Ballets Russes

For this assignment I chose to watch the musical movie Rock of Ages. This movie is high energy and has fun and frisky choreography. With professional dancer Julianne Hough as our leading lady in the film it is tough not to get caught up in how the movement tells the story. After watching it I did realize there were several moments where they stopped dancing and that seemed to work for the story as well. From the start we get the urge to move with the opening song Paradise City. This number…

youngest actress on the set, Ava Grace Cooper. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with this 6-year-old actress, and I was overwhelmed with her enthusiasm and amazing talent. Why did you decide to become an actress? I started taking dance {ballet} lessons when I was about three. And I heard about this thing called acting, and I thought I would give it a try. I loved dancing, so why not act? How did you get the role of Opal in WCTH? I went into the audition room, and I said my lines. I…

of earning this part and the pressure of performing well accumulated on my shoulders. Originally, I had an ensemble part with the rest of my dance class, only understudying for role of Autumn, one of the four soloist positions offered in Milwaukee Ballet School’s Spring Showcase, Snow White. A few weeks before the show, the dancer who I was understudying for became unable to perform her role. The…

Up To This Pointe written by Jennifer Longo, takes place in a roaring city called San Francisco. Harper Scott, the main character, is a professional ballet dancer. She dances with her best friend Kate at Madame’s Ballet Studio. The Plan, carefully put together by Harper and Kate goes awry. Harper constantly thought she would become a professional ballet dancer with Kate and that would be her life. Harper was not prepared when The Plan only works out for Kate. Harper has to think of a new Plan…

The early Greeks developed order and form within dance that was called choral dance. It was a more communal form where the lines of dancers would move circularly or straight within ranks. These dances would be performed at events such as Athenian festivals and were accompanied by procession, sacrifices and games. The Greeks would also dance at religious ceremonies; they would perform fertility dances to ensure fertile fields as well as fertile women. They would dance in preparation for war and…

spaces are not a capitalist product so why waste your energy? John’s closet theory addresses two sides of the closet, clean and trash. Clean is an example of professional concert dance, ballet, lack of diversity in dance companies or exploitation of bodies. Clean is nationalism. In certain dance forms, such as ballet or commercial dance, the focus is to appeal and to entertain the audience. Many dancers are trained to believe that they must appeal to the primary, meaning they have to join a…

“Bye, Rebekah! Have a good day at ballet!” my mom called as I jumped excitedly out of her green Subaru Outback. I skipped to the door and began opening it as I turned and waved to my mom as she slowly backed out of the parking lot, headed to Costco. I burst into my ballet studio, Academy of Dance, full of energy. I crossed my fingers as I bounced into the dressing room and started getting ready for ballet. I did my bun then quickly changed into my favorite black leotard and brand new tights…

I pulled up my pretty pink tights, slipped into my ballet slippers and straightened my favorite black leotard. I fastened my hair up in the tightest bun I could handle, and layered on the most elaborate stage make up. It suddenly hit me that this was the last time I would be doing this ritual. For I was primping and prepping for my last performance as a member of the dance company. I had devoted my entire childhood to dance and finally the curtain was about to close. I was ending something that…

Being a dancer is not as easy as everyone thinks or as I thought many years ago. I started studying ballet at the age of three, but to study ballet to become a dancer was a hard way. To become a dancer, you must have certain physical aptitudes, you must sacrifice many things and feel a great love for dancing and art in general. Not everyone can become a dancer because they must meet certain physical requirements; the composition and body dimension is defined for the movement of the…

What do you think of when you hear the word ballerina? I know that I think of young women and girls that dance on their tippy toes. There special shoes that allow them to be able to do this are called a pointe shoe, and can be made for just one specific dancer. It’s not all graceful and effortless movements. If you are not trained for these shoes you can really get hurt. Today I will tell you the five major parts of them that all work together to make sure that the dancer does not get hurt. At…