Ballet Classes

Ballet was created in Italy in the 15th century but became what it is today in France. The art spread two centuries later when Louis XIV, the Sun King, occupied the French throne. He enjoyed performing as well as watching others dance.

The first ballet was inspired by dishes that were served at a wedding of Italian royalty in 1459. During the banquet, dances were performed that represented the dishes being served.

Until the 18th century, in the early days of dance, costumes were made up of heavy dresses, giant shoes, and wigs. Maria-Anne Cupis de Camargo decided to shorten the skirts of the dresses so that the dancers could show their ankles, emphasizing the steps taken by the lower part of the body. People were shocked by the boldness. It was only in the 19th century that ballerinas began to wear the romantic tutu.

The repertoire ballet consists of montages of shows made by great artists. The choreographies and songs are reproduced today, respecting the style proposed by the creators. Some of them are: “Swan Lake” (Tchaikovsky and Reisinger), “Les sylphides” (Frederic Chopin), “Coppelia” (Léo Delibes and Marius Petipa), “Sleeping Beauty” (Marius Petipa and Tchaikovsky), “The Nutcracker” (Tchaikovsky and Leo Ivanov) and “Cinderella” (Rostislav Zakharov and Sergei Prokofiev).

The “pas-de-deux” is a couple dance. When there are two men or two women, it is called a “duo.” The most famous “pas-de-quatre” (dance with four people) is that of the ballet “Swan Lake.” Four ballerinas dance hand in hand for most of the choreography.

There are five methods for studying ballet: Cecchetti (Italian), French, Royal (English), Vaganova (Russian), and Cuban. They differ in the style and terminology given to some positions

The famous pointe shoes are only introduced to learning after approximately four years of practice at 11. The ballerina balances on an area of 2.5 cm².

Filippo Taglioni created the ballet “La Sylphide” in 1830 for his daughter, Marie. She was responsible for popularizing the dance on pointe shoes. At her last performance, the audience was so sad that a chef cooked the ballerina’s shoes and her admirers ate the shoes.

Professional dancers jump about 1 meter off the floor. But the Latvian-born American Mikhail Baryshnikov, one of the most famous dancers in the world, could jump 1.8 meters.

By dance standards, Baryshnikov started the practice too late, at age 15. He measures only 1.68 meters, much smaller than desirable for a ballerino.

The Bolshoi Theater is a world reference for classical ballet and opera. The company, created in 1776 in Russia, was considered a cultural heritage of humanity by the UN and UNESCO. The only branch of the Bolshoi Theater outside Russia is in Brazil, in Joinville, Santa Catarina. The school, which has existed since 2000, is a social project with an average of 200 students

European folk dances influenced ballet. In this way, today, we have the character dance that is part of the repertoires of great ballets, classes, and student exams.

A primeira bailarina negra a ocupar o cargo de “primeira bailarina” no American Ballet Theater foi Misty Copeland, em 2015.

The film “Black Swan” (2011) won an Oscar for actress Natalie Portman. She lost 10 kilos to look like a professional ballerina. In addition, she returned to her ballet studies and managed to perform some scenes without a stunt double. During filming, Natalie dislocated a rib and required physical therapy. Director Darren Aronofsky suggested that in one of the consultations, she continue playing the character so they could use the scene in the film.

n Dubai, even before ballet was recognized, professional dancers were hired to perform court functions for the Kings and Queens. Now, as it is already being practiced worldwide and certifications are already given to young aspirants who want to take Ballet classes, it is more than possible with us.