Oh, the joy, the pure delight, that is a ballet performance, that crescendo of beauty and musical grace, the perfectly timed pointe work of those magical beings on stage! For every ballerina who swirls across the stage in a stunningly beautiful dress, an army of artisans, creators, and craftspeople, both seen and unseen, have carefully, painstakingly worked together to present that perfect illusion of ethereal weightlessness. Today we shine a light on their tireless work:
- Let’s talk leotards, those elegant, form-fitting undergarments of dancers! The leotard is truly the canvas of the ballet dancer; they can be sleek and chic, brightly bold and adventurous, but in many ways they go unseen, shrouded under a spectacularly designed costume, tucked away out of sight. But it’s there. And for every pink tutu and matching bodice there’s a leotard to go underneath. There are just as many colours and materials that leotards are made from, so think of it as an inside joke of the dance world, a secret message just between the dancers.
- And the music! We simply can't discuss a ballet production without its score! A ballerina without a score is like a ballerina without her pointe shoes! So much is conveyed, the drama of a story, the heartbreak and elation, it is a love letter to life, written and performed in music, as if a musical heartbeat beating time for our dancers on stage, guiding their every move. Think Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, or the elegance of the music by Debussy – the impact they have on our modern understanding of dance. We can say that modern dance is often influenced by this beautiful legacy.
Ballet is an enchanting world where beauty and artistry take flight, an orchestra of movement and sounds. Each element weaves its magic, crafting a breathtaking symphony. It’s almost like stepping through a time machine to another world. Each and every movement in ballet comes alive by an equally stunning soundtrack! It's a dance between the composer, choreographer, and the dancers that moves, delights and enthralls us in equal measure!
Our musicians don’t just perform the musical scores but they are deeply involved in the creative process; each member of the orchestra bringing their individual genius to their performance, weaving together those instruments into a beautiful and moving musical tapestry! A score, and a score alone, can evoke strong emotions; take Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons' for instance, this classical concerto’s soaring notes are almost operatic!
- Think about the most impactful moments in ballets, when the music pauses. We're hanging on a thread, with all our attention focused on the ballerina, then it picks up again; a change in the score can set a different rhythm for the piece, create a mood. The most important music is the music of silence in a piece, a deliberate act of creation where it is allowed to exist alongside the dance! The choreography has a huge responsibility to deliver something that aligns and harmonizes perfectly, this artistic partnership between the choreographers and musicians allows us to feel so strongly for the characters and stories on stage!
- The score also determines how the story unfolds, like the pace and movement, each composition guides and influences the dancing! It has a language all its own, one we've come to instinctively understand! Music also inspires our moods, it can be uplifting, melancholic, inspiring and exhilarating; ballets transport us, their rhythms echo throughout our very beings!
Our dance studios today are like modern-day sanctuaries, spaces filled with elegance and movement. Even without a stage, they offer that magic, the rhythmic echoes of music guiding the dancers’ steps! Those iconic tutu’s, those stunning dresses, but the ballet dress is so much more than simply a beautiful costume! They're the perfect metaphor, for every movement, it is the art of moving and telling a story; their fluidity, their textures, their shimmering patterns are carefully crafted. Ballet, like a magnificent work of art is in continuous evolution. Each performance has the power to transform our understanding of dance!
Oh, how we need this beautiful artistic journey in the modern world; this artform’s continued appeal for millions across the globe, is testimony to the universality of its messages, its themes that connect us with every culture! Ballet’s appeal cuts through all age groups, young and old, rich and poor, as much today as in the 16th century when it originated in the French court. We need this emotional landscape!
It’s all thanks to the artistry and the beauty of these graceful performers that allow us to step inside the world of the dancer’s creation! Each night at the opera house the stage illuminates the story, the lights bring colour and life to the magic of these movements, and with an invisible magic that is unseen, the dancers perform this alchemy on stage. They become these incredible characters giving us all, a piece of their dreams!