Styles and Techniques
It’s all ballet, but what kind of ballet is it?
Like other art forms, ballet is continuously evolving. While every company’s performance style is a unique, there are three broadly defined styles that provide general reference points.
Classical
This style is the oldest and is what most people think of when they think of ballet. It’s what you see in most of the ballets in the canon, such as Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. It can be generally defined by turned out legs, tutus, pointe work, long classical lines, symmetry, and narrative stories that are often based on traditional themes, fairy tales or folk tales.
Neo-classical
This style evolved largely in the 20th Century and has a more modern look and feel. While many consider George Balanchine to be the originator of the neo-classical style, it has its forerunners in some of the ballets produced by Diaghelev’s Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, such as Nijinisky’s Apres Midi d’un Faune. Many 20th and 21st Century choreographers embrace the neo-classical style today, including our previous Alberta Ballet Artistic Director Jean Grand-Maitre. While based on the classical style, neo-classical ballets “bend the rules” of classical form with asymmetry, syncopated rhythms, abstract and non-narrative themes, angular lines, and more modern music. Examples in Alberta Ballet’s repertoire include Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, as well as Jean Grand-Maitre’s Vigil of Angels, Winter Room, and Caelestis.
Contemporary Ballet
This style combines elements of modern (also known as contemporary) dance with ballet technique. Some may see it as a kind of hybrid, but contemporary ballets can actually have a unique look. Twyla Tharp and Dwight Rhoden are well-known choreographers in this style, as are Canadian choreographers Crystal Pite and Wen Wei Wang. While pointe work is still a part of most contemporary ballets, soft ballet shoes are also used. This style can be distinguished by floor work, the use of turned in legs (in addition to ballet’s signature turned out legs), and the incorporation of a wider range of movement than is typically used in either the classical or neo-classical styles. Examples of contemporary ballets in Alberta Ballet’s repertoire are futureland (Wang), and In the Upper Room (Tharp).
Alberta Ballet’s repertoire spans all three styles and more. Here are some examples:
Classical
Swan Lake (st. Anderson after Petipa/Ivanov), The Sleeping Beauty (st. Anderson after Petipa/Ivanov), Giselle (st. Anderson after Coralli/Perrot), Don Quixote (Welch), Cinderella (Anderson), The Nutcracker (Stripe)
Neo-Classical
Allegro Brilliante (Balanchine), The Four Temperaments (Balanchine), Serenade (Balanchine), Divertimento No. 15 (Balanchine), Caelestis (Grand-Maitre), Winter Room (Grand-Maitre), Vigil of Angels (Grand-Maitre)
Contemporary Ballet
Petal (Pickett), futureland (Wang), Sixth Breath (Anderson), Yearning to Make a Difference (Plamondon), In the Upper Room (Tharp)
Did you know five of Canada’s oldest and best known ballet companies were founded by women?
Royal Winnipeg Ballet - Betty Farally and Gweneth Lloyd (1939)
National Ballet of Canada - Celia Franka and Betty Oliphant (1951)
Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montreal - Ludmilla Chariaeff (1957)
Alberta Ballet Company - Ruth Carse and Muriel Taylor (1966)
Ballet BC (founded as Pacific Ballet Theatre) - Maria Lewis (1975)
A Plie is a Plie is a Plie isn’t it? Well…
While ballet technique is similar all over the world, and the French names of the steps are used in ballet classes all over the world, there are different methods of teaching ballet. Each technique teaches dancers to do the same things, but in different ways. These teaching methods evolved from the 17th century beginnings of ballet into several methods. Some of the most well-known are:
The French School
The French School is one of the oldest methods of ballet training. It evolved from the court of King Louis XIV and his desire to training his courtiers to dance. The birth of formalized training is why ballet steps have French names. Clearly, the technique has evolved over the centuries, and is defined today by its emphasis on clean lines, elegance and fluidity of movement.
Cecchetti
Developed by Italian dancer and ballet master Enrico Cecchetti (1850 - 1928), this method is known for developing dancers with strong all around technique, good elevation in jumps (“ballon”), balance, musicality, and purity of line throughout the body. Dancers training in the Cecchetti method pass through a series of levels (grades) as they slowly master the technique. Each level culminates in an exam that assesses the student’s mastery of the syllabus for that level, after which students can advance to the next level of training in the method. The Cecchetti method also has a full program of qualifications for dance teachers.
Vaganova
The Vaganova method originated in Russia and was developed by master teacher Agrippina Vaganova (1879 - 1951) of the Mariinski Ballet (previously the Kirov Ballet). The Vaganova method is distinctive for its emphasis on expressive arms and upper body, flexibility, and strength. Rudolph Nureyev, Mikhael Baryshnikov, and Natalia Makarova are three of the many famous dancers produced through this training method.
Royal Academy of Dance (RAD)
This method was formally established in London in 1920 and is known for its attention to detail, clarity of technique, clean lines. Like the Cecchetti method, students training in the RAD method advance by taking exams. The RAD also incorporates a program of teacher qualifications.
Which method is used at Alberta Ballet School?
Alberta Ballet has developed its own unique curriculum which has helped solidify its international reputation. It incorporates prominent influences from Cecchetti, Vaganova and French systems of training and was developed in collaboration with the school’s Artistic Advisor and international master teacher Diane van Schoor with the collaboration of School Director Ashley McNeil in consultation with the school’s faculty. The classical ballet curriculum educates dancers in the art form, with an emphasis on a slow build-up of study focusing on body alignment, technique, musicality and artistry at all levels. The dance curriculum provides further education in body conditioning, character and contemporary dance. As the levels progress, study includes pointe work, solo variations, repertoire, pas de deux and contemporary dance. (Alberta Ballet School. 2022)
References:
Diablo Ballet Blog. (2013) All ballet is not the same. Retrieved from https://diabloballet.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/all-ballet-is-not-the-same/ March 15, 2022
Dance Informa - American Edition. (n.d.) Ballet: method to method. Retrieved from: https://www.danceinforma.com/2013/01/07/ballet-method-to-method/#:~:text=Qualities%20of%20the%20Cecchetti%20method,%2C%20artistry%2C%20clarity%20and%20purity. March 17, 2022
Alberta Ballet School. (2022) Artistic training. Retrieved from: https://www.albertaballetschool.com/professional-division/grade-7-12/artistic-training March 17, 2022