American Ballet Theatre

“The human body is very beautiful and eloquent, it is to be treasured, honored, and disciplined”. This is how Martha describes the human body in the video “A Tribute Martha Graham”. Martha Graham is one of the greatest dancers to have graced planet earth. She makes dancing looks easy, delightful, and glamorous; she is such an awesome choreographer to watch on stage. According to Gregory Peck, Martha is absorbed in the magic of movement and her main goal when she dances is proper movement in…

that I am discussing today are both styles that tell a story on stage over multiple hours, introducing many different characters and having a beginning, middle and end. However, going to see, and training to perform in ballet and musical theater are two very different experiences. Ballet is one of the oldest dance styles and, while it tells a story, there is no speaking, singing or any other words to be said. You portray a story through very complex movements that take a lifetime of practice to…

We’ve all heard the music from the famous Nutcracker during the holidays. The famous ballet is an annual favorite among many people. However, the work that goes on behind the scenes is extensive, and not always known to audiences. Dancers work hours on end to become better at their art. Some dancers, however, are not born with the “perfect dancer body.” Anna Pavlova, one of the most famous and revered ballet dancers, had to overcome the obstacles she was born with. Anna Pavlova was rejected for…

Pain. Blood. Hospital. Stitches. Clumsy. A nice way to start out my childhood. It was about ten years ago, when I was three, when I came to realize that I had to be more careful. Since I was two years old, until I was five, I took dance lessons. At the studio, there were multiple classes for different levels and for different styles of dance; every year every dance class in the studio would get together and have a recital. It was the day of the recital, and I was more than ready to perform. The…

“I wanted to begin not with characters or ideas, but with movements. I wanted significant movement. I did not want it to be beautiful or fluid. I wanted it to be fraught with inner meaning, with excitement and surge” (Martha Graham). Martha Graham is considered the inventor of modern dance, her impact on dance was staggering. Throughout her career, Graham choreographed 181 masterpiece dance compositions and many new age choreographers are challenged to be as great as Martha herself. At the time,…

(Gosch, 1975, p. 335). Igea Lissoni was then twenty-six; Luciano was fifty. Lissoni early revealed a talent for dance and was encouraged by her family, who enrolled her in the ballet school of La Scala Opera Company. It soon became apparent to her that she did not have the talent to become a prima ballerina and turned from ballet to nightclubs. Igea became a featured performer in some of the better clubs in Italy immediately after the war (Gosch, 1975). Luciano began to court Igea in an…

thought about this assignment, one of the first advertisements that popped into my head was the Under Armour Misty Copeland ad campaign. The commercial is filmed as follows: Misty Copeland, a ballet dancer, practices in an empty ballet…

When you think of ballet the many things that comes to mind is tutus and pointe shoes. Although many people don't know the true history and origin of ballet it's safe to say that ballet has become a style dance that is well know around the world from all walks of life. Ballet is an art form which is evolving and changing with the years to come. Ballet began in the 15th century Italian Renaissance courts. The term “Ballet” comes from the italian word ‘ballare” which translates to “to dance”.…

title that is saying the main idea. They each have different lessons. The first section was just about the backstory. Betty Marie was born in 1925. She was a native american. Most of her knowledge about her heritage was from her grandmother. She was told many stories explaining her heritage by her grandmother. Betty started taking ballet lessons and by a young age knew that she wanted to be a ballerina. The next action was about her progress as a dancer. Betty was a local star. She had a…

“Dancing is my greatest passion and spreading such knowledge among new generations is my happiness“ said Ana. The flamenquita, as everybody calls her, is an example of how enormous goals can become tangible projections. This is my cousin, a woman who graduated with a bachelor degree in fine art in dance and built a small business to show our community the significance of the art as a part of the children’s education. She believes in the magic of dance and the miracles it can do. Therefore, she…