In the modern world, increasingly high demands are placed on all spheres of life, satisfying the needs of the current generation: dynamic, developed, versatile. This applies to both technology, technology, and culture with art. So classical ballet has been replaced by modern. What it is, and how it combines with the traditional, we will consider in the article.
In outline
Ballet is a classical dance that forms the basis of choreography. Its traditional form has always been in demand in art, but in modern conditions it is presented to the public in a new, more free interpretation. Previously, the director conveyed thoughts, emotions and mood to the viewer with the help of the usual smooth, clear, gentle movements that replace speech. Classical dance is built with the help of well-known figures that convey the mood of acting characters. In modern ballet, the way emotions are conveyed is determined by the production designer on his own. Often, it is 90% composed of contemp when dancers borrow elements from other styles.
The classical form of ballet is becoming more modern every day, this can be seen even in the clothes of the ballerinas: traditional tutus are replaced by simpler outfits. Of course, this does not apply to classical productions.
Origin
The name “ballet” is a translation from Latin of the word “dance”. The birthplace of this art form was Italy of the 16th century, known for its first dance scenes. A little later, France joined the court ballet, although in comparison with modern art these were pathetic attempts. The end of the 18th century was marked by the change of ballet costumes for shorter and more airy ones, and the appearance of the first professional shoes of ballerinas - pointe shoes. This period was the beginning of the heyday of ballet art, characterized by:
- the appearance of his first connoisseurs who regularly attend productions;
- the writing by famous composers (Beethoven, Delibes, Minkus) of romantic music for ballet performances;
- the appearance of the first full-fledged ballet performances.
The appearance of ballet in Russia
For the first time this dance was learned in Russia during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1673 after the premiere of the first ballet performance. Russian ballet was formed under the influence of the French choreographer-choreographer Charles-Louis Didlo, who linked the dance with pantomime and made solo women's parties. A significant role in the development of classical Russian ballet in the 19th century was played by Marius Petipa. The legendary domestic choreographer was Mikhail Fokin, who radically reformed the performances by changing the traditional construction of the ballet and the drawings in the dance.
A real revolution in the world of ballet music was the appearance of the composer P.I. Tchaikovsky, who combined continuous symphonic development with deep figurative content and dramatic expressiveness. In the Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, which he created, the music gained the ability to reveal the internal course of action and embody the characters of the heroes.
Modern domestic ballet
One of the main domestic troupes today is the "Classical Russian Ballet" of Moscow, created in 2004. This young dance group has been creating for seven years, during which it has established itself highly from a professional point of view. He gathered the best representatives of Russian ballet schools (Moscow Academy of Choreography, A. Ya. Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet), talented promising young people and mature honored dance masters. The artistic management of the theater rests on the shoulders of one of the leading soloists Hassan Usmanov.
The geography of classical ballet performances in Moscow is not limited to the metropolitan stage, many Russian cities and countries of the near and far abroad (Finland, Japan, Spain, Israel, Austria, Germany, Greece) have seen their performances.
Troupe repertoire
The list of ballet performances of the Moscow collective consists mainly of the great works of the golden fund of Russian ballet. Of course, the theater’s repertoire cannot do without P. Tchaikovsky’s masterpieces: Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker. In addition, the troupe's assets include ballets: Cinderella, Giselle, Carmen, Romeo and Juliet and others.
Classical ballet The Nutcracker
I would like to pay particular attention to this particular tale of eternal love, which has always been popular both in Russia and in Europe during the New Year holidays. After all, the atmosphere of Tchaikovsky’s magical enchanting music combined with snow, Christmas tree and magic on Christmas Eve can make even the most serious adults feel like children at least for a moment. One of the brightest scenes of this performance - Waltz Snezhinok (directed by Lev Ivanov) - is a pearl of art, because Tchaikovsky’s musical phrases are displayed in every detail and figure.
State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet
Truly, the “dinosaur” of Russian ballet art is this large collective led by Natalya Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev. He is loved by viewers from many countries and several generations. For almost fifty years, outstanding choreographers have been creating an interesting repertoire consisting of original versions of the famous “brainchildren” of classical ballet. Their careful historical reconstruction with the original works of the choreographers themselves at the base was able to fit classical and modern music on the same ballet stage.
The theater team consists of beautiful dancers, supervised by wonderful tutors, in the past - leading soloists of the Bolshoi Theater. Highly professional ballet dancers of several generations came out of its walls, who then received international awards and won many prestigious ballet competitions, loudly declaring themselves not only on the Russian, but also on the world stage.
Guide
No wonder this collective is often called the classical ballet of Kasatkina and Vasilev. These are not just the names of two national artists - former graduates of the Moscow Choreographic School and leading soloists of the Bolshoi Theater for 20 years. These are the names of the choreographers who have led the State Academic Ballet Theater for almost half a century.
In ballet, they were in many ways the first:
- staging performances on avant-garde music;
- staged on the Russian stage of the epochal ballet of the semi-forbidden composer Stravinsky “The Rite of Spring”;
- in the creation of the author and experimental ballet theater;
- in collaboration with the famous foreign choreographer P. Lacotte, specializing in the restoration of ancient performances, for the revival of the ballet "Natalie, or the Swiss Thrush" (comp. A. Girovets);
- in experiments with difficult and original musical-choreographic genres that resulted in the vocal-choreographic symphony of composer A. Petrov “Pushkin. Meditation on the poet. "
The classical ballet of Kasatkina and Vasilev is a harmonious combination of heritage and modern trends. This applies to both the repertoire and the choreographic language of their performances. The assets of these choreographers include staging a number of classical works: Giselle, Don Quixote and all three ballets by P. I. Tchaikovsky. At the same time, the embodiment of classics always bears its own author's vision, which one viewer likes more, another less. But the creative interpretation of the material, of course, is the main thing in art.
"Star Factory"
Many artists came out from the stage of the classical ballet theater, who later became international laureates and world celebrities. Pupils of Kasatkina and Vasilev brought from various competitions 19 gold medals and even more - silver and bronze. It was here that the stars of I. Mukhamedov, V. Malakhov, G. Stepanenko, S. Isaev, A. Gorbatsevich, T. Paly and many others lit up. All this testifies to the high professionalism of the theater staff and the pedagogical skills of its leaders.
Team Activities
Today, the theater’s repertoire includes 18 ballet performances, including both famous classical works and modern productions. Thus, the ballet Creation tells the biblical story of Adam and Eve, which is based on drawings by Jean Effel. The composer Andrei Petrov staged combines the principles of serious symphonic music with light music, including jazz and sympho jazz. Over the 30 years of the existence of this ballet performance, it has always been accompanied by full houses and rave reviews from the press.
The ballet parable “Wonderful Mandarin”, first shown on the stage of the Classical Ballet Theater in 1996, deserves special mention. It was based on the pantomime of the same name by the Hungarian composer B. Bartok, who had a difficult fate. During the life of the author, the ballet was never staged in his homeland, and the attempt to make it the Bolshoi Theater when staged by L. Lavrovsky (1961) had a failed experience.
Kasatkina and Vasilev first showed “Wonderful Mandarin” in Russia, using the entire ballet music in the production, and not just B. Bartok’s suite, as was done earlier. Such an event was a true gift for fans of the work of the Hungarian composer.
In the asset of the classical ballet theater, all the performances are worthy of attention and admiration, there is no need to sing an ode to them. It is better to come and see once, and then come back again and again.