Ballet originated in France during the time of Louis XIV. Since then, Russia and England have formed their own interpretations of the dance form, and the American style of ballet was born from a mixture of these influences. The first three ballet companies founded in the US were the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), San Francisco Ballet, and New York City Ballet (NYCB), and these continue to be the three premier ballet companies today.
Perhaps the most important pioneering figure in American ballet was George Balanchine. Born in Russia, he studied at the Imperial Ballet School and joined the Mariinsky Ballet. In 1933, he moved to New York and founded the School of American Ballet (SAB), which would train dancers for the New York City Ballet. To this day, the company’s core repertory is comprised of Balanchine’s creations, including Apollo, Serenade, Agon, Rubies, and Jewels. Interestingly, Balanchine was inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s radically modern music and created many story- and myth-based ballets, paving the way for modern plotless ballets.
In 1940, the American Ballet Theatre emerged and became known for creating theatrical story ballets. Its repertory consists of pieces such as Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Giselle, and La Bayadère. One of the ABT’s most famous artists is Alexei Ratmansky, who has choreographed a new version of The Nutcracker, The Bright Stream, and the Shostakovich Trilogy. One factor that distinguishes ABT from NYCB is that ABT’s company members come from a wide variety of backgrounds, while NYCB only accepts SAB trainees.
Other than these two companies, several other companies have sprung up, each with their own unique twists. One example is the San Francisco Ballet, led by Helgi Tomasson and known for its diverse collection of classical and contemporary works. Another example is Ballet Hispanico, which showcases works by Hispanic artists. Joffrey Ballet revived the Danish Bournonville style, while Alonzo King Lines Ballet put a modernized and athletic spin on ballet. As more and more artists and companies continue to create and be created, ballet in the United States is becoming more diverse, more eclectic, and more reflective of American culture.
Sources:
http://www.dancemotionusa.org/media/30139/dmusa_americanballet_english.pdf
https://www.nycballet.com/Explore/Our-History/George-Balanchine.aspx
Wow Karina, amazing post! I knew ballet was a big part of Russian as well as American cultures but I did not know the history behind it. I also love tell you included bits and pieces about famous choreographers dancers as well as performances. One ballerina who I found to be very interesting when I looked a little further was Anna Pavlova. She was apparently a Russian prima ballerina during the late 19th and early 20th century‘s hand was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian ballet. While Pavlova was not American she was very famous as she became the first ballerina tour ballet around the world.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Pavlova