Introduction Origins of Ballet Dance in the 18th Century  18th Century Satire Romantic Ballet  The Cult of the Ballerina The Pas de Quatre Marie Taglioni Classical Ballet 20th Century Revolution  Diaghilev Ballet Diaghilev Ballet after 1918 Nijinsky Anna Pavlova The Establishment of British Ballet  Ballet Rambert The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet post 1945

Ballet at Versailles in 1745

Following the French Revolution of 1789, women abandoned paniers and corsets for floating Grecian style dresses, which emphasised the body. Dancers followed fashion and these dresses meant they could perform a greater range of movement. They now wore flat slippers, which allowed greater flexibility in the foot, and women developed the trick of rising on tiptoe (on demi-pointe). Men’s costumes also reflected fashion and the tonnelet was replaced with a jacket and fitted breeches. Now that costumes had become freer, men and women could dance together.

Rose Parisot

The shorter skirts and body-revealing costumes were considered vulgar by conservative audiences. The great British cartoonists satirised dance and dancers, revelling in and exploiting any scandalous behaviour. Rose Parisot, a very popular French dancer, was frequently drawn with one of her breasts uncovered. Whether her dress slipped by accident or design has never been established.

In 1789 a group of visiting French dancers were condemned by the Bishop of Durham for being indecent. He felt their unseemly show of flesh would undermine British morals and rendering them ineffective in the war against Napoleon. This is a caricature imagining the Bishop taking his attack onto the stage. He was much mocked in the press for his overly moral views but his outburst led to dancers being told to wear white rather than flesh coloured stockings by the theatre management.

'A Peep at The Parisot'

'Opera in an uproar'

18th Century Ballet Stories

In the late 18th century ballet stories began to tell the lives of ordinary people rather than mythical heroes. One of the best-known ballets from the 1790s is La Fille Mal Gardée . The original choreography is now forgotten but the ballet was re-choreographed by Frederick Ashton in the 1960s.

Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee

The Code of Terpsichore

The Code of Terpsichore

In Milan Carlo Blasis produced the text book The Code of Terpsichore (Terpsichore was the Greek goddess of dance), a dance technique manual which includes many of the set exercises and steps that dancers still do in class today. It was Blasis who insisted on the 90 degree turnout from the hips. Until then 45 degree turnout had been the norm.

Using a Tourne Hanche

A Tourne-Hanche

Panier

A panier was the framework supporting the wide skirts of 17th and 18th century dresses to give the required silhouette and support the weight of the fabric. The shape of the panier changed according to the fashions of the day.

Tonnelet

A hooped skirt worn by male actors, singers and dancers playing heroic roles in the 18th century. It was felt that for these roles performers should wear classical dress, based on Roman military uniform. The tonnelet was an exaggeration of the military kilt and was thought to give extra importance to the leading performer. They could reach absurd proportions.

Satire/Satirised

Criticism of society's vices and follies through ridicule. Satire can take the form of an image, a piece of writing, or a drama.

Napoleon Bonaparte

In the wake of the French Revolution, the military commander Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power, becoming Emperor of France in 1804. His aim was domination of Europe. A brilliant military tactician, he turned the French army into a formidable fighting machine and for over ten years, Europe was at War. Only 5' 5? tall (about 1.68m) Napoleon was nicknamed the 'Little Corporal' by his men and Boney by the English. He was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

La Fille Mal Gardee

One of the first ballets to deal with 'real' characters and situations instead of classical themes. Choreographed by Jean Dauberval in 1789, it tells of Lise, bethrothed to the rich idiot Alain, and her mother's vain attempts to stop her meeting her lover, Colas. Frederick Ashton's 1960 version is one of his greatest works.

Ashton, Sir Frederick

Frederick Ashton was probably the greatest British choreographer of the 20th century, whose works helped establish the supremacy of The Royal Ballet.

Born in 1904, Ashton took up ballet comparatively late, studying with Leonide Massine and Marie Rambert. His first ballets were choreographed for Rambert, and he then gained experience working for C. B. Cochran revues and in musicals. In 1935 he became Resident Choreographer of the Vic-Wells (now Royal) Ballet and from 1963 to 1970 the company’s Artistic Director.

Ashton’s ballets were the foundation of The Royal Ballet repertory and style. They established a recognisably English style of ballet, lyrical, harmonious, musical, and unostentatious. It was partly inspired by the particular qualities of Margot Fonteyn, for whom Ashton created many roles. Among his best known ballets are La Fille Mal Gardee, Symphonic Variations, The Two Pigeons, The Dream, A Month in the Country, Cinderella (the first full-evening ballet by a British choreographer), and Enigma Variations.

Ashton’s achievements were officially recognised when he became Sir Frederick (or Sir Fred as most of his colleagues called him) in 1962, followed by the even more prestigious awards of the Companion of Honour and the Order of Merit.

Turnout

In ballet each foot is !Yturned out!| at 90?a to form an angle of 180?a where the heels touch. Turnout is achieved by rotating the thigh bone in the hip socket. Although it seems artificial, it has a very practical result as it gives the dancer freedom of movement in any direction.