Originating during the Italian Renaissance in the 15th century, ballet de cour emerged as a as casual pastime. It was later a formalized as a form of performative dance in France by King Louis XIV, who was a ballet dancer himself. The performances in his courts quickly spread, taking ballet to Russia in the 19th century, where performances such as the Nutcracker and Swan Lake emerged. Ballet was quickly adopted across the globe and has since grown to become a highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary. Typically performed with the accompaniment of classical music, ballet has been influential in dance schools around the world, which use their own cultures and societies to inform the art. Ballet dance works (ballets) are choreographed, and also include mime, acting, and are set to music (usually orchestral but occasionally vocal). Later developments include expressionist ballet, contemporary ballet, and can also be seen in elements of Modern dance. Regardless of the style or area it is performed in, there is one main component to ballet, and that is adhering to traditional ballet technique.
Our ballet classes start with a thorough warm up that focuses on the principals of ballet to strengthen your technique. We begin class with the 5 principal positions, barre, center work for posture and precision, as well as body alignment work. The amount of warm up and strength work can vary between teachers. After the warmup, you will work on solidifying a the patterns of dance moves in your level in across-the-floor exercises. This may include challenging steps, leaps and turns that will build your elegance and fluidity. The class will end with choreography, where your ballet sequences are put together to practice with music and to improve on your performance skills. The ballet classes at DanceFX are a great environment to learn in, and a fantastic way to try something new. Sign up for a class today and build upon the foundations of dance!
