Ballet is considered a relatively young art, but its influence on world culture can hardly be overestimated. Over the course of several centuries, classical ballet has undergone many transformations, thanks to which in our time the viewer has the opportunity to contemplate dozens of trends in modern ballet.
Classical ballet
Classical ballet was born at the end of the 16th century. It was during this period that dances of a certain format began to be given at the French royal court to the music of that time. At first, these were exquisite court dances, but after a few decades, ballet took shape in a separate genre and began to be filled with elements of drama. The first to develop clear canons for this art was the French choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre. Thanks to this master, in the second half of the 18th century, classical ballet - the expression of dramatic images through dance - gained extraordinary popularity.
During this period, some distinctive features of classical ballet were formed, which are still relevant to this day. Among them - the airiness of movements, special outfits from "flying" fabrics, as well as special shoes - pointe shoes.
A narrow circle of true connoisseurs of ballet has emerged in Europe. Leading composers wrote music for ballet performances, and each performance turned into a high-profile event for the nobility.
Russian classical ballet
Ballet came to Russia in 1673: Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich opened the doors of his palace for the first performance in the country. In that era, Russian ballet was completely influenced by the European school of choreography. However, this fact was an absolute plus for Russia. The ballet, in which women were predominantly involved, became an art for the elite, entertainment for the elite.
The main figure who initiated the revolution of classical Russian ballet was Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The legendary composer took this field of choreography to another level. Its principles were as follows;
- transformation of ballet into a multidimensional performance;
- the ability to reveal storylines through plastic;
- rejection of movements verified to the millimeter, instead - freedom, allowing the artist to bring his individuality into the action;
- exceptional drama, which was the main means of conveying the inner state of the heroes.
From the beginning of the 20th century to this day, ballet in Russia has remained an elite art, and our country has remained the world leader in this area for decades. At that time, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Agrippina Vaganova, Maria Kozhukhova, Olga Spesivtseva, Anna Pavlova, Vera Fokina shone on the stage.
In the second half of the 20th century, the stars of the scene were Maya Plisetskaya, Galina Ulanova, Tamara Krasavina. These great dancers glorified Russia throughout the world, became muses for artists and filmmakers, and also continued to form the country's cultural elite.
The evolution of classical ballet
The world cultural revolution of the 20th century could not but have an impact on classical ballet, the canons of which were too rigid for many decades. It was during this period that modernity was born - a style that supplanted classical ballet canons. Tchaikovsky only gave the first impetus for such transformations, and the cultural environment quickly reacted to the new trend. The American dancer Loe Fuller was the symbol of Art Nouveau. She created an incredible show on stage, combining elements of acrobatics, drama and classical ballet. Her image with huge wings made of flying fabric is still used in modern productions.
The trends set by Loe Fuller were continued by her colleague Isadora Duncan. Two famous ballerinas of the beginning of the last century, without exaggeration, transformed this direction of choreography. They brought creativity, freedom of movement, artistry and even outrageousness to ballet. In fact, they made it clear to the whole world that classical ballet cannot be in stagnation: art develops in parallel with the era, so its rebirth is inevitable.
Contemporary ballet
The Art Nouveau style was only the beginning of a large-scale transformation of ballet. The 20th century was the apotheosis of change. First of all, this was facilitated by the colossal economic and political changes in the world, because the past century, in terms of the speed of development, significantly surpasses even a whole millennium.
The key change in modern ballet can be summed up in one word - "experiment." However, the transformation did not happen overnight.
It all started with the gradual abandonment of the strict principles of classical ballet.
- optional use of classical ballet positions;
- rejection of the emphasized "lengthening" of the arms and legs;
- refusal from complex inversions and high jumps.
And that was just the beginning. Yesterday, without these obligatory elements, ballet seemed impossible, but in recent years this art has seen much more serious innovations.
One of the main trends in modern ballet is its intersection with other arts and even sports. Yes, today ballet is very close to acrobatics. Its elements can be so complex that only people with exceptional physical abilities can reach the heights in this art form. But can we say that technique has overshadowed drama? Unlikely. It's just that the dramatic component of modern ballet has taken on completely different features.
Contemporary ballet can be characterized by the following features.
- Use of avant-garde and other non-format music;
- Author's drama;
- The transformation of a ballet performance into a multi-faceted show, a stake on entertainment.
- Exceptional technical complexity.
Trends in the development of modern ballet
It is clearly premature to say that classical ballet is losing ground. On the contrary, it is still characterized by its elite status. True connoisseurs of this art are unlikely to give up the academic performances of classical works, which are still the standard of choreographic skill.
Against this background, contemporary ballet clearly stands out with its alternative format. Choreographers of our time often balance on the brink, because creating a ballet performance in an avant-garde manner and not going into "pop music" is a daunting task. That is why modern ballet is distinguished by its technical complexity, spectacularity and strong philosophical content.
In Russia, one of the key figures in contemporary ballet is Boris Eifman, artistic director of the St. Petersburg Ballet Theater. In the 70s, the master's performances made a splash. Eifman worked on classical material, using academic choreography and works of Russian authors as a basis, but at the same time brought a lot of innovative tendencies to each production. The choreographer's works were enthusiastically received both in our country and abroad. Over the years, he has created a lot of interesting performances - from rock ballet to children's performances in a modern way.
For a long time it was believed that modern Russian ballet was developing under the strong influence of the West. This is only partly true. Russian choreographers respond to global trends towards experimentation, but do not go beyond high art.
In Europe and the USA, you can often see ballet performances on the verge of kitsch, when shocking, candid costumes of actors and large-scale installations come to the fore. Against this background, contemporary Russian ballet is more distinctive and academic. Choreographers of our country bring national folklore into this art, interpret the classics in a new way, often rely on entertainment, but at the same time they always take great care of the classical heritage.
