MINKUS - "DON QUIXOTE" - BALLET ~ MISTY COPELAND - 15 - 1997 - VOB - YouTube MINKUS - "DON QUIXOTE" - BALLET ~ MISTY COPELAND - 15 - 1997 - VOB Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jun 12, 2010 LUDWIG MINKUS - a.k.a. Léon Fyodorovich Minkus (1826--1917) was an Austrian composer of ballet music, a violin virtuoso and teacher. Minkus is most noted for the music he composed while serving as Ballet Composer of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres in Russia, where he wrote for the original works and revivals of the renowned Ballet Masters Arthur Saint-Léon and Marius Petipa.

Among the composer's most celebrated compositions for these Ballet Masters were La Source (1866; composed jointly with Léo Delibes), Don Quixote (1869); and La Bayadère (1877). During his career Minkus wrote a substantial amount of supplemental material for insertion into already existing ballets. Among these pieces, Minkus is most noted for the Grand Pas classique, Pas de trois and Mazurka des enfants written for Marius Petipa's 1881 revival of the ballet Paquita. Today, Minkus's ballet music is some of the most popular and performed in all of ballet, and is a most integral part of the traditional classical ballet repertory. MISTY COPELAND - BALLET DANCER - AT A DANCE COMPETITION 1997 --- HERE SHE IS DANCING AT AGE 15 AFTER STUDYING FOR ONLY 2 YEARS - BORN 1982.... THIS IS BEFORE SHE JOINED THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATER - (ABT)....

--- UPDATE 12-12-12 - NATALIA MARAKOVA - 72 - WAS ON A NATIONAL TALK SHOW LAST NIGHT AND SAID THAT SHE STARTED AT 13, (LIKE MISTY) - SO IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO START AT THAT AGE - NATALIA WENT ON TO PROVE IT BY BECOMING THE BIGGEST NAME, AND THE MOST LEGENDARY BALLERINA IN THE LAST 40 YEARS. SHE IS FROM RUSSIA, BUT NOW TEACHES IN SAN FRANCISCO - I GOT TO SEE HER DO TCHAIKOVSKY'S "SWAN LAKE" AT THE KENNEDY CENTER IN THE 80's - YEAH !!! Category Swan Lake - The Ballet Bag By Emilia Ballet February 26, 2011 Swan Lake Is this ballet for you? Go if: Swan Lake is a masterpiece of classical ballet and should be experienced at least once in one’s lifetime, preferably with a ballerina in full command of the technical and dramatic challenges of the central role and in a production that honours Tchaikovsky’s truly “epic” score.

Skip if: You are hoping that Natalie Portman will make a stage appearance . NB: do not expect The Dying Swan – a solo dance choreographed by Mikhail Fokine for ballet legend Anna Pavlova to music by Camille Saint-Saëns – to feature in the ballet, even though records indicate this was once incorporated into a Swan Lake production by All Star Imperial Russian Ballet that toured the US in 1911. Artists of The Royal Ballet in Anthony Dowell's Swan Lake. Photo: Dee Conway / ROH © Dream Cast Pick your own dream Odette/Odile from our gallery of Swan Queens Background As fictional Artistic Director Thomas Leroy would say: We all know the story. Virginal girl, pure and sweet, trapped in the body of a swan. She desires freedom but only true love can break the spell. Her wish is nearly granted in the form of a prince, but before he can declare his love her lustful twin, the Black Swan, tricks and seduces him. Devastated the White Swan leaps of a cliff killing herself and, in death, finds freedom. Birdwomen, aquawomen and shapeshifting females in general have long featured in Eastern and Western tales.

A number of these are consistently cited as influences on Swan Lake: Der geraubte Schleier ( The Stolen Veil ) a tale about enchanted doves by German author Johann Karl August Musäus , Wagner’s Lohengrin (featuring a swan knight who symbolises purity), Andersen’s The Wild Swans and not least Pushkin’s Tzar Saltan (The Tale of Tsar Saltan), where a prince saves a wounded swan who reappears as a woman to marry him. Contemporaries of Tchaikovsky have also noted the composer’s interest in the life of Bavarian “Swan” King Ludwig II , a link which is cleverly explored by John Neumeier in his 1976 ballet Illusions Like Swan Lake. Alexandre Riabko (The King), Silvia Azzoni (Odette), Dario Franconi (Siegfried) and Artists of Hamburg Ballet in John Neumeier's Illusions Like Swan Lake. Photo: Holger Badekow / Hamburg Ballett © In 1875 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was engaged by the Bolshoi Theatre to write the music for Swan Lake.

Although Vladimir Begichev (an Intendant of the Russian Imperial Theatres in Moscow) is said to have written the ballet’s first libretto with the assistance of Vasily Geltser (a dancer), it is very likely that Tchaikovsky also contributed. Not only was the composer familiar with legends of swans, he had also shown interest in the theme years earlier with The Lake of the Swans, a miniature ballet for his sisters’ children. The argument was very different from the Swan Lake we now know: Odette, daughter of a good fairy, is being pursued by her “wicked witch stepmother”. Her grandfather keeps her and companions safe at a lake by night, allowing them to fly about as swans by day. Odette wears a magical crown which protects her from the witch. Siegfried falls for her but betrays her at a ball. Odette refuses to forgive him, so he snatches her crown in desperation. The lovers are now at the mercy of the witch and the waters of the lake engulf them. Alban Lendorf as Prince Siegfried.

Photo: Kyle Froman / RDB © Julius Reisinger choreographed the ballet but little is known about the extent of his collaboration with Tchaikovsky. Swan Lake premiered 4 March 1877 with Pelagia “Paulina” Karpakova as Odette and Victor Gillert as Prince Siegfried. Although the ballet was not considered a great success it was given a reasonable number of performances and was kept in the Bolshoi’s repertory for 6 years. During this time a new ballet master, Joseph Hansen , revised Reisinger’s “unimaginative and altogether unmemorable choreography” also cutting and adding incidental music to Tchaikovsky’s score in order to suit specific performers, a common practice then. Petipa & Ivanov Swan Lake got its “second wind” in 1893, the year Tchaikovsky died. The composer had created two important ballet scores - The Sleeping Beauty (1890) and The Nutcracker (1892) – and plans to bring Swan Lake to the Mariinsky had existed for a while.

At a commemorative concert to honour the composer, Marius Petipa and his collaborator Lev Ivanov presented Act II of Swan Lake. The extract was warmly received and gave Petipa/Ivanov the extra incentive to stage a full-length version. With the permission of Tchaikovsky’s brother Modeste they revised the libretto and engaged conductor Riccardo Drigo to rework the score for this all new Swan Lake. Sara Mearns as Odette and Odile. Photo: Paul Kolnik / NYCB © This production’s Odette/Odile was to be Pierina Legnani , known by the audience from Cinderella where she first performed her signature 32 consecutive fouettés , setting one of the biggest technical challenges in ballet. Petipa gave her a chance to shine again in Act III when Odile (the Black Swan) tricks Siegfried into breaking his promise to Odette, the fouettés being part of her craft to seduce and hypnotise the Prince. While some ballet purists objected to this display of “pure acrobatics” others were captivated by Legnani’s incredible skill. Swan Lake premiered 15 January, 1895 at the Mariinsky.

To partner Legnani, Pavel Gerd was cast as Siegfried. The ballet was well received although it would take a few years for it to become a global success: Swan Lake Evolution: 1901 – Swan Lake returns to Moscow, in a staging by Alexander Gorsky after the Petipa/Ivanov St. Petersburg production. 1908 – 1911 - The ballet finally becomes a Russian export as Anna Pavlova tours an abridged version to Scandinavia and Germany (1908). A full version is staged around 1909 in Europe. In London, Swan Lake is performed by a visiting troupe of “Star Russian Dancers” (1910), while in the US it is given by Mikhail Mordkin and his “All Star Imperial Russian Ballet” who incorporate Mikhail Fokine’s Dying Swan solo into the staging (1911). 1911 – Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes stage the first major non Russian (abridged) production of Swan Lake. The ballet remains in the company’s repertory until 1914 and is later revived from 1923 to 1926.

1933 – Ballet teacher Agrippina Vaganova scraps the Petipa-Ivanov Swan Lake and is the first to adapt the ballet to suit the demands of the new Soviet regime. Mime is removed, the action switches from the Middle Ages to early 19th century and the roles of Odette/Odile are split between two different ballerinas. Ulyana Lopatkina as Odette. Photo: Natalia Razina / Mariinsky Theatre © 1934 – Ballet notator Nicholas Sergeyev stages the first full-scale British Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells (Vic-Wells Ballet) with Alicia Markova as Odette/Odile and Robert Helpmann as Prince Siegfried. The current Royal Ballet production (by Sir Anthony Dowell) is based on these Sergeyev notations. 1940 – San Francisco Ballet stages and tours the first full-length American production of Swan Lake (by William Christensen “after Petipa and Ivanov”). Catherine Littlefield produces “Swan Lake on ice”. American Ballet Theatre (then Ballet Theatre) first performs Act II of Swan Lake in New York with choreography by Anton Dolin “after Petipa and Ivanov”.

1950 – Konstantin Sergeyev stages a new Swan Lake for the Mariinsky (then the Kirov) after “Petipa and Ivanov” but including some bits of Vaganova and Gorsky. Under the Soviet regime the tragic ending is substituted for a happy one, so that in the Mariinsky and Bolshoi versions Odette and Siegfried now live happily ever after. 1956 – Vladimir Bourmeister choreographs a new Swan Lake for Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet using part of the original 1877 score. He introduces a prologue (Odette is seen picking flowers for a bouquet before Rothbart captures her) and emphasises the psychological aspects of the tale while preserving Petipa and Ivanov’s white acts. This production is eventually adopted by La Scala (where it still remains in repertory) and the Paris Opera Ballet. Cynthia Gregory as Odette and Rudolf Nureyev as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake. Photo: Martha Swope / ABT © 1964 – 1984 - Rudolf Nureyev creates and performs in a Swan lake production for the Vienna Opera.

Later, as director of the Paris Opera Ballet he creates another version of the ballet, facing hostility and skepticism from his dancers who are very attached to the Bourmeister staging. Nureyev extends the male role (Siegfried has significant solos and is no longer just a partnering accessory) and introduces the concept of Odette/Odile as figments of the prince’s imagination. He also adapts the famous “Black Swan” pas de deux into a pas de trois, giving Rothbart a dancing part. This new version premieres 20 December 1984 at the Palais Garnier with Elisabeth Platel , Charles Jude and Patrice Bart. 1987 – 1990 – Roland John Wiley, a musicologist, works with Sir Anthony Dowell in a new “ authentic production ” of Swan Lake for the Royal Ballet (1987), while Konstantin Sergeyev and his wife, Natalia Dudinskaya stage for the Boston Ballet an “American-Soviet” production danced by a mixture of Russian and American dancers (1990).

1996 - 1999 – Peter Martins choreographs a new full-length Swan Lake for the Royal Danish Ballet with costumes and settings by famous Danish painter Per Kirkeby. This production is “after Petipa and Ivanov with hints of Balanchine”. Most importantly the ballet has a darker ending than most Western productions: the spell remains unbroken, with Odette and the prince forever separated. In 1999 this production is adopted by the New York City Ballet. 2000 – ABT unveils their new Swan Lake production by Kevin McKenzie featuring a prologue where Rothbart is seen transforming the maiden Odette into a swan. About half an hour of the complete score is omitted from this staging. 2010 - 2011 - Darren Aronofsky directs The Black Swan with Natalie Portman in the role of Nina Sayers, a ballerina facing the challenge of debuting as the Swan Queen. Interest in Swan Lake is renewed as a new public seeks to discover the ballet within the movie. The Royal Ballet dances its 946th performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House with Zenaida Yanowsky leading the first cast.

Zenaida Yanowsky as Odette with Artists of The Royal Ballet in Swan Lake. Photo: Johan Persson / ROH © The Story The basic storyline of Swan Lake remains more or less the same in a number of versions: Act I In the Palace Grounds A birthday party is being thrown to celebrate Prince Siegfried’s birthday. When Siegfried arrives he is greeted by his tutor, friends and peasants. As they all dance celebrations are interrupted by Siegfried’s mother. Worried about her son she tells him that he has to choose a bride at his birthday ball the following evening. Siegfried is reluctant but has no choice but to obey his mother. The tutor and his friends do their best to cheer him up and as darkness falls his friend Benno sees a flock of swans in the sky and suggests they go out on a hunt. They take crossbows and set off. Gudrun Bojesen as Odette with Artists of The Royal Danish Ballet in Peter Martins's Swan Lake. Photo: Kyle Froman / RDB © Act II By the lake As they chase after the swans, Siegfried and his friends have become separated.

Siegfried is just about to shoot one of them when he is frozen by the sight of it transforming into a maiden. At first terrified of him, she starts to trust him when he promises not to harm her. Through ballet mime the Swan Queen, Odette explains the spell the evil spirit Von Rothbart has put on her and companions. By day they are swans, yet they return to human form at night. The spell can only be broken if a man swears to love her and to be faithful to her. Rothbart now appears. Siegfried is about to shoot him but Odette prevents him from harming the spirit, telling him that if he does so the spell will never be broken. As Siegfried exits in pursuit of Odette, Rothbart summons the other swan maidens. Odette enters and dances a lyrical pas de deux with Siegfried where slowly she yields to him and he earns her trust. As dawn arrives Rothbart returns and Odette morphs back into swan form. Yuan Yuan Tan as Odile and Tiit Helimets as Prince Siegfried in Helgi Tomasson's Swan Lake.

Photo: Erik Tomasson / SFB © Act III In a Ballroom at the Palace It is Siegfried’s birthday ball, as his mother orders him to dance with six princesses and choose one as a bride. While he tries to argue that does not love any of them, Rothbart, in human form, arrives with his daughter Odile. Despite being dressed in black she looks uncannily like Odette . The guests now sit and watch dancers from Spain, Hungary, Naples and Russia perform in honour of the prince. After the entertainment is over Siegfried dances a pas de deux with Odile (known as the Black Swan Pas de Deux). She tries to channel the same swan-like movements as Odette to seduce the Prince. As they dance Odette appears in the background to warn him but Rothbart and Odile ensure that the Prince is oblivious to the apparition. The Prince is completely taken with Odile and swears to love her forever. Rothbart reveals a vision of the grieving Swan Queen, before disappearing with his daughter. Frantically, Siegfried hurries back to the lake as his mother collapses.

Carlos Acosta as Prince Siegfried and Tamara Rojo as Odette in The Royal Ballet's Swan Lake. Photo: Johan Persson / ROH © Act IV By the lake Odette now knows of Siegfried’s broken promise and she wants to die by throwing herself into the lake. The other swan maidens try to solace and comfort her. A storm rises and Siegfried enters searching for Odette. He finally finds her and he swears he loves only her. She forgives him, but Rothbart appears and insists that Siegfried marry his daughter, after which Odette will become a swan forever… Alternate endings: In the West: Siegfried prefers to die alongside Odette. As the pair throw themselves into the lake, the spell is broken, Von Rothbart is destroyed and the lovers are reunited in heaven. In Russia: Siegfried fights Rothbart. The power of his love for Odette destroys the spirit, the spell is now broken; the lovers are reunited and the swan maidens are also free. Other Versions Swan Lake is one of the most successful ballets of all time and there are simply too many versions to list.

For an interesting comparative review of several productions available on DVD read “Swan Lake month” a compilation at You Dance Funny, So Does Me . For Bourmeister, Nureyev, Anthony Dowell, Peter Martins and Kevin McKenzie’s see “Swan Lake Evolution” above. A few others: George Balanchine’s Swan Lake for NYCB (1951). This one-act version premiered with Maria Tallchief as the Swan Queen. It is based on Ivanov’s choreography for Act II and uses music from Acts II and IV – ie. both lakeside acts – as well as a duet from Tchaikovsky’s opera Undine. John Neumeier ‘s Illusions Like Swan Lake for Hamburg Ballet (1976). In this version the real life story of Swan King Ludwig II of Bavaria is woven into the plot. The choreography combines passages by Petipa/Ivanov with new dances and scenes. The ballet finishes with Ludwig’s death by drowning while confined to an asylum, set to the conclusion of Act 3 (the ballroom). This work anticipated both Bourne’s and Murphy’s own interpretations and is still routinely performed today.

Matthew Bourne’s (1995) This very successful production represents a more radical departure from traditional Swan Lakes by featuring male dancers, amongst whom the figure of a young crown prince. His distant mother and desire for freedom are represented by a beautiful Swan that will eventually betray the prince. Graeme Murphy’s for the Australian Ballet (2002). The figures of Rothbart and Odile are represented by a single character – the Baroness Rothbart – who snatches Siegfried away from Odette. The latter is committed to a sanatorium, thus the white act (Act II) is Odette’s hallucination and the swans a projection of her troubled mind. Rachel Rawlins as Odette with Artists of The Australian Ballet in Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake. Photo: David Kelly / The Australian Ballet © Music In a recent Twitter poll taken by @tufftufftuffin , Swan Lake won as the voters’ favorite ballet music. But what we now recognize as Tchaikovsky’s score probably sounds very different from his original 1877 arrangement, given the substantive reworking by Riccardo Drigo and Modeste Tchaikovsky for the Mariinsky 1895 production.

For a full comparison and list of differences between the original and rearranged scores (Drigo’s is now the standard for most companies) we recommend this very lengthy Wikipedia article, as well as this blog post from You Dance Funny that examines all musical possibilities for the Black Swan Pas de Deux coda. Swan Lake was the first ballet Tchaikovsky composed. Years earlier he had began working on a score for Cinderella but he seems to have abandoned the idea, of which no records survive. In 1871, after spending a summer vacation with his sister Alexandra “Sasha” Davidova and her children, he composed a miniature ballet called The Lake of the Swans. He would return to this composition when engaged by the Bolshoi Theatre, also lifting fragments from his opera Undine. The new score was completed by April 1876. Susanne Grinder (Odette), Marcin Kupinski (Siegfried) and Morten Eggert (Rothbart) in the Royal Danish Ballet's Swan Lake.

Photo: Kyle Froman / RDB © In letters to his friends and family Tchaikovsky explained that his motivation for undertaking the work was partly because he needed the money (he received 800 rubles for this work) and partly because he wanted to try composing for ballets. Swan Lake would eventually change the public perception of music for ballet but, at the time, Tchaikovsky did not realise he had written a masterpiece. He was under the impression that Delibes’ score for Sylvia was vastly superior to his own work “…what charm, what wealth of melody! It brought me to shame, for had I known of this music, I would have never written Swan Lake”. A quintessential Spotify / iPod Swan Lake playlist should include the following tracks: Act I No 26. Scene – Allegro Ma Non Troppo No 28. Scene – Allegro Agitato – Allegro Vivace No 29. Finale. Apotheosis. Viktoria Tereshkina as Odile.

Photo: Natalia Razina / Mariinsky Theatre © Videos Natalia Makarova as Odette and Anthony Dowell as Siegfried [ link ] Margot Fonteyn as Odette and Rudolf Nureyev as Siegfried [ link ] Maya Plisetskaya as Odile and Nikolai Fadeyechev as Siegfried [ link ] Yulia Makhalina as Odette and Andris Liepa as Siegfried [ link ] Today The Paris Opera Ballet corps de ballet in Nureyev’s Swan Lake [ link ] Anthony Dowell and Antoinette Sibley rehearse Lauren Cuthbertson and Rupert Pennefather in Act II Mime scene [ link ] Yuhui Choe, Laura Morera and Steven McRae in Act I Pas de Trois [ link ] Ulyana Lopatkina & Danila Korsuntsev – White Swan Pas de Deux [ link ] Marianela Nuñez as Odette in Act II [ link ] Dorothée Gilbert, Myriam Ould-Braham, Fanny Fiat and Mathilde Froustey as the “cygnets” in Nureyev’s Swan Lake [ link ] Natalia Osipova in the Spanish

 Dance from Bolshoi’s Swan Lake [ link ] Zenaida Yanowsky & Roberto Bolle in the Black Swan Pas De Deux [ link ] Gillian Murphy as Odile, Angel Corella as Siegfried & Marcelo Gomes as Rothbart from ABT’s Swan Lake [ link ] Polina Semionova as Odile and Roberto Bolle as Siegfried in Bournmeister’s Swan Lake (note the different music) [ link ] Elizabeth Loscavio and Jiri Bubenicek in John Neumeier’s Illusions Like Swan Lake [ link ] & [ link ] Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Pas de Trois [ link ] Bridgett Zehr as Odile and Zdenek Konvalina as Prince Siegfried in the National Ballet of Canada's Swan Lake.

Photo: Aleksandar Antonijevic / NBC © Mini-Biography Ballet - Core Of Culture Core Of Culture BALLET Julie Kent as Odette in Swan Lake, American Ballet Theater "The ballets, too, in their stories, were about serious and personal matters. Giselle and The Sleeping Beauty - these had to do with the great blessings and disasters that are the center of our lives, the things one is usually too embarrassed or too frightened to talk about." Mikhail Baryshnikov Ballet A form of classic academic dancing based on the accepted five positions of the feet and using a vocabulary of movement developed since the 17th century; originally descended from court dances and spectacles of the 15th and 16th century. The most popular and well-known ancient dance form in the Western world. 1400s - 1600s ~ The Age of Court Spectacles The Valois Tapestry, showing the wedding of Marguerite de Lorraine to the Duc de Joyeuse - The occasion for the Balet Comique de la Reine "In late Renaissance society, dance was not considered merely a source of light-hearted entertainment or physical recreation, but a profoundly intellectual experience for both participants and spectators.

Sixteenth-century dance, like the arts of poetry, music and painting, was infused with new meaning and innovations as a direct result of the findings of humanist scholars as they poured over ancient Greek texts in an attempt to recreate the powerful and effects of ancient Greek drama. The court ballets of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were intended to enlighten and edify audiences. As the art of choreography developed it became increasingly informed by humanist ideals and imbibed with layers of meaning that were moral, philosophical, and political in nature. It was the task and the delight of the educated viewers of these court spectacles to decipher the 'truths' underlying the dances." Elizabeth Cooper from The Underground Stream 1400s Spectaculi - Grandiose variety shows including equestrian formations, tournaments, mock combats, and even aquatic displays, were a prominant cultural activity, initially in northern Italy and then in France. These, and other arranged dances, were performed by members of the court. Dance Masters of this era gave members of court society precise instruction on proper dancing posture - carriage of torso, positions and moves of legs and feet, and bows and courtsies. They also invented patterning and figures for the dancers to follow.

1500s Ballet-comique - Danced spectacles with unifying dramatic themes, rather than variety spectacles where one dance followed another with no dramatic continuity. Comique comes from the French word comedie and refers to dramatic theater. Ballet-mascarade - A form created by Louis the XIII, who had little interest in dramatically related themes, but instead preferred segment upon segment of artfull costumes and masks, pantomimes, and acrobatics. Ballet à entrée - Spectacles of individual yet interdependent parts - series of entrances of independent groups interconnected, if only slightly, by some theme or dramatic situation. By the late 1500s low-life, or common, characters were performed by non-nobles - hired "professionals," though occasionally aritsitcrats chose to dabble in such roles. At the conclusion of an entreé both performers and viewers would all dance together, ballroom style, in the grand ballet - though commoners were excluded. 1600s Ballet-melodramatique - Entreés performed to song instead of recitation, eventually becoming opera. By the 1630s dance spectacles were being offered to paying customers, wether noble or common.

Another scene from the wedding of Marguerite de Lorraine to the Duc de Joyeuse The Balet Comique de la Royne Important Dances of the Age 1489 - The first "ballet" Created to celebrate the marriage of the Duke of Milan, this spectaculi combined music, recitation, and self contained dances, called "entrees," interwoven with courses of food. 1573 - Le Ballet des Polonais by Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx Created to celebrate the arrival of Polish dignitaries coming to offer the Polish throne to the son of Catherine de Medici. It was viewed from three sides around a little stage. Following the prepared dancing, the audience joined in. 1581 - Balet Comique de la Reine by Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx Attended by 10,000 guests, this spectaculi is considered by many as "the work at the root of the ballet family tree" due to it's eye towards dramatic cohesion. Dance, music, and recitation told the mythological tale of the enchntress Circe.

An illustration from Il Ballarino by Fabrio Caroso Important People of the Age Domenico da Piancenza (or Ferrara) (c. 1400 - c. 1470) One of the first dancing masters. Gugliemo Ebreo and Antonio Cornazzano Students of Domenico da Piancenza who wrote down his teachings in De Arte Saltnadi et Choreas Ducendi Bergonzio di Botta Italian maestro of entertainments, credited with creating the "first ballet." Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx (Baldassarino de Belgioso) (c.1500 - 1587) An Italian violonist and dancer turned French dance master, credited with "establishing the unified dance spectacle we would today call a ballet." Catherine de Medici Florentine heiress who married the French royal Henri Duc d'Orléans, and controlled France, her children being heirs to the throne. A great supporter of court dance spectaculi, her era gave rise to the term ballet Catherine de Medici A Bibliography of Ancient Dance La Galliarde.

From the "Orchésographie" of Thoinot Arbeau De Arte Saltnadi et Choreas Ducendi (On the Art of Dancing and Conductting Dances) by Domenico da Piancenza A manual of technical information on dance steps, focused on the male courtier. Orchesographie Sets the foundations later used by Pierre Beauchamps to codify the five positions. The Reign of Louis XIV Louis XIV as Apollo in Ballet de la Nuit Louis XIV (1638-1715), known as Louis the Great, or the Sun King (le Roi-Soleil), began his reign at the age of four. It lasted seventy-two years - one of the longest documented reigns of any European monarch. Ballet as court entertainment and courtier spectacle flourished to it's height during his rule. Comédie-ballet - A spoken play (comédie) with interludes containing music and dance which relate dramatically to the play's scheme, rather than as decorative diversions to cover the time actors spent changing costumes.

The first occurred in 1661 when Louis' finance minister, Nicholas Fouquet, presented Molière's Les Facheaux, choreographed by Pierre Beauchamps, as a grand fête to honor the king. Opéra-ballet - Productions aiming for even more dramatic and thematic cohesion. The plots were not necessarily derived from Classical mythology and even allowed for comedic elements; consisted of a prologue followed by a number of self-contained acts (also known as entrées), often loosely grouped round a single theme. Académie Royal de Danse 1661 The first dance institution established in the Western world. The oldest and one of the foremost ballet companies in the world. Most European and international ballet companies trace their origins to it. Founded by Louis XIV in the Louvre, it was a gathering of 13 dance masters, whose task, according to Louis's decree, was "to restore the art of dancing to its original perfection and to improve it as much as possible." The group was intended to codify court and character dances and to certify dance teachers by examination. In 1680 Beauchamps became the school's director, a position he held until 1687.

Académie d'Opéra 1669 Established by Louis XIV. Directed by Pierre Perrin. Pierre Beauchamps was the first ballet-master. Later, after Perrin went bankrupt, the king reestablished the Opéra as the Académie Royale de Musique. Académie Royale de Musique 1669 Established by Louis XIV. Directed by Jean Baptiste Lully. Pierre Beauchamp was one of the principal choreographers. Important People of the Age Jean Baptiste Lully First leading professional male dancer. Danced leading roles in Lully and Beauchamp's ballets. Choreographed several ballets and dances for Louis X. Became dance master to the king when Beauchamps retired. Andre Campra Creator of the opera-ballet genre. Choreographer of L'Europe Galante - the first opera-ballet. Mademoiselle de Lafontaine Premiere danseuse of the Paris Opera Ballet. The first Prima Ballerina. The first professional female dancer.

Mademoiselle Marie-Therese de Subligny Succeeded Lafontaine as France's "Queen of Dance." Mademoiselle Marie-Therese de Subligny A Timeline of the Era 1634: The first full scale ballet de cour staged in Denmark. 1670: Louis XIV quits dancing, allowing better dancers to fully express themselves without fear of outdoing the king; performing artists begin to become highly trained professionals rather than incidentally presented courtiers; the way towards "professional" ballet is cleared. 1681: The first female professional dancers appear onstage in Paris; previously dance spectacles had been performed by all-male casts, the men doning masks and costumes to portray female characters. 1713: Dancing school attached to the Paris Opera. Important Dances of the Age Ballet de la Nuit 1653 by Jean Baptiste Lully Louis XIV performed a series of grand entrances. In the final entrance he appeared as Apollo, God of the sun, thus coming to be known as the sun king. Les Facheaux 1661 Music by Jean Baptiste Lully, story by Molière Considered the first comédie-ballet.

First to show an emphasis on turned out legs, light costumes, female dancers, and long dance sequences. With light, flexible footwear it was a turning point in ballet practice which led to the Pre-romantic ballet era. A bibliography of Ancient Dance cont. La Manière de composer et faire réussir les ballets (How to Compose a Successful Ballet) by M. De Saint-Hubert A guide for the bourgeoisie wishing to imitate the king and stage modest ballets in private homes. Choreographie, ou l'art de decrire la danse by Raoul Auger Feuillet 1700 An early attempt to create a universal dance notation, which spread throughout Europe. Pierre Beauchamps and Louis Pecour are both generally aknowledged as co-authors. The Dancing Master A social dance manual which formally documented the 5 positions codified by Beauchamps. Choreographic notation by Pierre Beauchamps Ballet d'action and the Age of Reform Marie-Anne de Cupis de Carmargo During the 1700s ballet reformed more and more to what we know it as today. The common man replaced the gods as the hero, although still in an idealized form.

Costumes changed and women became stars just as much as the men. Choreographers wanted the ballets they created to contain more plot and expressiveness through the dance. Ballet d' action evolved and Jean Gorges Noverre became the voice of reform. Ballet d' action Dances in which the movements of the dancers are designed to express character and assist in the narrative. Expresses character and emotion through dancers' bodies and faces, rather than through elaborate costumes and props. Dances that tell a story entirely through movement. Also known as haute - measured, stately, elegant dancing. Performed in 78 ballets and operas. First woman to execute the entrechat quatre. First dancer to wear slippers instead of heeled shoes, allowing leaps that would have been difficult, if not impossible, in the conventional shoes of the age. First to wear a calf-length skirt - the start of accommodating the costume to the dancer. First ballerina to wear ballet tights. Auguste Vestris Son of Gaetan Vestris and Marie Allard. Dubbed dieu de la danse a title held by his father. Became a soloist in 1776 and premiere dancer in 1778.

Trained many of the 19th century's great dancers, including August Bournonville, Marius Petipa, Lucien Petipa, Fanny Elssler, Jules Perrot, and Marie Taglioni. His career lasted over 35 years. Auguste Vestris Bibliography of Ancient Dance cont. Lettres sur la danse et les ballets by Jean Georges Noverre Focused on developing the ballet d'action. Printed in almost every European Language. One the most frequently quoted books in the literature of dance. Noverre complained that the dancers cared too much about showing their technical skills and too little about the true purpose of ballet. This purpose, he said, was to represent characters and express their feelings. Noverre urged that ballet dancers stop using masks, bulky costumes, and large wigs to illustrate or explain plot and character. He claimed that the dancers could express these things using only their bodies and faces. Noverre specifically dealt with seven major points in his treatise: Regarding the training of dancers, he emphasized that correctness in dance technique as laid down by Pierre Beauchamp and others must be held with sensitivity to the individual's anatomy.

Of Prime concern, the pedagogical consideration of the dancer's personality and style is prerequisite to artistic development. Noverre stressed that within a dramatic context, validity and sincerity of gestural expression are of the utmost importance in creating a ballet. Noverre called for the logical development of plots. According to Noverre, plots should be thematically integrated with movement. Additionally, all superfluous solos and irrelevant dance techniques should be omitted from the ballet. Noverre was adamant that music be appropriately suited to the dramatic development of the plot. He insisted that costumes, décor, and lighting be compatible with the introduction, plot, and climax of each act within the ballet. With the disappearance of masks in his own ballets, Noverre pronounced his advanced ideas on stage make-up for dancers that would allow for the dancer's expression to be seen rather than hidden behind a mask. The Romantic Era Lithograph by Collen Imerton of a performance of "Giselle" at the Salle Le Peletier, 1867.

The era is typically considered to have begun with the 1827 début in Paris of the ballerina Marie Taglioni in the ballet La Sylphide, and to have reached its zenith with the premiere of the divertissement Pas de Quatre staged by the Ballet Master Jules Perrot in London in 1845. The era marked the rise of the ballerina as a central part of ballet. The Romantic ballet had no immediate end, but rather a slow decline. Arthur Saint-Léon's 1870 ballet Coppélia is considered to be the last work of the Romantic Ballet. Salle Le Peletier (1821- 1873) Home of the Paris Opera. Also known as: Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique (1821–1848) and Théâtre Impérial de l'Opéra (1854–1870).

Hosted the heyday of the romantic ballet, staging the works of such Balletmasters as Jules Perrot, Arthur Saint-Léon, Filippo Taglioni, Joseph Mazilier, Jean Coralli, and Paul Taglioni. On the night of 29 of October 1873, the Salle Le Peletier met the same fate as many of its predecessors: it was destroyed by a fire, which raged for 27 hours, believed to have been started by the theatre's innovative gas lighting. Her Majesty's Theater (1705 - Present) From the early 1830s until the late 1840s, Her Majesty's Theatre played host to the heyday of the era of the romantic ballet, in which the ballet company, known as the Ballet of Her Majesty's Theatre, was the most renowned troupe in Europe, aside from the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique. Jules Perrot was Premier Maître de Ballet(chief choreographer) starting in 1842.

Other ballet masters who created works for the ballet of Her Majesty's Theatre throughout the period of the romantic ballet included Paul Taglioni and Arthur Saint-Léon. The Italian composer Cesare Pugni was appointed Composer of the Ballet Music to the theatre in 1843. From 1843 until 1850 he composed nearly every new ballet presented at the theatre. Pugni remains the most prolific composer of the genre, having composed more than 100 original ballets, as well as composing numerous divertissements and incidental dances that were often performed as diversions during the intermissions of opera performances at the theatre. Throughout the era of the romantic ballet, the theatre presented performances by notable ballerinas. A Timeline of the Era 1828 One of the greatest male dancers in the latter years of the Russian Imperial Ballet. 20th Century Ballet Swan Lake in St Petersburg, Ballets Russes Associated Ballet company. From the Associated Newspaper 1910.

Photo from the Victoria & Albert Museum, London "(Art) creates human types and situations, which we live on from century to century, and which are real to millions of people." Anatoli Lunacharsky, Soviet Russia's first People's Commissar for Enlightenment The Ballets Russes Sergei Diaghilev and Igor Stravinsky Ballet in France had grown stagnant and predictable, with many patrons attending simply out of habit. Ballets Russes injected the ballet world with renewed vitality, presenting the form, not as a relic of the past, but a vibrant art happening in the present. After France had led the ballet for several centuries, Ballets Russes now presented work that was very Russian: Russian music, Russian subjects and themes, Russian visual designs, and of course, Russian Dancing. Timeline of the Era 1900 - Vaslav Nijinsky joins the Imperial Ballet School at the age of 10 1903 - Petipa casts Anna Pavlova as Giselle 1906 - Anna Pavlova named Prima Ballerina of the Imperial Russian Ballet. 1907 - Fokine creates The Swan, later to be known as The Dying Swan, for Pavlova.

1909 - Ballets Russes opens in Paris 1919 - Nijinsky retires 1921 - Diaghilev brings Carlotta Brianza, the original Princess Aurora, out retirement to dance in The Sleeping Beauty. 1930 - Anna Pavlova's final performance, in England Important Dances of the Age Heather Ogden in The National Ballet of Canada's staging of Mikhail Fokine's Les Sylphides ~ Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann Chopiniana 1907 Founder choreographer of the Royal Ballet. Knighted for his contribution to ballet. Principal choreographer for Saddler's Wells Ballet Frederick Ashton Ballet in The United States School of American Ballet in NYC, 1936 ~ photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt As ballet took root in America, a struggle developed between classic European dance and a new, authentically American ballet. American choreographer's making ballets with American themes fought to gain prominence among the classics; American-born dancers fought for acceptance.

While one of the leading forces in developing American Ballet was a Russian, George Balanchine, his partner, Lincoln Kirstein, was an American, fundamental in developing American ballet companies for American choreographers to stage ballets with American themes - in short, in creating American Ballet. Timeline of the Era 1917 - The October revolution in Russia 1910 - Chicago Opera Ballet - America's first ballet company - established 1924 - Balanchine leaves the Soviet Union 1924 - Mikhail Mordkin stages America's first Swan Lake 1929 - The Dorothy Alexander Concert Group started, which later becomes the Atlanta Civic Ballet 1929 - Jacques Rouché, director of the Paris Opera, commissions George Balanchine who falls ill, opening the door for Serge Lifar 1933 - Adolf Bolm founds the San Francisco Opera Ballet the oldest professional company in America today 1933 - René Blum and Col.

de Basil found Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo 1933 - School of American Ballet opened by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein in Hartford CT 1934 - The American Ballet Company founded by George Balanchine, Lincoln Kirstein, Edward Warburg and Vladimir Dimitriev 1934 - School of American Ballet moves to New York City 1935 - The American Ballet Company becomes the resident ballet company of the Metropolitan Opera (Until 1938) 1936 - Lincoln Kirstein and Edward Warburg found Ballet Caravan 1937 - American Ballet Company and Ballet Caravan merge to form American Ballet Caravan 1937 - Mikhail Mordkin founds Mikhail Mordkin Ballet (the beginning of American Ballet Theater) with Lucia Chase as dancer 1939 - Ballet Theater founded in New York by Richard Pleasant and Lucia Chase 1946 - Ballet Society founded by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein (Until 1948) 1948 - Ballet Society joins the New York City Opera and becomes New York City Ballet 1953 - Robert Joffrey founds Joffrey Ballet in Chicago 195

5 - Ballet de Cuba formed by Alicia Alonso 1957 - Ballet Theater becomes American Ballet Theater Important Dances of the Age Apollo 1928 La Bayadere La Bayadere Premiere: February 4th, 1877, Maryinsky Theatre, Imperial Ballet, St.

Petersburg background information: La Bayadère is an important connection between the romantic and classical eras of ballet. The ballerinas wear the shorter classical tutus when doing ballet roles, but there are still many romantic movements and La Bayadère predates the major romantic classics by several years. The word bayadère comes from the Portugese word ballar, meaning dance. Bayadère is French word for an Indian temple dancer, and it is because one of the central characters in La Bayadère is such a temple dancer that La Bayadère is so named. In Russian it is called Bayaderka, the Russian word for an Indian Temple Dancer. La Bayadère takes place in Hindu India. There were several influences on Petipa and Khudekov's decision to place the ballet in India. First, India was an exotic setting attractive to the romantic audience of the time. Also, at the beginning of the 19th century there were troupes of Indian dancers touring Europe. La Bayadère is also largely influenced by the opera Aida. This is because Petipa had just finished overseeing the dances for a Russian production of Aida when he choreographed La Bayadère.

While Aida is set in Egypt, not India, it is still an exotic foreign, (and warm), location compared to St. Petersburg. Also, several of the characters and their relationship to each other are very similar to characters in the opera. characters: Solor - a young warrior who is in love with Nikiya, but betrothed to Gamzatti Nikiya - a temple dancer, (or bayadère), who is in love with Solor Gamzatti - the Rajah's, (ruler's), daughter who is betrothed to Solor The High Brahmin - the high priest of the temple. Loved and covets Nikiya, but she does not return his love. synopsis: Act I, (the temple) - Solor enters with a party of warriors who have just returned from a successful hunt, having killed a great tiger. They will participate in the lighting of the sacred fire, and Solor hopes to see Nikiya.

The High Brahmin and his entourage of monks then enter, and the High Brahmin summons the Chief Fakir, (a fakir is a very devoted religious person - similar to a monk), who, with the other fakirs lights the sacred fire. There are several dances of bayadères and fakirs, then the High Brahmin sends for Nikiya, who enters, veiled. The High Brahmin removes Nikiya's veil and there is a solo for Nikiya. When Nikiya finishes dancing the High Brahmin tells Nikiya of his love for her, and she refuses it, reminding him of his place in the temple. After more dancing Solor and Nikiya meet and promise themselves to each other over the temple's sacred fire. Unknown to the lovers, the High Brahmin witnesses their oath and vows revenge. Act II, (a hall in the Rajah's palace) - The Rajah calls for his daughter, Gamzatti, tells her that she is to be betrothed to Solor. She is concerned at first, but after being shown a painting of Solor, falls madly in love.

When Solor's arrival is announced the Rajah sends Gamzatti away to veil herself to meet her fiancée. When Solor arrives Gamzatti returns and is presented to Solor. When her veil is removed, Solor is overcome by her beauty and in a moment of forgetfulness, agrees to marry Gamzatti. Shortly after, the High Brahmin arrives and tells the Rajah of Solor's previous commitment to Nikiya. Both Solor and Gamzatti overhear the conversation between the High Brahmin and the Rajah and Gamzatti sends for Nikiya. Meanwhile, to the High Brahmin's dismay, the Rajah decides to eliminate Solor's "double" love by killing Nikiya. When Nikiya arrives, responding to Gamzatti's summon, Gamzatti is in the hall with only Aya, her servant. Gamzatti tries to get Nikiya to deny her commitment to Solor but Nikiya's true love for Solor will not allow her to do this. Gamzatti tries bribing Nikiya with jewels and intimidating her with her social position, but still Nikiya refuses.

The conversation becomes more and more heated until in a moment of passion Nikiya seizes a nearby dagger and tries to attack Gamzatti with it. She is stopped by Aya, then runs away realizing what she has done. Gamzatti then vows revenge in addition to the High Brahmin's vow of revenge and the Rajah's desire to kill Nikiya. Act II Scene II, (the palace gardens) - Many guests arrive to celebrate the betrothal of Solor and Gamzatti and there are several dances of Celebration. Eventually, Nikiya is told to dance for the betrothed couple, and because it is her job as a dancer to do so, she does albeit very sorrowfully. When she is finished her dance Nikiya tries to leave but is stopped by Aya, who presents Nikiya with a basket of flowers and leads her to believe that they are a gift from Solor. Nikiya dances again, this time joyfully with the flowers. But as she is dancing, Nikiya discovers a venomous snake hidden in among the blooms, which strikes and bites her.

As Nikiya is dying, the High Brahmin offers her an antidote to the poison on the condition that she will be his. However, since she sees Solor as happily engaged and she will not be able to be with him Nikiya prefers to die. As she dies Solor throws himself by her side in sorrow. Act III, (Solor's Apartment) - A flautist and a fakir are trying to cheer Solor, with little success. When Solor feigns sleep they slip out as quietly as possible. Solor then enjoys a hookah of opium on his divan, and starts to sense the presence of the shade of Nikiyaï¿½. Now begins the Kingdom of the Shades scene. The shades, (usually thirty two of them), enter down a zigzag ramp coming down the back of the stage. They take two steps into an arabesque in plié, then two steps to pose in tendue derriere. This short phrase of movement brings all of the shades on stage in single file. They zigzag down the ramp, then continue down the stage. The lead dancer has to repeat the phrase an incredible number of times, with the same leg every time.

The first dancers develop an incredibly strong arabesque on one side. The shades then dance, exhibiting superb corps work and several solos and smaller groups. Also, both the "Entrance of Nikiya" pas de deux and the Scarf pas de deux take place during this act. The third act usually ends with the shades and Solor and Nikiya in a grand pose. Act IV, (the temple) - Because of the complex stage machinery required to stage it, this act is often left out of full length presentations of La Bayadère. When Solor awoke from his dream of the shades he found Gamzatti still determined to marry him, and it is now their wedding day. As they are at the temple Solor thinks he sees the shade of Nikiya and is distracted. This upsets Gamzatti, but they continue with the wedding. Then, at the moment the couple is taking their vows the gods fill the temple with smoke and destroy it in anger over Solor and Gamzatti's false love, killing all within. Solor and Nikiya are happily reunited in the afterlife.

of note: The Kingdom of the Shades Notable because it is a nearly perfect example of the ballet-blanc that has become a symbol of ballet "The Kingdom of the Shades" is quite often performed on its own. It is this scene that inspired critic Clive Barnes to write "If you don't enjoy La Bayadère, you really don't enjoy ballet" in 1963. Scarf Pas de Deux Called "Adagio with Gauze for Solor and Nikiya" in Nureyev's version of La Bayadère, this pas de deux between Solor and Nikiya takes place in the "Kingdom of the Shades" scene and is unique because the dancers do not directly touch each other. Instead they dance at opposite ends of a long scarf and give the illusion that Solor is supporting her from this distance. Act III Pas de Deux, (Entrance of Nikiya) This pas de deux is the closest thing to a grand pas de deux in La Bayadère. It is an incredibly beautiful adagio if well executed. In this pas de deux we feel that Solor senses Nikiya's presence, and possibly does not really see her.

This, in addition to the slow, sustained lines created, make this one of the showpieces of La Bayadère. Bronze Idol The Bronze Idol, (also called "Golden Idol" and "Little God"), is an incredibly demanding men's variation. Dressed only in a dance belt and headpiece, the dancer paints his entire body gold for this variation. Oddly enough. The Bronze Idol was not part of the original Bayadère. It was first performed in 1948 by its choreographer Nikolai Zubkovsky. If all four acts of the ballet are being performed the Bronze Idol is performed at the beginning of the Fourth act, if only the first three acts are being performed it is danced in the second act. La Bayadère Men's Variation Occurring in the "Kingdom of the Shades" scene the men's variation from La Bayadère is one of the harder variations that exist. It has many vary large jumps dominated by cabrioles and an awesome manege at the end.

<MAP NAME="boxmap-p13"><AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="379, 50, 460, 57" HREF="" target=main><AREA COORDS="0,0,10000,10000" HREF="" target=main></map><img src="" width="468" height="60" border="0" usemap="#boxmap-p13" alt="Shop at Amazon.com"> NYCB - Tiler Peck TILER PECK Featured Roles Since Joining NYCB George Balanchine Divertimento from "Le Baiser de la Fée" Divertimento No. 15 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Divertissement, Butterfly) George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® (Sugarplum Fairy, Dewdrop, Marzipan, Dolls) Raymonda Variations Symphony in C (First Movement, Fourth Movement) Symphony in Three Movements Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 Tschaikovsky Suite No.

3 (Theme and Variations) Union Jack The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora, Emerald, Princess Florine) Swan Lake (Pas de Quartre) Justin Peck N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz (NYCB Premiere) Opus 19/The Dreamer "Makin' Whoopee" from Double Feature Richard Tanner After the Rain Pas de Deux An American in Paris DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse (NYCB Premiere) Mercurial Manoeuvres Melissa Barak: A Simple Symphony Mauro Bigonzetti: In Vento, Luce Nascosta, Oltremare Annabelle Lopez Ochoa: Unframed Peter Martins: Bal de Couture, Friandises, The Red Violin Wayne McGregor: Outlier Benjamin Millepied: Quasi Una Fantasia, Two Hearts Justin Peck: Everywhere We Go, The Most Incredible Thing (The Cuckoo Bird), Paz de la Jolla Angelin Prejocaj: Spectral Evidence Alexei Ratmansky: Pictures at an Exhibition Susan Stroman: "Frankie and Johnny ...

and Rose" from For the Love of Duke Liam Scarlett: Funérailles Myles Thatcher: Polaris Christopher Wheeldon: American Rhapsody, Estancia, Les Carillons, A Place for Us Tiler Peck was born in Bakersfield, California. She began her dance training at the age of seven, studying privately with former Bolshoi Ballet principal dancer Alla Khaniashvili in Hollywood. At the age of 11 she began studying at Conjunctive Point in Culver City, California, with former New York City Ballet dancers Colleen and Patricia Neary. During this time she also studied with former NYCB principal Yvonne Mounsey at Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica. At the age of 12, Ms. Peck entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, for most of the 2000-2001 Winter Term. She returned to SAB during the summers of 2002 and 2003, and that fall began as a full-time student. In September 2004, Ms. Peck became an apprentice with New York City Ballet.

In February 2005 she joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. She was promoted to soloist in December 2006 and principal dancer in October 2009. Other performances Ms. Peck played the title role in the 2014 Kennedy Center production of the new musical Little Dancer. On Broadway, she has performed in On the Town (Ivy) and in Meredith Willson's The Music Man. She has also performed as Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. At the opening ceremony for the 1998 Goodwill Games, she danced a featured role in choreography by Marguerite Derricks. Ms. Peck was invited to perform at the Kennedy Center Honors tributes to Natalia Makarova (2012) and Patricia McBride (2014), which were broadcast nationally. Other TV appearances include the role of Dewdrop in Live From Lincoln Center’s George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker (2011), the role of Louise Bigelow in New York Philharmonic’s Live From Lincoln Center production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel (2013), and a guest appearance on Dancing with the Stars.

Honors Ms. Peck was named a "30 under 30: Hollywood and Entertainment" by Forbes Magazine in 2014. In 2011, she was awarded the Léonide Massine Positano Premia La Danza for International Emerging Artists. Ms. Peck is a 2004 recipient of the Princess Grace Foundation - USA Dance Fellowship, the 2004 Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise, and was the Janice Levin Honoree for 2006-2007. Ms. Peck also received the Princess Grace Statue Award, given to distinguished previous Princess Grace Award winners, in 2013. Film Credits Ms. Peck's film credits include the Magnolia Pictures documentary film Ballet 422 (2014), which follows the creation of Justin Peck's Paz de la Jolla, and the film NY EXPORT: OPUS JAZZ, a scripted adaptation of the Jerome Robbins ballet of the same name, which aired on PBS and won an Audience Award at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival.

She also appeared in A Time for Dancing (2000), Geppetto (2000), and Donnie Darko (2001). Ballerina Girls Vaganova Nutcracker Lopatkina Tsiskaridze Udalenkova Postizheva Shakirova Konogray - YouTube Ballerina Girls Vaganova Nutcracker Lopatkina Tsiskaridze Udalenkova Postizheva Shakirova Konogray Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jan 26, 2014 This Russian video is about the Vaganova Nutcracker performance from December 30, 2013, which has Ulyana Lopatkina talking early in the video.

The main indiviuduals shown in this video are Nikolai Tsiskaridze, new rector of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet Larisa Georgevna Postizheva, a major heroine of the Vaganova children, who is always at the Mikhailovsky Theatre or Mariinsky Theatre when the Vaganova children rehearse and perform in the major company performances which use the Vaganova children. Every Mariinsky and Mikhailovsky dancer will know who Larisa is because she is always with the children at these theatres and most likely, she was with these professional dancers, when they were Vaganova students... Tatiana Udalenkova, one of the greatest Vaganova teachers, having trained recent graduates such as Daria Vasnetsova, Oksana Marchuk and Valeria Zapasnikova. Her two current prodigies are Olga Makarova and the girl who danced the leading role of older Masha, Renata Shakirova.. Udalenkova is shown coaching the snow flakes with Tsiskaridze. Polina Konogray, is the young girl playing Little Masha.

Polina lives in St Petersburg with her grand-mother and is shown skyping her mother and brother, back at home, far away. Renata Shakirova is Big Masha and as her teacher, Udalenkova tells us, Renata had danced Little Masha in her second year at Vaganova. Category Coppelia Ballet - Girl With Enamel Eyes By Treva Bedinghaus Updated May 02, 2016. Coppelia is a charming, funny ballet for all ages. The classic ballet is full of humor and ballet mime. It is often performed by small ballet companies because it doesn't require a large cast of world-class dancers. Plot Summary of Coppelia The ballet is about a girl named Coppelia who sits on her balcony all day reading, speaking to no one. A boy named Franz falls deeply in love with her and wants to marry her, even though he is already engaged. His fiance, Swanhilda, sees Franz throwing kisses at Coppelia. Swanhilda soon learns that Coppelia is actually a doll that belongs to Doctor Coppelius, the mad scientist. She decides to impersonate the doll, in order to win the love of Franz.

Chaos ensues, but all is soon forgiven. Swanhilda and Franz make up and get married. The marriage is celebrated with several festive dances. Origins of Coppelia Coppelia is a classical ballet based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann entitled "Der Sandmann" ("The Sandman"), which was published in 1815. continue reading below our video How to Save Money on Craft Supplies The ballet premiered in 1870. Doctor Coppelius has many similarities to Uncle Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker. The Coppelia story evolved from travelling shows of the late 18th and early 19th centuries starring mechanical automatons. Where to See Coppelia Coppelia is part of the repertoire of many ballet companies. It is typically presented in three acts, each act about 30 minutes in length. The full ballet is also available on DVD as performed by The Royal Ballet, Kirov Ballet and the Australian Ballet. The ballet is a charming and enchanting production and is the perfect introduction to ballet for younger audiences. Famous Dancers of Coppelia Many well-known ballet dancers have danced roles in Coppelia.

Gillian Murphy impressed audiences when she performed in American Ballet Theater's version of the classical ballet. Other famous dancers performing the classical story ballet include Isadora Duncan , Gelsey Kirkland and Mikhail Baryshnikov . Interesting Facts About Coppelia Coppelia introduced automatons, dolls, and marionettes to ballet. The ballet consists of two acts and three scenes. The original choreographer was by Arthur Saint-Leon, who died three months after the first performance. The ballet was choreographed again by George Balanchine for his first wife, Alexandra Danilova, with much success.

Question: Who is most likely to perform a "pas de deux"?
Answer: Ballet dancer