Top Ten Ballets - Don Quixote

Mikhail Baryshnikov as Basil, Cynthia Harvey as Kitri, in the 1986 version by the American Ballet Theater. The most famous variation from the ballet - the Wedding Pas de Deux

Plot
Don Quixote is a famous ballet based a portion of the famous, epic masterpiece by Miguel de Cervantes, about an aging nobleman who sets out on imaginary adventures to find the lady of his dreams, Dulcinea.

As the ballet begins, Don Quixote, an aging nobleman, is reading stories of brave knights, fabulous giants and other fantastical creatures. Gradually he nods and falls asleep to dream of their romantic adventures. Appearing a little silly, he uses his imagination and pretends to be a brave night. He imagines that he sets out to rescue the lady of his dreams, named Dulcinea. He transforms his servant, Sancho Panza, into a trusty squire and off they go.

Don Quixote leads a charge against imaginary enemies, which he sees everywhere. He proceeds to fight invisible rivals, puppets, and windmills.


Don Quixote Trivia

• Originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and composed by Ludwig Minkus
• First performed in Moscow, Russia by the Imperial Bolshoi Theater in 1869
• All modern versions of the ballet are performed are derived from the version staged by Alexander Gorsky for the Bolshoi Theater of Moscow in 1900
• Don Quixote is usually played by an older dancer, and even though Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are main characters, they appear very little in the ballet
• The ballet's best dance is a wonderful wedding pas de deux, performed by young lovers Kitri and Basilio

 

© Damir Yusupov Svetlana Zakharova

References: about.com, wikipedia.org

Top Ten Ballets - Coppélia

Here is Swanhilda's variation, while she's standing outside Dr. Coppélius' house, looking at the life-like Coppélia, with whom her fiancé is infatuated.

Plot
The story of Coppélia is a about a life-like doll; her creator, Doctor Coppélius; a man named Franz who is infatuated with Coppélia; and his fiancé, Swanhilda. Coppélia is so lifelike that Franz, a village swain (or redneck in today's society!), is infatuated with her, and sets her aside his true heart's desire, even though he is engaged to Swanhilda. Swanhilda becomes very jealous of Coppélia, not knowing she is just a doll. So, she and her girlfriends sneak into Dr. Coppélius' house to meet Coppélia. There they find a room full of mechanical, life-size dolls, and discover that Coppélia is just a doll.

In Act II, just as they are about to leave, Dr. Coppélius returns to his house, and Swanhilda quickly hides behind a curtain. Then, Franz arrives at the doctor's house to meet Coppélia. The doctor gets an idea, thinking he could kill Franz and use his life to make Coppélia come to life and no longer be a lonely bachelor. He offers Franz a drink, in which he has put a sleeping powder, and Franz falls asleep. Meanwhile, Swanhilda is changing into Coppélia's clothes and comes out of the closet, pretending to be the doll to show Franz his folly and to rescue him from the crazy doctor. Seeing Swanhilda dressed as Coppélia, Dr. Coppélius believes his magic has worked! However, Swanhilda awakens Franz and shows him Coppélia is just a doll.

Finally the two are married, but Dr. Coppélius interrupts, demanding compensation for the damage Swanilda caused. She offers her dowry, but her father intercedes to pay. The village joins Franz and Swanilda in celebrating their wedding. Even Dr. Coppélius can share their joy!


Coppélia Trivia

• Originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon. Restaged by George Balanchine in 1974 for the New York City Ballet.
• First performed in 1870 at the Théâtre Impérial de l´Opéra, with Giuseppina Bozzacchi in the principal role of Swanhilde, in Paris, France. 
• It eventually it became the most-performed ballet at the Opera Garnier in Paris.
• It is of the romantic ballet genre, and is also a comic ballet, unlike the tragic ballet of Giselle
• (Excerpt taken from balletmet.org) Coppélia is probably the best-known comedy ballet, and certainly it's the most often performed - but it's much more than just a funny piece. The premiere was attended by the leading figures of Parisian society. A breakaway from the sad, Romantic ballets of the day, Coppélia was an immediate success with its humor, vigorous national dances and brightness. It was created at a time when Paris was slipping from its position as the dance capital of the world, and the popularity of ballet was declining. Coppélia was the last hoorah for the Paris Opéra before it fell into decay.

 

Elisa Celis and Garry Avis in Ronald Hynd's production of Coppelia for English National Ballet
© Daria Klimentova

Top Ten Ballets - Cinderella

Plot
This rags to riches story is very well-known, but here it is again, as promised!

Cinderella lives with her wicked stepsisters, until a beggar (who reveals herself to be a fairy) comes, and rewards Cinderella by giving her a coach and a new look. At the ball, Cinderella falls in love with the prince. She stays only until midnight, when the spell wears off. But, she leaves her slipper behind, which the prince uses to find her again.


Cinderella Trivia

• Based on the fairy tale, Cendrillon, written by French storyteller, Charles Perrault
• First appeared in 1893 in Saint Petersburg, Russia and was danced by the Russian Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre
• Choreography by Enrico Cecchetti (Act I and Act III) and Lev Ivanov (Act II), under Marius Petipa's supervision and counsel (Marius is "must-know" ballet choreographer)
• The most popular, modern version of the ballet was recomposed in 1945 by Sergei Prokofiev (a "must-know" ballet composer)
• Cinderella's stepsisters are sometimes played by men
• In the original story, there is no beggar, or seasonal fairies
• The glass slipper is played by a regular ballet slipper

Cinderella - Svetlana Zakharova with the stepsisters - Anastasia Vinokur and Lola Kochetkova

Copyright

:

John Ross ©

References: wikipedia.org

Top Ten Ballets

 Do you ever wonder which ballets are considered the masterpieces, the ones every teacher and dance nerd should know? Well, if you do, you're reading the right blog! Most of these ballets you most likely have heard of, and some you may have even seen or know the basic plot. Today will begin a series where we'll focus on each of the most important and popular ballets, with a plot synopsis and images.

Top Ten Ballets
Cinderella
Coppelia
Don Quixote
Giselle
La Bayadere
La Sylphide
The Nutcracker
Romeo and Juliet
Sleeping Beauty
Swan Lake

Other Important Ballets to Know
Le Corsaire
Sylvia
La Fille Mal Gardee
Le Sacre du Printemps

Photo credits: Alastair Muir of the Telegraph

Test Your Ballet Knowledge

I found what I thought was a easy, little ballet quiz on dance.com. But to my surprise, the questions were not terribly easy! Take the quiz and see how well you do, then Google the things you didn't know. Thankfully, I knew that croisé devant is a position of the legs, that fouetté means whipped, and that Serenade is not a ballet of the Romantic era (remember - it's a Balanchine ballet).

Here are some things you may not know...

What was Lincoln Kirstein's relationship to New York City Ballet? 
Have a guess yet? He was a writer, art connoiseur, and cultural figure in NYC who then became the Managing Director of the Ballet.

Which composer worked most closely with Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes?
I guessed Igor Stravinsky, just because he's the one of the most well-known ballet composers, and got lucky, because it was right!

Where did the Vaganova method originate?
If you guessed Russia, you are correct! It was started by a woman named Agrippina Vaganova.

Choreographer William Forsythe is celebrated for which style of ballet?
 Contemporary. He is quite a prolific choreographer and is still living today.

Ballet is Cool Again

The leading men of the American Ballet Theater, posing with a model for Elle Magazine

According to a blog post on pointemagazine.com, ballet dancers have been appearing in all kinds of publications lately. Modeling in Elle Magazine, J. Crew, and Martha Stewart Weddings. Even super model Kate Moss is learning plies and tendus - she is set to learn a pas de deux with Mikhail Baryishnikov for the Sex and the City Movie. All I can think is - it's about time! Ballet dancers are some of the most graceful people in the world, with bodies that Michelangelo himself would choose as a subject for a sculpture. With toned, lean bodies that are able to move and bend in ways high fashion models could only dream of!

Do's and Don'ts to Improve Your Arch

Svetlana Zakharova  Photo Credits: Pascal Perich for The New York Times

We all want feet like Svetlana Zakharova, but it is almost freeing to know that for some, it just isn't physically possible. So, for those of us who aren't born with fantastic, archy feet, what can we do to get the most out of what we do have?

In this article from Dance Magazine, writer Kristen Lewis offers exercises and stretches that can improve your arch, no matter your bone structure. Check it out some of the highlights here, or click on the link for the full article.

"If you have less than perfect feet, focus on how you use them rather than obsess that your arch isn't high enough," says Dana Hanson, a teacher at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Here are some do's and don'ts to help you maximize your potential.

* Do stretch your feet after barre in ballet slippers.

* Do wear your pointe shoes longer. And wear softer shoes to strengthen your legs and feet.

* Do work the arches of your feet with a doming exercise. 

* Do use a Theraband. 

* Do work at three-quarters. Try with both legs, then one leg.

* Don't allow anyone to stretch your feet--unless you've both been properly coached or are being supervised by a qualified teacher. Overstretching will strain the tops of your feet and do nothing to improve your pointes.

* Don't put your feet under the couch or piano. Extreme stretching can lead to injury.

* Don't take your pointe shoes off when it's time for allegro. Concentrating on fully pointing your feet as you jump off of the floor, and rolling through demi-pointe as you land. You can also do it in shankless pointe shoes.

* Don't get tunnel vision. It's OK to focus on your feet, but they're only part of the picture. Hip and core strength are directly related to foot alignment and balance.

* Don't wear pointe shoes before your teacher says you're ready.