February 26, 2012
Ballet
Chapter 6&7 Reflection At the inception of chapter six, the idea that ballet needed to take on a new direction is presented to the reader. While spanning out from Paris and several other centralized locations was a dancing phenomenon taking over most of Europe, it was not advancing to equate to anything of more substance. Pieces became repetitive and lacked core values. This would not have changed if Jean Georges Noverre had not become a vital choreographer, bringing ballet from the early years of profession into the start of Romanticism. Considered to be the “father of modern ballet”, Noverre was among a group of angry young artists in every variety whom did everything but the societal norm. Constantly building off of each other’s works to further advance their own creativity regardless of any kind of relevance to each other, these artists became outcasts of their kind. However, being an outcast perhaps was one of the best things for Noverre. For by the time he came to a position of power in the dance world, his different opinions and indifference to objections enabled him to charter a further refinement of ballet that brought it closer to the art known and celebrated today. Noverre was concerned with the individual dancer as a performing artist, rather than the overall piece. This ultimately resulted in major advancement in each individual’s technique, which ultimately influenced the entire ballet community. While ballet had made great strides under Noverre and many others, it is a blessing that it still exists today and is not a history lesson in textbooks. Ballet survived several political conflicts, including the French Revolution. There were few true leaders in the ballet industry that survived, but those who did made sure that the art form lived on and maintained its stature. This also led to European ballet essentially being reborn into what it more or less is today. While the war was a terrible thing, it was beneficial for ballet, as the revolution liberated much of the population and ultimately opened the doors of ballet to the public, including children. Chapter seven of the text is about the foundations of romantic ballet. This was an exciting time for the audience as it romanticized not only the movements of ballet but also the plot. Storylines for ballets almost always included