Women In Dance on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The important place of women in dance can be traced back to the very origins of civilization. Cave paintings, Egyptian frescos, Indian statuettes, ancient Greek and Roman art and records of court traditions in China and Japan all testify to the important role women played in ritual and religious dancing from the start. In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, what has become known as ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
had its beginnings in Italian court festivals when women frequently played the parts of men. It was however in late 17th-century France that the Paris Opera produced the first celebrated ballerinas. While women began to dominate the ballet scene in the 18th century, it was with the advent of Romantic ballet
The Romantic ballet is defined primarily by an era in ballet in which the ideas of Romanticism in art and literature influenced the creation of ballets. The era occurred during the early to mid 19th century primarily at the Théâtre de l'Académ ...
in the 19th century that they became the undisputed centre of attraction with stars playing the leading roles in the works of Marius Petipa, appearing in theatres across Europe from Milan's La Scala
La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
to the Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...
in Saint Petersburg. More recently, women have played a leading role in developing various forms of modern dance
Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which included dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th ...
including flamenco
Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
and expressionist dance.
History
Women have always played a predominant role in dance, as can be seen from its earliest history until the emergence of formal dances in the 15th century which developed intoballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
.
Antiquity
Cave paintings from as long ago as 6000 BC provide scenes of dancing women. Examples can be seen in the Addauta Cave nearPalermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
and in the Roca dels Moros
The Roca dels Moros or Caves of El Cogul is a rock shelter containing paintings of prehistoric Levantine rock art and Iberian schematic art. The site is in El Cogul, in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. Since 1998 the paintings h ...
in Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
. In Ancient Egypt, women performed ritual dances for religious ceremonies such as funerals, as illustrated by frescos on the pharaohs' tombs. The oldest records of organised dance and of professional female dancers come from Egypt. Especially in the Old Kingdom
In ancient Egyptian history, the Old Kingdom is the period spanning c. 2700–2200 BC. It is also known as the "Age of the Pyramids" or the "Age of the Pyramid Builders", as it encompasses the reigns of the great pyramid-builders of the Fourth ...
, women were organised into groups known as khener
Dancing played a vital role in the lives of the ancient Egyptians. However, men and women are never depicted dancing together. The ''trf'' was a dance performed by a pair of men during the Old Kingdom. Dance groups were accessible to perform at d ...
, apparently being joined by men only at a later stage.
In the Indian subcontinent too, there is early evidence of dancing women, most notably a bronze statuette from Mohenjo-daro
Mohenjo-daro (; sd, موئن جو دڙو'', ''meaning 'Mound of the Dead Men';Indus Valley dating from around 2500 BC. While men's early participation in dancing rituals appears to have been connected to hunting and fighting, women's dance was above all related to fertility, both agricultural and human.
File:064 Pintures de la cova dels Moros, exposició al Museu de Gavà.JPG, Dancing women, El Cogul caves, Lérida
File:Dancing girl.jpg, Dancing girl statuette from
File:Donkey head rhyton Louvre Cp3561 n2.jpg, Musician and dancer, Athens, 460 BC
File:Tondo of a Kylix by the Brogos Painter.jpg, Greek dancing girl, 5th century BC
File:Terracotta dancing maenad MET 12.232.13.png, Greek terracotta statuette of a dancing
The Bible contains several accounts of women dancing, in particular the celebrations led by Miriam after the
File:Miriams Tanz.jpg, Miriam's dance, Tomić Psalter, c. 1360
File:Dance of Salome.jpg, Dance of Salome,
File:Dinastia_tang,_danzatrice_con_vestito_di_piume_e_gonna_ad_arcobaleno,_cina_del_nord,_710_ca._02.JPG, Chinese dancer from the Tang dynasty
File:Sui Musikantinnen mit Tänzerin Museum Rietberg RCH 507.jpg, Statuettes of female musicians and a dancer, Sui dynasty (c. 600 AD)
File:Danseuses Chine Guimet 291002.jpg, Dancing figures, Tang dynasty, 7th century
File:Tang Dynasty Dancer.jpg, Female dancer from the Tang dynasty
File:Met, female dancer, western han dynasty, 2nd century BC.JPG, Female dancer, Han dynasty
File:Shizuka Gozen.jpg, Shizuka from 12th-century Japan
File:Bharata Natyam Performance DS.jpg,
File:Kathak dance India November 2011.jpg,
File:Kuchipudi Performer DS.jpg,
File:Odissi Performance DS.jpg,
File:Krishnakahi Kashyap performing Sattriya Dance.jpg,
File:Manipuri Dance.jpg,
File:Rekha Raju DS 2.jpg,
File:Meister des Rosenromans 001.jpg, Dancing the carole (
File:Marie-Thérèse de Subligny.jpg,
File:Marie-taglioni-in-zephire.jpg,
Several notable Italian ballerinas emerged in the second half of the 19th century, reaching their zeniths in Russia. Italian-born
File:Esmeralda -Virginia Zucchi -1886.JPG,
File:Anna Pavlova 1912.jpg,
Ballet also began to develop in London, thanks mainly to the efforts of two women. Polish-born
File:Ballet Goes To the Factory- Dance and Entertainment Organised by the Council For the Encouragement of Music and the Arts, England, 1943 D14038.jpg,
As ballet developed in the United States,
File:Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo Nutcracker 1940.JPG,
Women have also contributed significantly to most other forms of dance, in particular
File:Loie Fuller cph.3b32370.jpg,
File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-P047336, Berlin, Mary Wigman-Studio.jpg,
File:Egyptian dancing girl.jpg, Egyptian belly dancer, Chicago World Fair (1893)
File:Tahyea05.jpg, Tahia Carioca (1920)
File:Dalilah bailando danza oriental con crótalos.jpg, Dalilah (1963)
File:Randa Kamel Egyptian Bellydancer 2007 1.jpg, Randa Kamel, Cairo (2007)
File:Rachel Brice 1 DSC 0126.jpeg, Rachel Brice, Rennes (2012)
File:Toulouse-Lautrec Folies-Bergère Emilienne d’Alençon and Mariquita.jpg, Marquita and Émilienne d’Alençon (1893)
File:Cléo de Mérode 02.jpg,
Mohenjo-daro
Mohenjo-daro (; sd, موئن جو دڙو'', ''meaning 'Mound of the Dead Men';classical Crete
The history of Crete goes back to the 7th millennium BC, preceding the ancient Minoan civilization by more than four millennia. The palace-based Minoan civilization was the first civilization in Europe.
After the Minoan civilization was devastat ...
and Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
seems to have been influenced by the dances of Ancient Egypt. There are many examples of ancient Greek art from the 6th and 5th centuries BC depicting dancing women. The virgins of Delos danced in a circle to honour Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
while Terpsichore
In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (; grc-gre, Τερψιχόρη, "delight in dancing") is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to dance".
Appearance
...
was the Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
of dance. In the 6th century BC, the ''choros Choros may refer to:
* Choros (Oirats), a Mongolic people and historical clan
* Chôros, a series of compositions by Heitor Villa-Lobos
* Choros (dance), Greek dances
* Choros (Greek drama), an ancient Greek group of performers
* Choros District, ...
'' became a lasting feature of Greek theatre while women known as the Dyonysiac, frequently depicted on Greek vases, dance in frensy, celebrating Dionysus
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
, the god of wine. In Ancient Rome, female singers and dancers performed in the annual celebrations of Isis
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kin ...
which included mystery plays representing the resurrection of Osiris
Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He wa ...
.
Maenad
In Greek mythology, maenads (; grc, μαινάδες ) were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Maenads were known as Bassarids, ...
, 3rd century BC
File:Veiled dancer Louvre Myr660.jpg, Veiled dancer, terracotta, c. 100 BC
File:Roman fresco Villa dei Misteri Pompeii 009.jpg, Fresco of Dionysic initiation dance, Pompei, c. 60 BC
crossing of the Red Sea
The Crossing of the Red Sea ( he, קריעת ים סוף, Kriat Yam Suph, parting of the Sea of Reeds) forms an episode in the biblical narrative of The Exodus.
It tells of the escape of the Israelites, led by Moses, from the pursuing Egyptia ...
when women are said to have danced and played hand-drums. After David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
had returned from slaying Goliath, women came out singing and dancing. In the New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
, Matthew tells the story of how Salome danced for Herod in order to be given the head of John the Baptist.
Robert Fowler Robert Fowler may refer to:
* Robert Fowler (archbishop of Dublin) (1724–1801), bishop in the Church of Ireland
* Robert Fowler (artist) (1853–1926), English artist
* Robert Fowler (athlete) (1882–1957), American marathoner
* Robert Fowler (A ...
(1885)
China and Japan
In China too there is a long recorded history of women dancers since theZhou Dynasty
The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
(c. 1046–256 BC) reaching a peak in the Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
(618–907 AD). The chorus dances performed by women in the Zhou dynasty were known as ''xi''. The ancient theatrical spectacles called ''baixi'' probably involved dancing girls in dresses with fluttering silk sleeves. Texts from the Spring and Autumn period
The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...
(771–476 BC) contain descriptions of professional dancing girls while the Nishang Yuyi dance, created by the Emperor Li Longji
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (; 8 September 685 – 3 May 762), personal name Li Longji, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756 CE. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty. In the earl ...
(685–762), stages virgin women dancing as if in a magic world. In the early 1900s, modern dance
Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which included dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th ...
was first introduced to China by Nellie Yu Roung Ling
Nellie Yu Roung Ling ( zh, t=裕容齡, w=Yü Jung-ling, p=Yù Rónglíng; 188216 January 1973), also spelt Nelly, was a Hanjun Plain White bannerwoman and dancer, who is considered "the first modern dancer of China". She was the younger daught ...
, daughter of a Qing-dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...
diplomat to France. She developed a series of dance styles combining Eastern aesthetic with Western technique during her time in the Qing imperial court. In 12th-century Japan, the Shirabyoshi were famous for their dancing and poetry. One of the most famous was the court dancer Shizuka who appears in the Japanese literature of the period.
India
India has nine classical dances. Some are performed exclusively by women such asMohiniattam
Mohiniyattam, ( ml, മോഹിനിയാട്ടം), is an Indian classical dance form that developed and remained popular in the state of Kerala. Kathakali is another classical dance form of Kerala. Mohiniyattam dance gets its name fr ...
. Others are performed with men, such as Kathak
Kathak ( hi, कथक; ur, کتھک) is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. It is the classical dance from of Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern Ind ...
.
Middle Ages in Europe
In theMiddle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, with the spread of Christianity across Europe, the church generally frowned upon dance although there was often dancing at folk festivals
A folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music. This list includes folk festivals worldwide, except those with only a partial focus on folk music or arts. Folk festivals may also feature folk dance or ethnic foods.
Handicra ...
, particularly at the beginning of May. In France and Italy, chain and circular dances such as the ''carole Carole is a feminine given name (see Carl for more information) and occasionally a surname.
Carole may refer to:
Given name
* Carole B. Balin (born 1964), American Reform rabbi, professor of Jewish history
*Carole Bayer Sager (born 1947), Ameri ...
'', and the ''tresque'' were popular from the 4th to 14th centuries. They were usually danced in a closed circle with men and women interspersed and holding hands. In Italy, the lively saltarello
The ''saltarello'' is a musical dance originally from Italy. The first mention of it is in Add MS 29987, a late-fourteenth- or early fifteenth-century manuscript of Tuscan origin, now in the British Library. It was usually played in a fast tr ...
from Naples became popular in the 14th and 15th centuries. Groups of courtesan
Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other ...
s dressed as men performed the dance at masquerades.
Roman de la Rose
''Le Roman de la Rose'' (''The Romance of the Rose'') is a medieval poem written in Old French and presented as an allegorical dream vision. As poetry, ''The Romance of the Rose'' is a notable instance of courtly literature, purporting to prov ...
, c. 1250)
File:Basse danse couleur.jpg, Medieval dance
File:Pinelli Saltarello.JPG, Saltarello, illustrated by Bartolomeo Pinelli
Bartolomeo Pinelli (November 20, 1781 – April 1, 1835) was an Italian illustrator and engraver.
Life
Pinelli was born and died in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome, the son of an artisan who modeled religious statues. Pinelli was edu ...
File:Valois Tapestry 2.jpg, Lavish ball held by Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici ( it, Caterina de' Medici, ; french: Catherine de Médicis, ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Florentine noblewoman born into the Medici family. She was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King ...
in 1573
Emergence of ballet
In the 15th century, court festivities in Italy became ever more elaborate, often featuring formal dances. One of the early masters wasDomenico da Piacenza
Domenico da Piacenza (c. 1400 – c. 1470), also known as Domenico da Ferrara, was an Italian Renaissance dancing master. He became a very popular teacher with his students – most notably Antonio Cornazzano and Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro – who ...
(c. 1400–1470) who compiled a manual of dance: ''De arte saltandi et choreas ducendi''. In France, too, professional dancing began to take shape when dancers performed for Henry III of France
Henry III (french: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; pl, Henryk Walezy; lt, Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of ...
at Fontainebleau in the early 1580s. Further presentations were made for Louis XIII
Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...
, who frequently took the main part himself. But it was, above all, during the reign of Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
(1643–1715) that the foundations were laid for what became known as ballet. The king not only had the rules of dance written down but established the Académie Royale de Danse
The Académie Royale de Danse, founded by Letters Patent on the initiative of King Louis XIV of France in March 1661, was the first dance institution established in the Western world. As one of King Louis’ first official edicts after the death ...
in 1661, which developed into today's Paris Opera Ballet
The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded ...
. Many of the early ballets were created by the Italian-French composer Jean Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste Lully ( , , ; born Giovanni Battista Lulli, ; – 22 March 1687) was an Italian-born French composer, guitarist, violinist, and dancer who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas, ...
and the French choreographer Pierre Beauchamp
Pierre Beauchamp or Beauchamps (; 30 October 1631 – February 1705) was a French choreographer, dancer and composer, and the probable inventor of Beauchamp–Feuillet notation. His grand-father was called Christophe (a musician) and his fa ...
, often assisted by Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...
.
Initially, female parts in the early ballets were taken by young men; but, in 1681, a young woman known as Mademoiselle De Lafontaine danced in Lully's ''Le Triomphe de l'amour''. She went on to be the leading ballerina in at least 18 other productions at the Paris Opera between 1681 and 1693, establishing the supreme importance of women in ballet. De Lafontaine was succeeded by Marie-Thérèse de Subligny
Marie-Thérèse Perdou de Subligny (1666–1735) was a French ballerina. She entered the l'Académie Royale de Musique in 1688, where she succeeded Mademoiselle de Lafontaine as prima ballerina, a position she held until 1707. She appeared most ...
who became the first ballerina to perform in London when she appeared with Claude Ballon
Claude Balon (also Ballon, often incorrectly named Jean; 1671–1744) was a French dancer and choreographer. The ballet term ballon
Ballon may refer to:
Places
*Ballon, County Carlow (''Balana'' in Irish), a village in Ireland
*Grand Ballon
...
in 1699. Said to be the best ballerina of her day, with beautiful eyes and a fine figure, Subligny danced at the Paris Opera from 1688 until her retirement in 1707.
The next leading dancer of the Opéra was Françoise Prévost
Françoise Prévost (c. 1680 in Paris – 1741 in Paris) was a French ballerina who helped establish dramatic dance in the early world of classical ballet. She was expressive, light and dramatic in style.
In 1699, Prevost debuted at the Paris O ...
(1680–1741), whose precision, lightness and grace contributed much to classical ballet. She persuaded conductor Jean-Féry Rebel
Jean-Féry Rebel (18 April 1666 – 2 January 1747) was an innovative French Baroque composer and violinist.
Biography
Rebel, a child violin prodigy, was the most famous offspring of Jean Rebel, a tenor in Louis XIV's private chapel. He late ...
to compose suites specifically for ballet. His ''Caprice'', ''Boutade'', ''Les Caractères de la danse'' and ''La Terpsichore'' brought her considerable success. In particular, her personal interpretation of the steps in ''Caprice'' served as an example for other soloists while she transformed the ''Caractères'' into a sequence illustrating different types of lover, both male and female. Prévost trained two highly successful dancers, Marie Camargo
Marie Anne de Cupis de Camargo (15 April 1710 in Brussels – 28 April 1770 in Paris), sometimes known simply as La Camargo, was a French dancer. The first woman to execute the ''Glossary of ballet, entrechat quatre'', Camargo was also allege ...
(1710–1770) and Marie Sallé
Marie Sallé (1707–1756) was a French dancer and choreographer in the 18th century known for her expressive, dramatic performances rather than a series of "leaps and frolics" typical of ballet of her time.
Biography
Marie Sallé was a promi ...
(1707–1756), who added their personal preferences to her ''Caractères'', each developing individual styles. They would take her place as prima ballerina
A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on ye ...
s after she retired from the opera in 1730.
Camargo proved to be a tremendous success, not only as a result of her dazzling footwork (especially her entrechat à quatre), but because she introduced slightly shorter skirts and new hair styles. She also discarded high-heeled shoes, introducing dancing slippers which facilitated the execution of the more demanding routines. By dancing demanding routines, which had previously been performed exclusively by men, Camargo further consolidated the image of the ballerina.
Sallé sought more from ballet than skillful demonstrations of technique as favoured by proponents of traditional ballet. She believed music, steps, decor and costumes should all contribute to a graceful, expressive performance combining pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
with dance in what became known as ballet d'action Ballet d'action is a hybrid genre of expressive and symbolic ballet that emerged during the 18th century. One of its chief aims was to liberate the conveyance of a story via spoken or sung words, relying simply on quality of movement to communicate ...
. As many in the Paris Opera did not share her views, she decided to move to the more liberal London. At Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
, she caused a sensation in 1734 as Galatea in ''Pygmalion'', a ballet she had choreographed herself. Discarding the usual attire of a ballerina, she chose to wear a simple muslin tunic and allow her hair to fall freely over her shoulders. The following year, she even decided to dress as a man while performing the role of Cupid but the reviews were extremely critical. As a result, she returned to Paris where she danced at the Opéra until her retirement in 1740 at the young age of 33. Thereafter, she occasionally danced for the court at Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...
.
During the second half of the 18th century, the dominating star of the Paris Opera was Marie-Madeleine Guimard
Marie-Madeleine Guimard (27 December 1743 — 4 May 1816) was a French ballerina who dominated the Parisian stage during the reign of Louis XVI. For twenty-five years she was the star of the Paris Opera. She made herself even more famous by her lo ...
who may not have had the technique of Sallé but was nevertheless recognized for her sensuous movements, her numerous suitors and her exotic attire. Other stars included Marie Allard
Marie Allard (1742–1802) was a French ballerina. She debuted in the Paris Opera in 1761.
Marie Allard was born in 1742 to a poor family in Marseille. At the age of 10, she was offered to a Monsieur V. and the Comédie de Marseille. Her mother ...
(1738–1802) who joined the Paris Opera in 1756 where she was trained by Gaétan Vestris
Gaetano Apolline Baldassarre Vestris (18 April 1729 – 1808), French ballet dancer, was born in Florence and made his debut at the opera in 1749.
Life
Born of an Italian theatrical family, he studied dance with Louis Dupré at the Royal Acad ...
, becoming not just an étoile but also his wife. Although she was rather corpulent and frequently pregnant, she was acclaimed for her impressive footwork.
Marie-Thérèse de Subligny
Marie-Thérèse Perdou de Subligny (1666–1735) was a French ballerina. She entered the l'Académie Royale de Musique in 1688, where she succeeded Mademoiselle de Lafontaine as prima ballerina, a position she held until 1707. She appeared most ...
(c. 1700)
File:Jean Raoux - Mademoiselle Prévost as a Bacchante.jpg, Françoise Prévost
Françoise Prévost (c. 1680 in Paris – 1741 in Paris) was a French ballerina who helped establish dramatic dance in the early world of classical ballet. She was expressive, light and dramatic in style.
In 1699, Prevost debuted at the Paris O ...
(c. 1723)
File:CamargoLancret.jpg, Marie Camargo
Marie Anne de Cupis de Camargo (15 April 1710 in Brussels – 28 April 1770 in Paris), sometimes known simply as La Camargo, was a French dancer. The first woman to execute the ''Glossary of ballet, entrechat quatre'', Camargo was also allege ...
painted by Nicolas Lancret (c. 1730)
File:MarieSalle.jpg, Marie Sallé
Marie Sallé (1707–1756) was a French dancer and choreographer in the 18th century known for her expressive, dramatic performances rather than a series of "leaps and frolics" typical of ballet of her time.
Biography
Marie Sallé was a promi ...
(c. 1730)
File:Mademoiselle Guimard as Terpsichore, by Jacques-Louis David.jpg, Marie-Madeleine Guimard
Marie-Madeleine Guimard (27 December 1743 — 4 May 1816) was a French ballerina who dominated the Parisian stage during the reign of Louis XVI. For twenty-five years she was the star of the Paris Opera. She made herself even more famous by her lo ...
(c. 1774)
Romantic ballet
The most successful period for female ballet dancers was around the 1830s and 1840s when they became the great stars ofRomantic ballet
The Romantic ballet is defined primarily by an era in ballet in which the ideas of Romanticism in art and literature influenced the creation of ballets. The era occurred during the early to mid 19th century primarily at the Théâtre de l'Académ ...
. The Italian-Swedish Marie Taglioni
Marie Taglioni, Comtesse de Voisins (23 April 1804 – 22 April 1884) was a Swedish-born ballet dancer of the Romantic ballet era partially of Italian descent, a central figure in the history of European dance. She spent most of her life in t ...
(1804–1884) not only excelled at the Paris Opera when she danced ''La Sylphide
''La Sylphide'' ( en, The Sylph; da, Sylfiden) is a romantic ballet in two acts. There were two versions of the ballet; the original choreographed by Filippo Taglioni in 1832, and a second version choreographed by August Bournonville in 1836. ...
'' in 1832 but extended her fame to Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Ballet as well as to the stages of Berlin, Milan and London until her retirement in 1847. It was she who developed ballet's en pointe
Pointe technique ( ) is the part of classical ballet technique that concerns ''pointe work'', in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet within pointe shoes. A dancer is said to be ''en pointe'' () wh ...
(dancing on the tips of the toes) while introducing new fashions in dress and hair styling which became popular throughout Europe. The Austrian Fanny Elssler
Fanny Elssler (born Franziska Elßler; 23 June 181027 November 1884) was an Austrian ballerina of the Romantic Period.
Life and career
She was born in Gumpendorf, a neighborhood of Vienna. Her father Johann Florian Elssler was a second ge ...
(1810–1884) gained fame and fortune by dancing the flirtatious Spanish cachucha
Cachucha is a Spanish solo dance in or time, similar to the bolero. Cachucha is danced to an Andalusian national song with castanet accompaniment.
Etymology
From Spanish , small boat. Possibly from diminutive of ', shard, saucepan, probabl ...
in ''Le Diable boiteux'', performing not only in Austria, Germany, France, England and Russia but also in the United States. Nevertheless, in 1845 she refused to dance with her rivals Marie Taglioni, Carlotta Grisi
Carlotta Grisi (born Caronne Adele Josephine Marie Grisi; 28 June 1819 – 20 May 1899) was an Italian ballet dancer. Born in Visinada, Istria (present-day Vižinada, Croatia). Although her parents were not involved in the theatre, she was broug ...
, Fanny Cerrito
Francesca "Fanny" Cerrito (11 May 1817 – 6 May 1909) was an Italian ballet dancer and choreographer. She was a ballerina noted for the brilliance, strength, and vivacity of her dancing. She was also one of few women in the 19th century to be r ...
, and Lucile Grahn
Lucile Alexia Grahn-Young (30 June 1819 – 4 April 1907) was the first internationally renowned Danish ballerina and one of the popular dancers of the Romantic ballet era.
Grahn studied from a young age at the Royal Danish Theatre School i ...
in Jules Perrot
Jules-Joseph Perrot (18 August 1810 – 29 August 1892) was a dancer and choreographer who later became Ballet Master of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. He created some of the most famous ballets of the 19th century including ...
's ''Pas de Quatre
''Grand Pas de Quatre'' is a ''ballet divertissement'' choreographed by Jules Perrot in 1845, on the suggestion of Benjamin Lumley, Director at Her Majesty's Theatre, to music composed by Cesare Pugni.
On the night it premiered in London (12 Ju ...
''.
Presented at Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...
in London, the ''Pas de Quatre'' caused a sensation, bringing together the four greatest ballerinas of the day. In addition to Marie Taglioni, Italy's Grisi (1819–1899) had become famous both in Paris and Saint Petersburg for her ''Giselle
''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
'', while Cerrito from Naples had become the star of La Scala
La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
in Milan. Grahn (1819–1907), a Dane trained by Bournonville, was based in Paris but had also danced in London, Saint Petersburg and Milan before settling in Germany.
Marie Taglioni
Marie Taglioni, Comtesse de Voisins (23 April 1804 – 22 April 1884) was a Swedish-born ballet dancer of the Romantic ballet era partially of Italian descent, a central figure in the history of European dance. She spent most of her life in t ...
in ''Zephire et Flore'' (c. 1831)
File:Elssler Cachucha.jpg, Fanny Elssler
Fanny Elssler (born Franziska Elßler; 23 June 181027 November 1884) was an Austrian ballerina of the Romantic Period.
Life and career
She was born in Gumpendorf, a neighborhood of Vienna. Her father Johann Florian Elssler was a second ge ...
in ''La Cachucha'' (1836)
File:Giselle -Carlotta Grisi -1841 -2.jpg, Carlotta Grisi
Carlotta Grisi (born Caronne Adele Josephine Marie Grisi; 28 June 1819 – 20 May 1899) was an Italian ballet dancer. Born in Visinada, Istria (present-day Vižinada, Croatia). Although her parents were not involved in the theatre, she was broug ...
in ''Giselle'' (1841)
File:Vivandiere -Kathi -Fanny Cerrito -London -1844.jpg, Fanny Cerrito
Francesca "Fanny" Cerrito (11 May 1817 – 6 May 1909) was an Italian ballet dancer and choreographer. She was a ballerina noted for the brilliance, strength, and vivacity of her dancing. She was also one of few women in the 19th century to be r ...
in ''La Vivandière'' (1844)
File:Lucille grahn.jpg, Lucile Grahn
Lucile Alexia Grahn-Young (30 June 1819 – 4 April 1907) was the first internationally renowned Danish ballerina and one of the popular dancers of the Romantic ballet era.
Grahn studied from a young age at the Royal Danish Theatre School i ...
in ''La Cachucha'' (1838)
File:Pauline Leroux in François Benoist's Le Diable amoureux.jpg, Pauline Leroux
Adèle-Louise-Pauline Leroux (19 August 1809–5 February 1891) was a French dancer and ballerina of the 19th-century Romantic ballet era and a member of the Paris Opera Ballet.
Born in Paris, she was the daughter of Louis-Bénigne-Marie Ler ...
in '' Le Diable Amoureux'' (1840)
Virginia Zucchi
Virginia Zucchi (10 February 1849 – 12 October 1933) was an Italian dancer. Her career as a ballerina spanned the years 1864 to 1898, and she was known as "the Divine Zucchi" or even "the Divine Virginia" for her artistry, expressiveness, a ...
(1849–1933) first danced in Italy and Germany but her interpretations of Marius Petipa's ballet in Russia were so successful that the Tzar insisted she should join the Mariinsky Ballet in Saint Petersburg. In the mid-1880s, she starred in ''Coppélia
''Coppélia'' (sometimes subtitled: ''La Fille aux Yeux d'Émail'' (The Girl with the Enamel Eyes)) is a comic ballet from 1870 originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to the music of Léo Delibes, with libretto by Charles-Louis- ...
'', ''La fille mal gardée
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
'' and '' La Esmeralda'', revolutionizing ballet in Russia through the extraordinary power of her performances. Pierina Legnani
Pierina Legnani (September 30, 1863 – November 15, 1930) was an Italian ballerina considered one of the greatest ballerinas of all time.
Biography
Legnani was born on September 30, 1863, in Milan and originally studied with famous ballet dan ...
(1863–1930) from Milan followed as similar path, also dancing at the Mariinsky from 1892 where she originated famous roles in Petipa's ballets including ''Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
'', '' Swan Lake'' and ''Raymonda
''Raymonda'' (russian: Раймонда) is a ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Alexander Glazunov, his Opus 57. It was first presented by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Mariinsk ...
'', gaining the title of prima ballerina assoluta
''Prima ballerina assoluta'' is a title awarded to the most notable of female ballet dancers. To be recognised as a ''prima ballerina assoluta'' is a rare honour, traditionally reserved only for the most exceptional dancers of their generatio ...
. Carlotta Brianza
Carlotta Brianza (1867–1930) was an Italian prima ballerina, dancing with La Scala in Milan and later with the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.
Biography
Born in Milan, Brianza studied at the ballet school of La Scala under Carlo B ...
(1867–1930), also from Milan, first gained fame at La Scala
La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
with which she toured the United States. She is remembered above all for dancing Aurora at the premiere of Petipa's ''Sleeping Beauty
''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...
'' in 1890.
Virginia Zucchi
Virginia Zucchi (10 February 1849 – 12 October 1933) was an Italian dancer. Her career as a ballerina spanned the years 1864 to 1898, and she was known as "the Divine Zucchi" or even "the Divine Virginia" for her artistry, expressiveness, a ...
in ''La Esmeralda'' (1886)
File:Legnani-whitepearl.jpg, Pierina Legnani
Pierina Legnani (September 30, 1863 – November 15, 1930) was an Italian ballerina considered one of the greatest ballerinas of all time.
Biography
Legnani was born on September 30, 1863, in Milan and originally studied with famous ballet dan ...
in ''La Perle'' (1896)
File:Brianza-Esmeralda.jpg, Carlotta Brianza
Carlotta Brianza (1867–1930) was an Italian prima ballerina, dancing with La Scala in Milan and later with the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.
Biography
Born in Milan, Brianza studied at the ballet school of La Scala under Carlo B ...
in ''La Esmeralda'' (c. 1890)
20th-century ballet
New, more dynamic approaches to ballet developed from the beginning of the 20th century, the most influential beingSergei Diaghilev
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev ( ; rus, Серге́й Па́влович Дя́гилев, , sʲɪˈrɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪdʑ ˈdʲæɡʲɪlʲɪf; 19 August 1929), usually referred to outside Russia as Serge Diaghilev, was a Russian art critic, pa ...
's Ballets Russes
The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. A ...
, promoting innovative collaborations between choreographers, composers and dancers. One of the early stars was Anna Pavlova
Anna Pavlovna Pavlova ( , rus, Анна Павловна Павлова ), born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova ( rus, Анна Матвеевна Павлова; – 23 January 1931), was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20t ...
(1881–1931) who gained fame by dancing ''The Dying Swan
''The Dying Swan'' (originally ''The Swan'') is a solo dance choreographed by Mikhail Fokine to Camille Saint-Saëns's ''Le Cygne'' from ''Le Carnaval des animaux'' as a ''pièce d'occasion'' for the ballerina Anna Pavlova, who performed it abou ...
'' choreographed by Mikhail Fokine
Michael Fokine, ''Mikhail Mikhaylovich Fokin'', group=lower-alpha ( – 22 August 1942) was a groundbreaking Imperial Russian choreographer and dancer.
Career Early years
Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg to a prosperous merchant and a ...
before joining the Ballets Russes in 1909. Her rival, Tamara Karsavina
Tamara Platonovna Karsavina (russian: Тамара Платоновна Карсавина; 10 March 1885 – 26 May 1978) was a Russian prima ballerina, renowned for her beauty, who was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and l ...
(1885–1978), who also performed with the Ballets Russes, is remembered above all for creating the title role in Fokine's ''The Firebird
''The Firebird'' (french: L'Oiseau de feu, link=no; russian: Жар-птица, Zhar-ptitsa, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev' ...
''. Olga Spessivtseva (1895–1991) danced with the Mariinsky in Saint Petersburg but also toured with the Ballets Russes, dancing Aurora in Diaghilev's ''The Sleeping Princess'' (1921) in London.
Anna Pavlova
Anna Pavlovna Pavlova ( , rus, Анна Павловна Павлова ), born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova ( rus, Анна Матвеевна Павлова; – 23 January 1931), was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20t ...
(1912)
File:Tamara Karsavina Petrushka 1911.jpg, Tamara Karsavina
Tamara Platonovna Karsavina (russian: Тамара Платоновна Карсавина; 10 March 1885 – 26 May 1978) was a Russian prima ballerina, renowned for her beauty, who was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and l ...
(1911)
File:Olga Spessiva in Swan Lake costume, 1934 photographer Sydney Fox Studio, 3rd Floor, 88 King St, Sydney.jpg, Olga Spessivtseva (1934)
Marie Rambert
Dame Marie Rambert, Mrs Dukes DBE (20 February 188812 June 1982) was a Polish-born English dancer and pedagogue who exerted great influence on British ballet, both as a dancer and teacher.
Early years and background
Born to a liberal Lithuan ...
(1888–1982) who had also gained experience with the Ballets Russes founded the Ballet Club
Rambert (known as Rambert Dance Company before 2014) is a leading British dance company. Formed at the start of the 20th century as a classical ballet company, it exerted a great deal of influence on the development of dance in the United Kingd ...
(later the Rambert Dance Company) in 1926 introducing new choreographers such as Frederick Ashton. Even more influential, Ninette de Valois
Dame Ninette de Valois (born Edris Stannus; 6 June 1898 – 8 March 2001) was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director of classical ballet. Most notably, she danced professionally with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russ ...
(1898–2001) spent three years with the Ballets Russes before creating London's Vic-Wells Ballet
The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
in 1931 (later becoming the Royal Ballet) where Alicia Markova
Dame Alicia Markova DBE (1 December 1910 – 2 December 2004) was a British ballerina and a choreographer, director and teacher of classical ballet. Most noted for her career with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and touring internation ...
(1910–2004) was the first prima ballerina, starring in ballets from the Mariinsky's classical productions. Markova left to form her own touring company in 1937. Ten years later Margot Fonteyn
Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells ...
(1919–1991) became the company's prima ballerina. The height of her fame came in 1961 when she embarked on a partnership with Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...
, first in ''Giselle
''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
'', until she retired in 1979.
Marie Rambert
Dame Marie Rambert, Mrs Dukes DBE (20 February 188812 June 1982) was a Polish-born English dancer and pedagogue who exerted great influence on British ballet, both as a dancer and teacher.
Early years and background
Born to a liberal Lithuan ...
, centre (1943)
File:Alicia Markova.jpg, Alicia Markova
Dame Alicia Markova DBE (1 December 1910 – 2 December 2004) was a British ballerina and a choreographer, director and teacher of classical ballet. Most noted for her career with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and touring internation ...
(1940)
File:Margot Fonteyn Cinderella 1957.jpg, Margot Fonteyn
Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells ...
(1957)
Maria Tallchief
Elizabeth Marie Tallchief ( Osage family name: , Osage script: ; January 24, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was an American ballerina. She was considered America's first major prima ballerina. She was the first Native American (Osage Nation) to ...
(1925–2013), the first major American prima ballerina, was promoted by the choreographer Bronislava Nijinska
Bronislava Nijinska (; pl, Bronisława Niżyńska ; russian: Бронисла́ва Фоми́нична Нижи́нская, Bronisláva Fomínična Nižínskaja; be, Браніслава Ніжынская, Branislava Nižynskaja; – Febr ...
(1891–1972) when she joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
The company Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo (with a plural name) was formed in 1932 after the death of Sergei Diaghilev and the demise of Ballets Russes. Its director was Wassily de Basil (usually referred to as Colonel W. de Basil), and its a ...
in New York in 1942. She danced as a soloist in George Balanchine's arrangements for ''Song of Norway
''Song of Norway'' is an operetta written in 1944 by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Edvard Grieg and the book by Milton Lazarus and Homer Curran. A very loose film adaptation with major changes to both the book ...
'' in 1944. As Balanchine's wife, she soon became the star of the New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...
. Lucia Chase
Lucia Hosmer Chase (24 March 1897 – 9 January 1986) was an American dancer, actress, ballet director and also the co-founder of the American Ballet Theatre.
Life and career
Chase was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, the daughter of Elizabeth ...
(1897–1986) was a co-founder of the American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
in 1939 and became its artistic director for over 40 years, overseeing the production of a wide variety of new ballets. Several outstanding American ballerinas have emerged over the years including Gelsey Kirkland
Gelsey Kirkland (born December 29, 1952) is an American ballerina. She received early ballet training at the School of American Ballet. Kirkland joined the New York City Ballet in 1968 at age 15, at the invitation of George Balanchine. She was ...
(born 1952), who performed the leading role in ''The Firebird
''The Firebird'' (french: L'Oiseau de feu, link=no; russian: Жар-птица, Zhar-ptitsa, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev' ...
'' when she was just 17, and Suzanne Farrell
Suzanne Farrell (born August 16, 1945) is an American ballerina and the founder of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Farrell began her ballet training at the age of eight. In 1960, she received a scholarship ...
(born 1945) who was the star of Balanchine's ''Don Quixote
is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...
'' in 1965.
Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
The company Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo (with a plural name) was formed in 1932 after the death of Sergei Diaghilev and the demise of Ballets Russes. Its director was Wassily de Basil (usually referred to as Colonel W. de Basil), and its a ...
, ''Nutcracker'' (1940)
File:Maria Tallchief 1954.png, Maria Tallchief
Elizabeth Marie Tallchief ( Osage family name: , Osage script: ; January 24, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was an American ballerina. She was considered America's first major prima ballerina. She was the first Native American (Osage Nation) to ...
(1954)
File:Suzanne Farrell 1965.jpg, Suzanne Farrell
Suzanne Farrell (born August 16, 1945) is an American ballerina and the founder of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Farrell began her ballet training at the age of eight. In 1960, she received a scholarship ...
(1965)
Other forms of dance
Women have also contributed significantly to most other forms of dance, in particular flamenco
Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
, modern dance
Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which included dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th ...
, expressionist dance, belly dance
Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that originates in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different f ...
and cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...
which led to musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
.
Flamenco
Flamenco music originated in the south of Spain in the 15th century, probably resulting from the influence of the Moors with possible origins in India. While many of the singers who emerged in the 18th century were men, women increasingly gained fame as dancers. One of the earliest wasJuana la Macarrona
Juana la Macarrona (3 May 1870 – 17 April 1947) was a Spanish flamenco dancer (Flamenco dance, ''bailaora'').
Born Juana Vargas de las Heras in Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, she later added the stage name ''La Macarrona''. Her Romani p ...
(1860–1947) who first performed in Seville with singer Silverio Franconetti
Silverio Franconetti y Aguilar, also known simply as Silverio (June 10, 1831 – May 30, 1889) was a singer and the leading figure of the period in flamenco history known as The Golden Age, which was marked by the creation and definition of ...
but soon become popular not only throughout Spain but across Europe. Lola Flores
Lola may refer to:
Places
* Lolá, a or subdistrict of Panama
* Lola Township, Cherokee County, Kansas, United States
* Lola Prefecture, Guinea
* Lola, Guinea, a town in Lola Prefecture
* Lola Island, in the Solomon Islands
People
* Lola ...
(1923–1995) is remembered for singing and dancing Andalusian folklore, especially flamenco, copla and chotis
The schottische is a partnered country dance that apparently originated in Bohemia. It was popular in Victorian era ballrooms as a part of the Bohemian folk-dance craze and left its traces in folk music of countries such as Argentina (" chotis"Spa ...
. Angelita Vargas (born 1946) is considered to be one of the greatest stars of Andalusian flamenco dancing, touring Europe, the United States, Japan and Australia.
Modern dance in the United States
Led by women, various styles ofmodern dance
Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which included dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th ...
began to develop towards the end of the 19th century. Loie Fuller
Loie Fuller (born Marie Louise Fuller; January 15, 1862 – January 1, 1928), also known as Louie Fuller and Loïe Fuller, was an American actress and dancer who was a pioneer of both modern dance and theatrical lighting techniques.
Career
Bor ...
(1862–1928) from Chicago was one of the pioneers. She employed her own natural approach to movement and improvisation, later becoming a star at the Folies Bergères in Paris. Inspired by Greek art, Isadora Duncan
Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877 or May 27, 1878 – September 14, 1927) was an American dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance, who performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the US. Born and raised in ...
(1877–1927) from San Francisco paved the way to the modern free dance style believing it was more important to express the essence of life through movement rather than to follow the precepts of classical ballet. Raised on a farm in New Jersey, Ruth St. Denis (1879–1968) developed her own interpretations of Oriental dance as an expression of spiritualism. The American Martha Graham (1894–1991) exerted considerable influence on the development of modern dance through her New York-based Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance
Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance is located in New York City and is the headquarters to the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and the Martha Graham Dance Company, which is the oldest continually performing dance company in the ...
. Other female figures who contributed to developments in the mid-20th century include Doris Humphrey
Doris Batcheller Humphrey (October 17, 1895 – December 29, 1958) was an American dancer and choreographer of the early twentieth century. Along with her contemporaries Martha Graham and Katherine Dunham, Humphrey was one of the second gen ...
(1895–1958) who choreographed Afro-American spirituals and Helen Tamiris
Helen Tamiris (born Helen Becker; April 24, 1905 – August 4, 1966) was an American choreographer, modern dancer, and teacher.
Biography
Tamiris was born in New York City on April 23, 1902. She adopted Tamiris, her stage name, from a fragment ...
(1905–1966) who played an important part in choreographing early musicals. Another major choreographer of Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
musicals was German-born Hanya Holm
Hanya Holm (born Johanna Eckert; 3 March 1893 – 3 November 1992) is known as one of the "Big Four" founders of American modern dance. She was a dancer, choreographer, and above all, a dance educator.
Early life, connection with Mary Wigman
Bo ...
(1893–1992), a student of Mary Wigman
Mary Wigman (born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann; 13 November 1886 – 18 September 1973) was a German dancer and choreographer, notable as the pioneer of expressionist dance, dance therapy, and movement training without pointe shoes. She is con ...
.
Loie Fuller
Loie Fuller (born Marie Louise Fuller; January 15, 1862 – January 1, 1928), also known as Louie Fuller and Loïe Fuller, was an American actress and dancer who was a pioneer of both modern dance and theatrical lighting techniques.
Career
Bor ...
(1896)
File:Isadora Duncan 1903.jpg, Isadora Duncan
Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877 or May 27, 1878 – September 14, 1927) was an American dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance, who performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the US. Born and raised in ...
(1903)
File:Ruth St. Denis in Black and Gold Nautch (Hartsook Photo).jpg, Ruth St. Denis (1916)
File:Martha Graham 1948.jpg, Martha Graham (1948)
Expressionist dance
The GermanMary Wigman
Mary Wigman (born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann; 13 November 1886 – 18 September 1973) was a German dancer and choreographer, notable as the pioneer of expressionist dance, dance therapy, and movement training without pointe shoes. She is con ...
is credited as the creator of expressionist dance. Inspired by Oriental percussion, she often stressed the macabre. Hertha Feist
Hertha Feist (1896–1990) was a German expressionist dancer and choreographer. She established her own school in Berlin, combining gymnastics with nudism and dance. In the 1930s, her ambitions were seriously curtailed by the Nazis.
Biography
Born ...
(1896–1990), also from Germany, was an expressionist dancer and choreographer. She established her own school in Berlin, combining gymnastics with nudism and dance although her ambitions were later seriously curtailed by the Nazis. Also an associate of Wigman, Gret Palucca
Gret Palucca (born Margarethe Paluka; 8 January 1902 – 22 March 1993) was a German dancer and dance teacher, notable for her dance school, the Palucca School of Dance, founded in Dresden in 1925.
Life and work
Margarethe Paluka was born in Mu ...
(1902–1993) opened her own schools in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s but they were later closed because of her Jewish ancestry. One of her students, Dore Hoyer
Dore Hoyer (12 December 1911 – 31 December 1967) was a German expressionist dancer and choreographer. She is credited as "one of the most important solo dancers of the Ausdruckstanz tradition." Inspired by Mary Wigman, she developed her own s ...
(1911–1967), who was also an associate of Mary Wigman, developed her own programmes before the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden. After the war she became ballet director at the Hamburg State Opera
The Hamburg State Opera (in German: Staatsoper Hamburg) is a German opera company based in Hamburg. Its theatre is near the square of Gänsemarkt. Since 2015, the current ''Intendant'' of the company is Georges Delnon, and the current ''General ...
.
Mary Wigman
Mary Wigman (born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann; 13 November 1886 – 18 September 1973) was a German dancer and choreographer, notable as the pioneer of expressionist dance, dance therapy, and movement training without pointe shoes. She is con ...
(1959)
File:Genja Jonas - Gret Palucca 1930er-Jahre.jpg, Gret Palucca
Gret Palucca (born Margarethe Paluka; 8 January 1902 – 22 March 1993) was a German dancer and dance teacher, notable for her dance school, the Palucca School of Dance, founded in Dresden in 1925.
Life and work
Margarethe Paluka was born in Mu ...
(1930s)
File:Hoyer, Dore.jpg, Dore Hoyer
Dore Hoyer (12 December 1911 – 31 December 1967) was a German expressionist dancer and choreographer. She is credited as "one of the most important solo dancers of the Ausdruckstanz tradition." Inspired by Mary Wigman, she developed her own s ...
Belly dance
While belly dancing appears to have its origins in the distant past, it was introduced to Europe and North America towards the end of the 19th century. Several of Egypt's film actresses performed belly dancing in the musicals of the 1930s and 1940s. Early stars included Tahia Carioca (1919–1999),Samia Gamal
Samia Gamal ( ar, سامية جمال, born as Zaynab Khalil Ibrahim Mahfuz, 5 March 1924 – 1 December 1994) was an Egyptian belly dancer and film actress.
Biography
Born in the small Egyptian town of Wana in March 1924, Samia's family move ...
(1924–1994) and Nelly Mazloum
Nelly Mazloum (9 June 1929 - 21 February 2003), an Egyptian of Italian and Greek origin, was an actress, choreographer, dancer, and teacher of ballet, modern dance, Egyptian folkloric dance, traditional oriental dance and the creator of the ori ...
(1929–2003). From the 1960s, belly dance became increasingly popular across the United States with stars including Dalilah (1936–2001), Dahlena and Serena (1933–2007).
Cabaret
Women started to sing and dance in the cabarets of Paris in the 1890s, emphasizing the female body by introducing seductive movements highlighting their breasts and hips. Most of them had no formal training, the exception beingCléo de Mérode
Cléopâtre-Diane de Mérode (27 September 1875 – 17 October 1966) was a French dancer of the Belle Époque. She has been referred to as the "first real celebrity icon" and the "first modern celebrity". She was also the first woman whose photo ...
(1875–1966) who left the Paris Opera to perform at the Folies Bergère
The Folies Bergère () is a cabaret music hall, located in Paris, France. Located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement, the Folies Bergère was built as an opera house by the architect Plumeret. It opened on 2 May 1869 as the Folies Trév ...
. The major choreographer was Algerian-born Mariquita (1830–1922) who became ballet director at the Folies Bergère and the Opéra Comique
''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular '' opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a l ...
. Stars of the period included the Spanish La Belle Otero
Agustina del Carmen Otero Iglesias (4 November 1868 – 10 April 1965), better known as Carolina Otero or La Belle Otero, was a Spanish actress, dancer and courtesan. She had a reputation for great beauty and was famous for her numerous lovers.
...
from Galicia who gained fame at Charles Franconi's Cirque d'été in 1890, Émilienne d’Alençon (1869–1946) who danced at the Folies Bergère, and Dutch-born Mata Hari
Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed ...
(1876–1917) who from 1905 became famous for her Indonesian-inspired temple dance, first in Paris and then in other European capitals. La Goulue
La Goulue (, meaning ''The Gourmand''), was the stage name of Louise Weber (12 July 1866 – 29 January 1929), a French can-can dancer who was a star of the Moulin Rouge, a popular cabaret in the Pigalle district of Paris, near Montmartre. Weber ...
(1866–1929) is remembered for dancing the cancan at the Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Ol ...
in the 1890s.
Cléo de Mérode
Cléopâtre-Diane de Mérode (27 September 1875 – 17 October 1966) was a French dancer of the Belle Époque. She has been referred to as the "first real celebrity icon" and the "first modern celebrity". She was also the first woman whose photo ...
(c. 1897)
File:La Belle Otero.jpg, La Belle Otero
Agustina del Carmen Otero Iglesias (4 November 1868 – 10 April 1965), better known as Carolina Otero or La Belle Otero, was a Spanish actress, dancer and courtesan. She had a reputation for great beauty and was famous for her numerous lovers.
...
(c. 1905)
File:Mata Hari 2.jpg, Mata Hari
Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed ...
(1906)
File:La Goulue01.jpg, La Goulue
La Goulue (, meaning ''The Gourmand''), was the stage name of Louise Weber (12 July 1866 – 29 January 1929), a French can-can dancer who was a star of the Moulin Rouge, a popular cabaret in the Pigalle district of Paris, near Montmartre. Weber ...
(c. 1890)
African American Dance
Before WWII racism influenced dance in a drastic way. During this time they had social Dances such as the swing, jitterbug, and lindy hop that black people created to please rich white people. Dance was therapy or a drug because, during the great depression it was a way for them to find happiness, dancing brought races together, and even just watching it made people feel better about what they were already going through. After WWII dance was transformed into something that everyone could easily learn how to do even if they were just starting. It was becoming more of a street social dance that everyone could enjoy and even though there was still racism but in different ways, dance was a way to enjoy life and was a new way to entertain and it was for everyone to enjoy. Other dances like: The Charleston, Pattin' Juba, Jive, Spank the baby, and Boogie Back etc. became major dance staples for the black community and many other communities of dance and social dance. These dance styles set the foundations of Jazz Technique that we know today.See also
*List of female dancers
The following is a list of female dancers by nationality – notable women who are well known for their work in the field of dance.
Africa
Algeria
* Mariquita (1830–1922), early choreographer, director and teacher in Paris, Folies Bergère ...
*Women in music
Women in music include women as composers, songwriters, instrumental performers, singers, conductors, music scholars, music educators, music critics/music journalists, and in other musical professions. Also, it describes music movements (e. ...
*Chorus girl
A chorus line is a large group of dancers who together perform synchronized routines, usually in musical theatre. Sometimes, singing is also performed.
Chorus line dancers in Broadway musicals and revues have been referred to by slang terms s ...
References
Literature
* * * * * * {{Use dmy dates, date=March 2017 - Dance Musical theatre History of ballet