With great news coming from the dance world today, it’s clear that the ballet world (known to be rather old-fashioned) is finally starting to catch up with the times. Today, Misty Copeland, dancer with American Ballet Theater, was promoted to principal. She is the first African-American dancer to dance at this level with the company, and one of few black ballet dancers that has ever danced at such an elite company. Misty’s promotion marks a very important step forward in the world of ballet, by opening up the doors of possibilties to minorities, and by redefining the aesthetic of a very traditional art form.
For those unfamiliar with the context of this event, let me provide some brief background. What we know today as Classical Ballet derived from the ballroom dancing performed at the court of King Louis XIV in France, in the seventeenth century. A passionate dancer himself, Louis helped found the very first formal dance school to ever exist, and that school later grew by introducing the world´s first professional dance company. This company performed in operas, plays, and eventually put on the first ballets. Perhaps most importantly, it helped to establish a set curriculum that dancers and courtiers across Europe learned using published pamphelts, which allowed dance steps to evolve in a particular way as part of an established technique. For these reasons, ballet was a very exclusive art form. Only those who were very wealthy and had a high social status had access to watching it and dancing it, and being in Europe, this meant that only white people were exposed to ballet. In addition, because whites were the only ones dancing it, the technique developed to favor those with the physical characteristics typically associated with caucasians-high arches in the feet, and few curves in the body, to name a few.
When ballet came to America with George Balanchine in the 1940s, you can imagine that this ideal aesthetic-white and thin-was certainly applauded by the public, and only served to reinforce the limitations that existed for African Americans who wished to learn ballet. This aesthetic continues to be the one favored in the ballet world, making it difficult for blacks to succeed professionally in dance today. Although some traditionally black dance companies do exist, such as Alvin Ailey, they are modern dance companies, and are not an option for a black dancer who wishes to pursue a ballet career.
Keeping these things in mind, I hope that it is now clear why Misty’s promotion is such a huge deal. Not only was she able to win a personal victory in an already extremley competetive career, but she was able to break down racial barriers that have been a part of ballet since it was developed. Her new status as a principal with one of the best ballet companies in the world is a game changer that redefines the aesthetic of ballet and demonstrates that the ballet world is at last responding to the changing social values of today’s times (yes, it’s very behind). ABT has set an example that I hope will lead other companies across the world to follow suit.
Be sure to check out the links below to Misty’s “Swan Lake” performance that earned her the title of prinicpal, her Under Armour campaign ads that made her a celebrity outside of the dance world, and her interview with “60 Minutes."
0 Comments
"Dance first, think later. It's the natural order." -Samuel Beckett IntroductionAssemblé is a staple step of all allegros in ballet, both petit and grand. As such, it is important to master it pretty quickly in your training. Here's what you should work on:
Doing these three things will give you great assemblés, no matter if they are devant, en tournant, or whatever! Completing the AssembléAs I always say, "find your home base." This means you should start and end assemblé in fifth position. It can be tempting to start in fifth but slide your front leg forward to give your brush more power, but you can't give in. Stick to your position and use your plié to get off the floor instead. As you release the working leg, brush the floor just as you do in tendu or degagé at the barre. Since you start in plié, make sure that you straighten both of your legs at the same time, as you jump into the air. Finally, assemble your legs in the air by bringing the bottom leg to the top leg (not vice versa), and of course, landing in fifth. Different Kinds of AssembléIt is important to note that there are different kinds of assemblés. Firstly, the "spirit" of the assemblé is different, depending on whether it is done during petit allegro or grand allegro. In petit allegro, the assemblé occurs much more quickly and only moves up-and-down. In contrast, during grand allegro assemblé typically gets higher off of the ground and you are allowed to travel with the jump. Most assemblés happen coming forward by brushing the back leg and landing with that leg in front. However, you can reverse that by brush the front leg and landing in back for assemblé reversed. You can also do a turning assemblé, known as assemblé entournant, which is often performed by male dancers. Important Links |
AboutHello, and welcome to my adult ballet blog! My name is Chiara and I teach adult ballet. Check out my weekly blog for information on all things dance!
Important LinksAmerican Ballet Theatre Ballet Dictionary
Tips for Adult Ballet from Kathryn Morgan (former NYCB soloist) Pointe Magazine for ipad/iphone NYCB Video Podcast Archives
June 2016
|