VictoriaNiblett

RitaSnyder
DanceHistoryI:BalletHistoryPaper
December1,2015

CompareandContrast:RomanticandClassicalBallet
Overtime,acanyoniscarvedbyitsenvironment.Overtime,thecanyonbecomes
thissortoflargerthanlifesculptureadvancedbytheartistsofwind,wildlife,andwater.
Overtime,thecanyonisshaped,engraved,inscribedandultimatelychangedbythe
worldaroundit,butthematterwithwhichitiscomprisedthedust,therocks,theroots
andthesoilremainsmostlythesame.Balletisacanyonofsorts,asculpture
continuouslyshapedbytheeverchangingenvironmentinwhichitexists.Ballethasnot
existedinavacuumuntouchedbyrevolution,innovationanddiscovery.Instead,the
depthandbreadthofballetinworldhistoryhasallowedthearttobechangedhandin
handwithhumanity.Overtime,twodistinctclassificationsofballetworkbeganto
emergeromanticandclassical.Eachcategory,whilevastlydifferentinstyleand
philosophybecauseofthesettingitblossomedin,possessesthesamebeauty,majesty,
andotherworldlinessofballetthathaskeptaudiencesenchantedforcenturies.These
differencesareparticularlyevidentintheexaminationoftheRomanticGiselleandthe
ClassicalSleepingBeauty.

First,GisellewasaballetthatepitomizedtheRomanticmovementandisstillone
oftheoldestcontinuallyperformedballetstoday.Itwasfirstperformedin1841atthe
TheatredelAcademieRoyaldeMusiqueinParis,Francealmosttenyearsafterwhatis
consideredtobetheoriginalRomanticballet,LaSylphide,waspresented.Themovement
andqualitybyJeanCoralliandJulesPerrotshowedsimilaritiestothisballet,thus
developingadistinctRomanticstyle.Gisellehastwoacts.Thefirstportraysscenesthat
wereheavilyinfluencedbypantomimingmovementwithblendsofdancing,andthe
secondactwasmoreheavilyinfluencedbydancingwithblendsofpantomime.
(Beaumont,1996)Thisemphasisonpantomimewasperhapstopromotetheemphasison
emotionalexplorationthatwassocharacteristicoftheRomanticperiodbecauseofthe
beliefsoftheEnlightenmentasabacklashfromtheFrenchRevolution.TheseDionysian
ideasstressedimaginationandemotion,thevarietyandcontrastsofhumanexperience
andtheuniquevisionandvalueofeachman.Thisrelationshipbetweenhumanityand
thesupernaturalismaterializedintheWilischaractersthatfloatethereallythroughthe
secondactofGiselle.TheWiliswerespiritsthatcouldinteractwithourworld
seamlessly,bridgingthegapbetweentheotherworldlyandthetangible.Thepopularityof
theseideasisanimportantnotetounderstandingthehighregardonemotionaland
instinctualexplorationintheRomanticballets.Thisshiftfromintellecttoinstinct
broughtintensechangestothephilosophyofballetandthuscharacterizedtheoutcomeof
Giselle.Thisuniquepolitical,cultural,andphilosophicalenvironmenthelpedshapethe
RomanticballetanddistinguishitfromitsClassicalcounterpart.(Smith,2010)

Todirectlycontrastthisistheballetconsideredbymanytobethefinest
achievementoftheClassicalperiod,SleepingBeauty.ThisballetwastheworkofMarius
Petipa,andwasfirstperformedin1890attheMariinskyTheatreinSt.Petersburg,
Russia.WhiletheRomanticperiodrejectedformalstructureandsubjectmaterial
focusingontheroyalandnoble,theClassicalperiodembracedit.SleepingBeautyis
opulent,returningtotheinterminglingoftraditionalFrenchcourtdancesinthe
choreographyandtherefinementoftheApollonianexpression.Thiswasashiftaway
fromtheemotionalexplorationoftheRomanticperiodandbacktoreasonandrational
philosophy.MariusPetipadevelopedamethodtogiveanestablishedformulato
choreographycalledtheruleof3tosetanidealforballet.Thisruleofrepetition
partneredwiththemusicalcompositions,andPetipawrotedetailedinstructionsforthe
composerTchaikovskytofollowinhisconstructionofthescoreforSleepingBeauty.In
theRomanticperiod,dancewasdesignedbytheexternalpowerofthemusic,butinthe
Classicalperiodchoreographershadamoreinfluentialrolewiththeconstructionofthe
symphony.Thisinvolvementallowedchoreographytofollowanacademic,pattern
orientedstructurethatinsuredtheassociationbetweendanceandmusic.Justasinthe
Romanticmovement,theresultofClassicalballetwasshapedbytheenvironmentin
whichitexisted,particularlywiththeinvolvementofchoreographersandballetmasters
likePetipa.(Garafola,2005)

Next,GiselleprovidesinsightintotheblatantfemininityoftheRomanticperiod.
Thefeminineidentityoftheperiodwasadvancedbytheshiftfrommaledominated

performancestothegrowingprominenceoftheballerinainballetstructures.Marie
TaglionisappearanceinLaSylphidepavedthewayfortheprogressoffemale
performers,allowingmanyprominentwomentofollowsuchasCarlottaGrisithefirst
GiselleFannyCerrito,FannyElsslerandLucilleGrahn.Femaleperformerswereso
prominentintheballetscenethatmanymalerolesinRomanticballetswereoriginally
dancedbyfemales.SpecifictoGisellesinsightonthefeminineidentity,thewomenwere
dressedinRomantictutus,anewlonglengthandwillowyskirtdesign.(Kolb,2009)
Thesegracefulskirtswereanextensionofthespirits,ghosts,sylphs,nymphsandwilis
thatthewomenportrayed.Thesenewskirtsnotonlyrepresentedthecharactersthese
womenportrayed,butalsothemovementtheywereengagedin.Romanticmovement
stylewasinherentlyfeminineandwascharacterizedbyroundness,theabsenceofhard
lines,lyricism,andaforwardtiltoftheupperbody,particularlyevidentinthestylistic
distinctionofGiselle.TheRomanticdefinitionoffeminismisoneofsoftpoiseandsubtle
passion.(Smith,2010)

WhileRomanticballetfocusedonfragileandemotionalfemininity,Classical
balletfocusedmoreonthetypeoffemininitythatcouldbeexpressedintherefinement,
strength,andcharmofthefemalecharacter.Thoughthemenwerebackwithelaborate
variationsspecifiedtotheinherentpowerandathleticismofthemalegender,female
ballerinasremainedanintegralpartintheballetstructure.TheClassicalchoreographer,
MariusPetipaisconsideredbymanytobeapoetoffemininecharm.(Kolb,2009)In
hisaesthetic,hevaluedthetendernessoffemininity,butchallengeditwiththecontrastof

luxuriousmajesty.Hisestablishmentofanewfemininitywasasignificanttraitofhis
choreographyandissaidtobebestexemplifiedinthedancingofPrincessAurora,a
femaleperformer,inSleepingBeauty.WhileAuroraperformsemotionaladagiosand
elegantvariations,shealsocommandsthestagewithagrandiosecoda,andaformulaic
andpatternorientedadagiowiththefourcavaliers.Withthenewdevelopmentsinballet
techniqueandemphasisonlinesandpatterns,thefemaletutuwasalteredtotheclassical
tutu.Thisnewstyleoftutuwasatightlygatheredskirtoftenfondlycalledapancaketutu
becauseofitsflat,stiffnature.Thepurposeofthistutustylewastofittheballerinas
bodyanddisplayherlegsperformingmoretechnicalelements.Thistutustyleexpanded
ontheidealsoffemininityintheClassicalsettingbyenhancingtheregalityofthe
classicalballerinaandthecharacterssheplayed.(Garafola,2005)

Toconclude,theillustrationofballetasacanyonbeingshapedlittlebylittleover
timebyitsenvironmentisconducivetoacknowledgingandunderstandingthe
developmentsinRomanticandClassicalballetinhistory.Externalforcesandelements
havetouchedthejourneyofballetfromitsorigintowhereitistodayandhaveimprinted
uponit.Eachofthetwocategories,RomanticandClassicalballetarevastlydifferentin
styleandphilosophybecauseoftheirdifferingenvironments.Also,whilesomeofthe
idealsoffemininitydifferbetweenthetwoperiods,therearesomesimilaritiestyingthem
together.Ultimately,ametamorphosisintheballetspectrumisevidentwhenlookingat
thesubstancethatmakesupthetimelessballetsofGiselleandSleepingBeauty.

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