets and as I grew to a professional dancer I really noticed how similar they all are. The movements and steps are very alike, but this doesn't mean they are not all unique.
Each classical ballet is absolutely worth seeing and they all have such a powerful story. I could watch the same production a million times with different dancers, as each dancer brings something different to the role.
I am about to give you a taster of what you will most likely recognize with every ballet. They all have something in common, so lets talk about the classical ballets and what to look out for.
There is always Classical Ballet Vocabulary in every ballet performance, because this is how the dancers learn and remember the ballet steps.You will be able to spot classical ballet moves on stage and there will no doubt always be an arabesque or pas de bourrée.
The ballet has a formula, so there will always be a twist in the story with a good character and a bad character. In Sleeping Beauty there is the evil Carabosse who tries to cast a spell on the beautiful Aurora so that she will go to sleep and never wake up.
You will always find Principal Roles in ballet dances too. They are the main couple who hold the center of the stage and perform solos in the spotlight.
The Corps de Ballet often have the most to do in all the ballet dances because they create the formations, the patterns, the lines and they frame the stage. Without the corps de ballet, there is simply no classical ballet performance! They are crucial and have a lot of work to do in every production.
The ballet dances are told through Classical Mime, so there will be sections of non-dancing and the dancers will portray their love, feelings or action towards each other.
Every classical ballet you see will have an element of Fantasy, so that is with the characters or the story that creates this magical world on stage that you really believe in.
There is Virtuosity in each ballet which shows off the impressive skills of the dancers and 'wows' the audience. For men, this is the grand leaps and travelling across the stage, for women, it is the delicate pointe work and foutté turns.
The main soloist and principal dancers will Bow or Curtsey during the middle of the performance. After every solo or pas de deux, the dancers give a brief bow and the audience applaud to show their appreciation.
The Grand Pas De Deux by the main male dancer and ballerina will consist of a controlled adage, an impressive male solo, a beautiful female solo and finally a spectacular coda.
The Music and Dance in a ballet will be a highlight of the performance and give huge inspiration for the dancers. The orchestra work closely together together with the dancers to make sure every movement is in sync together.
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