This is a brief George Balanchine Biography and how he and Lincoln Kirstein influenced ballet dancing during the twentieth century. George Balanchine Biography George Balanchine is known as the undisputed choreographic genius of the twentieth century. He co-founded a major ballet dancing company and school, devised a technique and training method that produced the fastest … Read more
Dawn Weller – South African Ballerina – A Short Autobiography Ken Yeatman, who is an Ex-Principal dancer with Pact, Capab, Pacofs and Napac Ballet Companies wrote this extract in the book, Dawn Weller: Portrait of a Ballerina, which describes her perfectly. ‘Dawn Weller did not reach her present position through natural talent. She is there … Read more
The history of ballet in South Africa is relatively new, so this post is not overly long. It is just interesting to see how ballet has evolved in South Africa over the years, and we don’t have to go too far to see spectacular ballet productions anymore. Ballet In South Africa The two main ballet … Read more
L’Apres-Midi d’un Faune was Nijinsky’s first ballet, and it was a ballet that was presented before it’s time. This is what the editor of one of the leading newspapers in Paris wrote the day after the ballet premiered: ‘I am certain that any of our readers who were present yesterday at the Chatelet will join … Read more
The Gizelle Ballet Story is one of the oldest ballets that is still performed today, and still very popular. This ballet has always been one of my favorites. As a little girl, I fell in love with the long romantic white sylph costumes, and to me, they were better than traditional tutu’s. Gizelle Ballet Story … Read more
Although there have been many famous ballet dancers over the years, some of them stick out in our minds more than others. One such dancer was definitely Margot Fonteyn who dominated British ballet for over forty years. This is an amazing feat, especially since the career span of a dancer is normally so short. My … Read more
This is mainly about Maos Last Dancer book, but the film is also a must see. The book is far more detailed and gives more insight than the film does, but they are both brilliant. This is a must read book and a must see film for all you ballet lovers out there. It is … Read more
Why We Use Mime In Ballet The use of mime in ballet dancing is a very important part of Ballet and Ballet Dancing History. Because ballet dancing has no words and everything is expressed within the body movements, mime is used a great deal to convey the story of the dance to the audience. In … Read more
Dame Adeline Genee is a name that is not familiar with most of the general public, but in her time Adeline Genee was well known and celebrated in England as a great ballet dancer. She was a Danish girl and at the age of 15 already a veteran of five years on the stage. Dame … Read more
When Mikhail Mordkin started the American Ballet Theatre in 1937, his vision was ‘This company will be a “gallery of dance” and “the collection and display of masterpieces of all times, places and creators, rather than the vision of a single choreographer.’ The above words were uttered by Richard Pleasant, who was American Ballet … Read more