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- Anna Pavlova. Anna Pavlova, with her ethereal presence and unmatched technique, is widely regarded as one of the greatest ballet dancers of all time. Born in Russia in 1881, Pavlova trained at the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg, where she honed her exceptional skills.
- Mikhail Baryshnikov. Mikhail Baryshnikov, known for his breathtaking leaps and unparalleled artistry, is a legend in the world of ballet. Born in Latvia in 1948, Baryshnikov trained at the Vaganova School in Leningrad before joining the Kirov Ballet.
- Rudolf Nureyev. Rudolf Nureyev, with his magnetic stage presence and virtuosic technique, revolutionized the world of ballet during his illustrious career.
- Margot Fonteyn. Margot Fonteyn, with her exquisite technique and expressive artistry, remains one of the most beloved figures in the history of ballet.
- Vaslav Nijinsky
- Anna Pavlova
- Galina Ulanova
- Rudolf Nureyev
- Margot Fonteyn
- Mikhail Baryshnikov
- Natalia Makarova
- Anthony Dowell
- Gelsey Kirkland
- Sylvie Guillem
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Nijinsky was a Russian dancer and choreographer of Polish descent, celebrated for his virtuosity and for the depth and intensity of his characterisations. Deborah Bull says: “Through the Ballets Russes’ tours abroad between 1909 and 1929, Western audiences had their first-ever taste of Russian ballet. In no one was the brilliance of the dancers’ te...
A Russian prima ballerina, recognised for the creation of the role ‘The Dying Swan’, Pavlova became the first ballerina to tour ballet internationally. Deborah Bull says: “An iconic ballerina, Pavlova was not only a sublime artist but also a great innovator, making use of the new invention of film and exploiting her fame to take ballet to new audie...
Acclaimed Russian dancer Galina Ulanova was transferred by Stalin to the Bolshoi Theatreto be prima ballerina assoluta for 16 years. “Ulanova’s performances with the Bolshoi during its first-ever performances in the West – at the Royal Opera House in 1956 – changed ballet in Britain forever.”
Nureyev, portrayed in 2018 biographical film The White Crow starring Oleg Ivenko and Ralph Fiennes, was a Soviet-born dancer whose expressive skills, provided a new role for the male dancer who previously served primarily as support to the women. “Nureyev’s defection to the West in 1961 represented the ‘second coming’ of the Russian dancers and set...
Fonteyn spent her entire career as a dancer with The Royal Ballet, eventually being appointed Prima Ballerina Assoluta by HM The Queen. “She defined the image of the ballerina for most of the 20th century. Fonteyn and Nureyev were ballet’s golden and most glamorous couple.”
After defecting from Russia, Baryshnikov later became artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre. In 1977, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in The Turning Point. “Famed for his partnership with Natalia Makarova. Through movies such as The Turning Point,Baryshnikov took ballet to a massive audience. He has continued to...
Russian ballerina Natalia Makarova performed with the American Ballet Theatre in New York and the Royal Ballet. “Another defector from Soviet Russia,” Bull says. “Post-Makarova, high extensions (getting your leg up as high as possible) became an essential job requirement.”
Anthony Dowell is most noted for the role of Oberon in The Dream by Sir Frederick Ashton and for his filmed performance as Siegfried in Swan Lakewith Natalia Makarova in 1980. “Not the first British male dancer, but the first world class male star to be trained and developed through the Royal Ballet School and company established by Dame Ninette de...
After joining the New York City Ballet at 15, Kirkland was promoted to soloist in 1969 and principal in 1972. She went on to create leading roles in many of the great 20th-century ballets. “From baby ballerina at New York City Ballet, to the cover of Timemagazine, Kirkland had a relatively brief career in the 1970s and 80s but she had a major impac...
The top-ranking female dancer with the Paris Opera Ballet from 1984 to 1989, Guillem later became a principal guest artist with the Royal Ballet in London. “Sylvie broke the mould and redefined what a ballerina could be, post-Fonteyn. She excelled in the classical repertoire and then forged new pathways in collaborations with contemporary choreogra...
Deborah Bull, former creative director of the Royal Opera House, selects the most influential and iconic ballet dancers of the last 100 years. Watch videos of their performances and learn about their achievements and innovations.
Learn about the art of classical ballet, the extensive training and technique required, the common injuries and the gender-specific titles used for ballet dancers. Find out how ballet dancers begin their classes at the barre, practice pointe work, and perform demanding choreography.
Sep 6, 2024 · Ballet, theatrical dance in which a formal academic dance technique—the danse d’ecole—is combined with other artistic elements such as music, costume, and stage scenery. The academic technique itself is also known as ballet. Learn more about the history of ballet in this article.
e. Ballet (French: [balɛ]) is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary. Ballet has been influential globally and has defined ...
Jun 7, 2021 · Ballet Dance: Understanding the History and Origins of Ballet. Ballet—rooted in the Italian word “ ballare ” which means “to dance”—is an elegant but very physically strenuous style of dance. Ballet—rooted in the Italian word “*ballare*” which means “to dance”—is an elegant but very physically strenuous style of dance.
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Oct 14, 2023 · The National Ballet of Ukraine dancers will perform Alexei Ratmansky’s “Wartime Elegy” in New York. Touring is “like taking a break,” one dancer said, “because we can finally sleep.”
