STUDY GUIDE

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA BALLETDance and Music Through the AgesSchool-Day PerformanceTuesday, November 16, 2021, 10 AM

©SWVA Ballet

Table of Contents

About Southwest Virginia Ballet......................................................................................................2

About Dance and Music Through the Ages....................................................................................2

Ballet: There’s a Word for That........................................................................................................2

Renaissance Period..........................................................................................................................3

What Is a Pavane?................................................................................................................3

Classical Period................................................................................................................................4

What Is a Gigue?..................................................................................................................4

Romantic Period.............................................................................................................................5

Chopiniana............................................................................................................................5

Coppélia...............................................................................................................................5

Modern Period................................................................................................................................7

Swan Lake.........................................................................................................................7-8

Discussion Questions........................................................................................................................9

Virginia Standards of Learning Alignment Guide...........................................................................10

Special Thanks...............................................................................................................................10

The Moss Arts Center would like to thank Southwest Virginia Ballet for its assistance in developing this study guide.

STUDY GUIDE

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA BALLETDance and Music Through the Ages

School-Day PerformanceTuesday, November 16, 2021, 10 AM

Recommended for students in grades 4-8

About Southwest Virginia BalletSouthwest Virginia Ballet (SVB) has been contributing to the community for 31 years,

serving over 15,000 children and adults annually. SVB began as a vision of founding director

Tess (Terri) Post in 1990. Post’s vision was for a regional ballet company that would provide

pre-professional training and quality performances of varied repertoire, including classical

ballet, as well as contemporary and modern works. The organization’s mission is to make

the performing arts experience available to all ages from all walks of life. SVB provides,

free of charge, the highest quality of pre-professional training possible to young dancers

and promotes cultural enrichment and awareness of the art of dance. SVB is committed

to offering outreach opportunities for under-served and at-risk children and adults from

across Southwest Virginia. In 2006 Pedro Szalay joined SVB, becoming artistic director in

2007. Under Szalay’s leadership, SVB company membership has doubled in size and has

gained regional, national, and international acclaim.

Learn more about Southwest Virginia Ballet.

BALLET: THERE’S A WORD FOR THAT

Ballet has a long list of terms for various techniques, positions, and approaches to performance. To learn more about the language of this beautiful dance form, visit this dictionary of ballet terms developed by American Ballet Theatre.

About Dance and Music Through the AgesWhat is the history of ballet? How has the dance tradition evolved from the 16th century to today? In Dance and Music Through the Ages, Southwest Virginia Ballet illustrates answers to these questions with dynamic excerpts of Renaissance, Romantic, Classical, and Modern ballet forms. The program includes pieces from Chopiniana, Coppélia, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and The Nutcracker, as well as examples of the pavane, minuet, and can can.

Let’s learn more about the rich history of ballet, starting in the Renaissance.

2

1 history.com/topics/renaissance/renaissance2 britannica.com/art/pavane

Pavane, The Dance in the Garden illumination from the Roman de la rose, Toulouse, early 16th century; in the British Library (Harley MS 4425, fol. 14v)

WHAT IS A PAVANE?

Pavane was a “majestic processional dance of the 16th- and 17th-century European aristocracy. Until about 1650 the pavane opened ceremonial balls and was used as a display of elegant dress. Adapted from the basse danse, an earlier court dance, the pavane presumably traveled from Italy to France and England by way of Spain; in southern Spain it was performed in churches on solemn occasions.

“The pavane’s basic movement, to music in 2/2 or 4/4 time, consisted of forward and backward steps; the dancers rose onto the balls of their feet and swayed from side to side. A column of couples circled the ballroom, and the dancers occasionally sang. By about 1600, livelier steps like the fleuret (a brief lift of each foot before a step) made the dance less pompous. The pavane was customarily followed by its the vigorous galliard.

“The paired dances, pavane and galliard, were a forerunner of the instrumental dance suites of the 17th

century, and pavanes appear in a few early suites.”2

To see a short example of a Renaissance pavane, watch this video of a demonstration of the dance at Kronborg Castle in Denmark.

Renaissance Period“The Renaissance was a fervent period of

European cultural, artistic, political, and

economic ‘rebirth’ following the Middle

Ages. Generally described as taking place

from the 14th century to the 17th century,

the Renaissance promoted the rediscovery

of classical philosophy, literature, and art.

Some of the greatest thinkers, authors,

statesmen, scientists, and artists in human

history thrived during this era, while global

exploration opened up lands and cultures

to European commerce. The Renaissance is

credited with bridging the gap between the

Middle Ages and modern-day civilization.”1

Some influential thinkers and artists from

the Renaissance included Leonardo da

Vinci, William Shakespeare, Dante, and

Michelangelo.

To learn more about the Renaissance in

Italy, in particular, watch this video from

National Gallery of Ireland.

3

Classical Period

4

“Classical ballet, with origins in the 17th-century

French court ballet, [developed] at the Russian

Imperial School of Ballet in the 19th century” under

the direction of Marius Petipa. Choreographer

Carlo Blasis’ book Traité élémentaire, théorique

et pratique de l’art de la danse (1820) was the “first

formal [description of] classical-ballet technique.

As head of the ballet school at La Scala, Milan,

Blasis applied his strict methods and emphasis

on form; the school became the principal source

of solo dancers who spread classical ballet across

Europe. Examples of classical ballets that have

survived in repertoires throughout the world are

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and The

Nutcracker.”3

WHAT IS A GIGUE?

Gigue was a “popular Baroque dance that originated in the British Isles and became widespread in aristocratic circles of Europe. Whereas true jigs were quick and wild solo dances of indefinite form, gigues were danced by couples in formal ballet style. The French gigue was a lively dance often in 6/4 or 6/8 time, while the Italian giga was faster and set in 12/8 time. As a musical form the gigue was often used in the stylized dance suite as the last movement. Examples occur in the keyboard suites of J.S. Bach.”4

To see a short example of a Baroque gigue, watch this video of a demonstration from 2010.

3 britannica.com/art/classical-ballet4 britannica.com/art/gigue

©Shutterstock

Romantic PeriodThe Romantic period took place in Western Europe from roughly the late-18th to mid-19th centuries. In a reaction against the previous period’s focus on reason, balance, and serenity, Romanticism “emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental.”

Some common qualities among Romantic pieces included “a deepened appreciation of the beauties of nature; a general [celebration] of emotion over reason and of the senses over [thinking]; a turning in upon the self and a heightened examination of human personality and its moods and mental potentialities; a preoccupation with the genius, the hero, and the exceptional figure in general and a focus on his or her passions and inner struggles; a new view of the artist as a supremely individual creator, whose creative spirit is more important than strict adherence to formal rules and traditional procedures; an emphasis upon imagination as a gateway to transcendent experience and spiritual truth; an obsessive interest in folk culture, national and ethnic cultural origins, and the medieval era; and an [interest in] the exotic, the remote, the mysterious, the weird, [and] the monstrous.”5

CHOPINIANA

Chopiniana is an iconic piece from the Romantic era, which premiered on February 10, 1907, in St. Petersburg, Russia. With music composed by the Polish virtuoso Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849), the ballet is well-known for its fleeting arabesques and airy dances of the sylphides.

The original version had only four scenes—a polonaise, nocturne, mazurka, and tarantella.

“In the polonaise, Poles danced with great verve in a ballroom. In the nocturne, Chopin himself wrestled with his nightmares and met his muse amidst the ruins of a monastery. In the mazurka, a girl, who was being forced to marry an old man, eloped with her sweetheart. The tarantella was danced in Italian costume against the background of [Mount] Vesuvius.”6

The choreographer later extended the ballet to eight sections, which premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on March 8, 1908. Instead of telling a story, Chopiniana “conveys a mood of reverie and light melancholy, veering between the dreams and reality of the Youth-poet who [finds] himself in the world of the sylphides.”7

COPPÉLIA

“Coppélia ou La fille aux yeux d’email (Coppélia or The Girl with the Enamel Eyes) is probably the best-known and most performed comedy ballet in the world.” Many consider the piece to mark the end of the Romantic period in ballet. Arthur Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter based the ballet on E. T. A. Hoffmann’s 1816 fairy tale, Der Sandmann (The Sandman). Léo Delibes wrote the music. Saint-Léon choreographed the ballet.

“The ballet is set in a Polish village long ago. Swanhilda and Frantz are sweethearts. Swanhilda thinks Frantz is in love with Coppélia, a strange girl in the house of a dollmaker named Dr. Coppélius. Swanhilda discovers Coppélia is a doll. Dr. Coppélius tries to bring the doll to life using Frantz’s life force. Swanhilda saves her sweetheart’s life, and the two live happily ever after.

“Coppélia was in rehearsal for three years. It had many troubles. One was finding just the right dancer to portray Swanhilda. Sixteen-year-old Giuseppina Bozzacchi was finally chosen. Frantz was played by a woman in men’s clothing. The ballet was first performed on May 25, 1870, at the Théâtre Impérial de l´Opéra in Paris. Coppélia was a great success. It has been performed around the world.”8

5 britannica.com/art/Romanticism6 bolshoirussia.com/performance/Chopiniana/7 Ibid8 wiki.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Copp%C3%A9lia 5

Swan Lake performed at the Estonian National Opera 6

Modern PeriodModern or “contemporary ballet is a form of

dance influenced by both classical ballet and

modern dance. It takes its technique and use

of pointe work from classical ballet, although

it includes a greater range of movement that

may not adhere to the strict body lines set

forth by schools of ballet technique. Many

of its concepts come from the ideas and

innovations of 20th-century modern dance,

including floor work and turn-in of the legs.

“George Balanchine is often considered to

have been the first pioneer of contemporary

ballet through the development of

neoclassical ballet.”9

How have some of the foundational

techniques in ballet evolved from the

Baroque period to today? Watch this brief

video by the Royal Opera House that

demonstrates the development of such

foundational forms such as positions,

pirouettes, and arabesques.

7

9 web.archive.org/web/20141215063635/http://www.washingtonballet.org/news- media/ballet-101 10 historyhit.com/1877-first-performance-swan-lake/11 michiganopera.org/the-story-of-swan-lake-in-black-and-white/

SWAN LAKE

With music by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, the ballet Swan Lake first premiered in 1877 in Moscow. Though no one knows exactly where the composer got the idea for the ballet, many believe that the source of the story is a folktale from Germany or Russia.10

“Swan Lake is the love story of Prince Siegfried, who on a hunting trip encounters a flock of swans; falls in love with the Swan Queen, Odette; and swears his loyalty and undying love to her. As a result of a curse by the evil sorcerer Baron von Rothbart, Odette can only take human form between midnight and daybreak. Only faithful, true love can break the spell. This love is expressed in the White Swan pas de deux, danced to one of the most familiar sections of the music, and is both gentle and tender. During this pas de deux, Odette’s timidness and sense of fear of the Prince transitions to acceptance of his love and hope for the future.

“To prevent his spell from being broken, von Rothbart transforms his own daughter, Odile, to look exactly like Odette. Dressed in black, she is presented to Price Siegfried at his birthday party, and he thinks she is actually his beloved Odette. Filled with seduction, confidence, and brave dancing, the Black Swan pas de deux is in complete contrast to the White Swan pas de deux. Technically one of the most difficult variations for a ballerina, this piece is famous for its 32 fouettés, a turn requiring the dancer to use her leg to whip herself around, made even harder turning on pointe. Many consider it to be the most exciting dancing in the entire ballet.” Watch this short video of a Royal Opera House production of Swan Lake to see this thrilling coda in the Black Swan pas de deux.

“Swan Lake doesn’t end well. Thinking she is his Odette, Prince Siegfried swears his love for Odile, both destroying his future with the Swan Queen and dooming her to death. In most productions, the prince, distraught, commits suicide by jumping into the lake. But there have been many variations on a theme. The Bolshoi Ballet created great controversy in the ballet world with a 1984 production that had a different ending, where Prince Siegfried and Odette lived happily ever after.”11

8

Swan Lake, continued

Southwest Virginia Ballet at the Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, Virginia

The premiere of Swan Lake in 1877 was considered to be a total disaster in every way. Most thought the music was too complicated, the sets and dancing were poor, and the principal ballerina who replaced the superstar who was originally cast (Anna Sobeshchanskaya) was an inadequate substitute for the role. Despite this rough origin story, today Swan Lake is the most commonly performed ballet in the world.12

DID YOU KNOW?In addition to Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky composed the music for another classic ballet featured in Southwest Virginia Ballet’s program: The Nutcracker Suite. How did The Nutcracker become a holiday tradition? Read or listen to this interview with violist and author Miles Hoffman from National Public Radio to learn more about the history of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece.

12 historyhit.com/1877-first-performance-swan-lake/

©McDilda Photography

Discussion Questions

1 When you hear the word “ballet,” what images and ideas come to mind?

2 What similarities and differences did you see among the ballet styles of the Renaissance, Classical, Romantic, and Modern periods?

3 What were some of the biggest influences on ballet as it evolved from the 16th century to today?

4 How did each piece in the program make you feel? How did elements like line, composition, and tempo contribute to those feelings?

5 As you think about the history of ballet, why is it important today?

6 Based on what you learned about what impacted ballet’s development, what do you think ballet might look like in the future?

9

©SWVA Ballet

Virginia Standards of Learning Alignment GuideTeachers: to assist in your alignment of Dance and Music Through the Ages with your learning goals for students, we provide the following list of Virginia Standards of Learning that are relevant to the production.

FINE ARTS: DANCE4.3, 4.4, 4.6, 4.7, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.11, 6.16, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.7, 7.16, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5

FINE ARTS: MUSIC4.11, 5.11, EI.11, 6.4, 6.11, 7.4, 7.5, 7.11, 8.4, 8.5, 8.11

FINE ARTS: THEATRE ARTS6.11, 7.11

Special ThanksCarol Jessee and Pedro Szalay

MOSS ARTS CENTERPERFORMANCES l EXHIBITIONS l EXPERIENCES

190 Alumni Mall, Blacksburg, VA 24061artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300