A history of the development of ballet from the origins of dance through the 20th century.

An introduction to ballet: the history, styles, and famous dancers and choreographers.

Traces the development of dance's basic components, choreography, gesture, music, costume, and scenery, and discusses the backgrounds of the most important ballets

The great Russian choreographer Leonide Massine was the most important figure in modernist ballet in the 1930s, known for works such as Gaite Parisienne and The Three-Cornered Hat. His versatility and scope made his choreography the most representative of the century. Whatever period he portrayed, his style flowed freely and unselfconsciously. His character ballets dealt not with stereotypes but individuals, and his symphonic ballets proved how great music could be employed without demeaning it. Like his mentor Diaghilev, he strove to bring music, painting, and poetry to his ballets. Massine was responsible for the first resolutely abstract ballet and the first true fusions of ballet and modern dance. This work provides a biography of Massine and a detailed analysis of his major ballets, including those for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and American Ballet Theatre. The work integrates biographical study with an examination of Massine's works from an array of perspectives. By examining the music and composers, set design, and literary sources, it places the work in the larger context of the dance, opera, major visual art movements, literature and theater of the period. Analyses of ballets include synopses, scenery and costumes, music, choreography, critical survey and summary. The work concludes with an epilogue summarizing Massine's impact on the development of ballet in the twentieth century, and includes both informal and performance photographs.

Akim Volynsky was a Russian literary critic, journalist, and art historian who became Saint Petersburgs liveliest and most prolific ballet critic in the early part of the twentieth century. This book, the first English edition of his provocative and influential writings, provides a striking look at life inside the world of Russian ballet at a crucial era in its history. Stanley J. Rabinowitz selects and translates forty of Volynskys articlesvivid, eyewitness accounts that sparkle with details about the careers and personalities of such dance luminaries as Anna Pavlova, Mikhail Fokine, Tamara Karsavina, and George Balanchine, at that time a young dancer in the Maryinsky company whose keen musical sense and creative interpretive power Volynsky was one of the first to recognize. Rabinowitz also translates Volynskys magnum opus, The Book of Exaltations, an elaborate meditation on classical dance technique that is at once a primer and an ideological treatise. Throughout his writings, Rabinowitz argues in his critical introduction, which sets Volynskys life and work against the backdrop of the principal intellectual currents of his time, Volynsky emphasizes the spiritual and ethereal qualities of ballet.

Long renowned as one of the world's preeminent ballet companies, San Francisco Ballet marks its seventy-fifth anniversary with a stunningly beautiful retrospective. Replete with intimate portraits of the dancers and behind-the-scenes contributors, this book is the first serious depiction of America's oldest ballet company. Included in this deluxe package is a DVD that provides insight into the company's illustrious history and together with the book, tells the story of how San Francisco Ballet has forged a fresh identity for American dance and is now pioneering a new model of internationalism in the dance world.

First published in 2002. A step by step guide to ballet technique for the beginning dancer, perfect for dancers aged five to fifteen years old or for the adult beginner, this book is designed as a to compliment to a beginning student's ballet training. It opens with a brief description of the benefits of ballet training to young dancers and then introduces fundamentals and precepts of the technique. Clear photographs show exactly how to execute each movement. Then an eight-year course is presented taking the student from age 5 or 6 to teen years, outlining exactly what is to be taught and how it is to be performed. A glossary, bibliography and discography close the book. Young girls and boys are drawn to ballet training as a way of developing healthy musculature and bones, building an aesthetic awareness and enhancing body image. Paskevska believes that- when perfumed correctly- ballet can provide a life-time of artistic and physical pleasure. Shunning flashy technique, this book offers a solid grounding in the basics of ballet movement that will serve the student well, whether or not they continue training. Through her comprehensive examination of the how, why and when of performing basic ballet techniques. Paskevska offers a concise and easy-to-follow regimen for everyone. For ballet students, their parents and their teachers, this book is an invaluable first step toward enjoying dance and excelling as a dancer.

This absorbing book is ballet's 'biography' -- a revealing examination of a closed world, its competition and camaraderie, sexual politics, intimacies, pressures and, not least of all, its magic. Ballet companies have endeavoured to hide what is going on backstage lest the reality of highly strung nerves, constant fatigue and pain from injuries tarnish the illusion of ethereal figures and seemingly weightless steps in polished performances. But the audience's perceptions of fairy-tale worlds onstage are far removed from the experiences of the dancers themselves. The author, who trained to be a dancer, has been given an entrée to this private world that few outsiders ever see. Books on ballet tend to focus on performance. In contrast, this book, which draws on extensive fieldwork with major companies such as London's Royal Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre in New York, the Royal Swedish Ballet and the Ballett Frankfurt, is about dancers - how their careers are made and unmade and what happens in dance companies offstage. Anyone interested in the culture of ballet or the theatre, as well as students of anthropology, dance, performance and cultural studies, will want to read what really goes on when the curtain comes down.

Beginning Ballet introduces students to ballet through participation and appreciation as an academic study. This resource details etiquette, class expectations, health, and injury prevention and explores ballet’s history, major artists, styles, and aesthetics. Photos and descriptions in the text plus photos and video clips in an accompanying web resource help students learn and practice beginning ballet.

Whether you want to participate in ballet or just watch it, the ballet experience can excite and inspire you. Ballet is among the most beautiful forms of expression ever devised: an exquisite mix of sight and sound, stunning, aesthetics, and awesome technique. Ballet For Dummies is for anyone who wants to enjoy all that the dance forms offers – as an onlooker who wants to get a leg up on the forms you're likely to see or as an exercise enthusiast who understands that the practice of ballet can help you gain: More strength Greater flexibility Better body alignment Confidence in movement Comfort through stress reduction Infinite grace – for life From covering the basics of classical ballet to sharing safe and sensible ways to try your hand (and toes) at moving through the actual dance steps, this expert reference shows you how to: Build your appreciation for ballet from the ground up. Choose the best practice space and equipment. Warm up to your leap into the movements. Locate musical options for each exercise. Look for certain lifts in a stage performance. Tell a story with gestures. Picture a day in the life of a professional ballet dancer. Identify best-loved classic and contemporary ballets. Speak the language of ballet. Today you can find a ballet company in almost every major city on earth. Many companies have their own ballet schools – some for training future professionals, and others for interested amateurs. As you fine-tune your classical ballet technique – or even if you just like to read about it – you'll become better equipped to fully appreciate the great choreography and many styles of the dance. Ballet For Dummies raises the curtain on a world of beauty, grace, poise, and possibility! P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you’re probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of Ballet For Dummies (9780764525681).