Kids & Education
Below are six categories that will give you an idea of the types of ballet that you can see during the 2008 Summer Season. Often several "types" will appear on a single program. The miracle of a NYCB performance is in the astonishing range of artistic vision and expression that comprise a single visit to SPAC.
A Fairy Tale or Story
Double Feature
Prodigal Son
La Sonnambula
West Side Story Suite
Romantic and Beautiful
Afternoon of a Faun
Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet
Four Bagatelles
I'm Old Fashioned
Mozartiana
Rococo Variations
Light or Comedic
The Concert
The Four Seasons
Interplay
Western Symphony
Contemporary and Dramatic
Divertimento from "Le Baiser de la Fee"
Glass Pieces
Opus 19/The Dreamer
River of Light
Elemental and Spare
The Goldberg Variations
Moves
Le Tombeau de Couperin
Classically Brilliant and Virtuosic
Brahms/Handel
Symphony in C
A Brief History of Ballet
" In spite of occasional suppression by the Church, the art of ballet did not emerge until the late 1400s in Italy.
" The first ballet that combined movement, music, decor, and special effects was presented in France at the court of Catherine de Medici in 1581.
" The 17th century saw the major development of ballet in France when Louis XIV founded the Royal Ballet Academy, the Royal Music Academy, and the first National Ballet School (1672).
" Incorporating aspects of Italian ballet, French ballet gained prominence and influenced the dance genre internationally.
" To this day, the majority of ballet vocabulary originates from French.
" Originally, all dance parts were performed by male dancers; boys in wigs and masks took the female roles.
" The first ballet using trained women was The Triumph of Love (1681), with music by Lully.
" In 1832, the ballerina Marie Taglioni dances the full length of the romantic ballet La Sylphie en pointe and is credited as the developer and pioneer of the pointe technique.
" A distinctive feature of ballet is the outward rotation of the thighs from the hip. The foundation of the dance consists of five basic positions, all performed with the turnout.
" Young dancers receive a rigorous education, which begins when they are young and ends with graduation from highschool. Students are required to learn the names, meanings, and precise technique of each movement they learn.
" Traditionally, pointe shoes are made entirely by hand and are still made almost exactly as they were 100 years ago.
" Although pointe shoes are very expensive ($60-$70), they may only last for one performance due to the heat of the stage lights, sweat, and constant pressure of strenuous dancing.
" Because pointe shoes are made to fit like a second skin, dancers commonly have their shoes made to order and spend years searching for the perfect shoe and shoemaker.