The Cambridge Companion to Ballet (Cambridge Companions to Music)

Ballet is a paradox: much loved but little studied. It is a beautiful fairy tale; detached from its origins and unrelated to the men and women who created it. Yet ballet has a history, little known and rarely presented. These great works have dark sides and moral ambiguities, not always nor immediately visible. The daring and challenging quality of ballet as well as its perceived 'safe' nature is not only one of its fascinations but one of the intriguing questions to be explored in this Companion. The essays reveal the conception, intent and underlying meaning of ballets and recreate the historical reality in which they emerged. The reader will find new and unexpected aspects of ballet, its history and its aesthetics, the evolution of plot and narrative, new insights into the reality of training, the choice of costume and the transformation of an old art in a modern world. -- publisher description Frontmatter......Page 2 Introduction......Page 43 Part I From the Renaissance to the baroque: royal power and worldly display......Page 49 1 The early dance manuals and the structure of ballet: a basis for Italian, French and English ballet......Page 51 2 Ballet de cour......Page 61 3 English masques......Page 74 4 The baroque body......Page 84 Part II The eighteenth century: revolutions in technique and spirit......Page 93 5 Choreography and narrative: the ballet d'action of the eighteenth century......Page 95 6 The rise of ballet technique and training: the professionalisation of an art form......Page 107 7 The making of history: John Weaver and the Enlightenment......Page 120 8 Jean-Georges Noverre: dance and reform......Page 129 9 The French Revolution and its spectacles......Page 140 Part III Romantic ballet: ballet is a woman......Page 153 10 Romantic ballet in France: 1830–1850......Page 155 11 Deadly sylphs and decent mermaids: the women in the Danish romantic world of August Bournonville......Page 168 12 The orchestra as translator: French nineteenth-century ballet......Page 180 13 Russian ballet in the age of Petipa......Page 193 14 Opening the door to a fairy-tale world: Tchaikovsky's ballet music......Page 206 15 The romantic ballet and its critics: dance goes public......Page 217 16 The soul of the shoe......Page 226 Part IV The twentieth century: tradition becomes modern......Page 241 17 The ballet avant-garde I: the Ballets Suédois and its modernist concept......Page 243 18 The ballet avant-garde II: the ‘new’ Russian and Soviet dance in the twentieth century......Page 254 19 George Balanchine......Page 266 20 Balanchine and the deconstruction of classicism......Page 279 21 The Nutcracker: a cultural icon......Page 288 22 From Swan Lake to Red Girl's Regiment: ballet's sinicisation......Page 298 23 Giselle in a Cuban accent......Page 305 24 European ballet in the age of ideologies......Page 314 Notes......Page 333 Bibliography and further reading......Page 353 Index of persons......Page 373 Index of ballets......Page 381 Subject index......Page 384 The Cambridge Companion to Music......Page 393 'the Cambridge Companion To Ballet' Contains A Collection Of Essays By International Writers On The Evolution Of Ballet. The Early Dance Manuals And The Structure Of Ballet : A Basis For Italian, French And English Ballet / Jennifer Nevile -- Ballet De Cour / Marina Nordera -- English Masques / Barbara Ravelhofer -- The Baroque Body / Mark Franko -- Choreography And Narrative : The Ballet D'action Of The Eighteenth Century / Dorion Weickmann -- The Rise Of Ballet Technique And Training : The Professionalism Of An Art Form / Sandra Noll Hammond -- The Making Of History : John Weaver And The Enlightenment / Tim Blanning -- Jean-georges Noverre : Dance And Reform / Judith Chazin-benahum -- The French Revolution And Its Spectacles / Inge Baxmann -- Romantic Ballet In France : 1830-1850 / Sarah Davis Cordova -- Deadly Sylphs And Decent Mermaids : The Women In The Danish Romantic World Of August Bournonville / Anne Middleboe Christensen -- The Orchestra As Translator : French Nineteenth-century Ballet / Marian E. Smith -- Russian Ballet In The Age Of Petipa / Lynn Garafola -- Opening The Door To A Fairy-tale World : Tchaikovsky's Ballet Music / Thérèse Hurley -- The Romantic Ballet And Its Critics : Dance Goes Public / Lucia Ruprecht -- The Soul Of The Shoe / Marion Kant -- The Ballet Avant-garde I : The Ballet Suédois And Its Modernist Concept / Erik Näslund -- The Ballet Avant-garde Ii : The 'new' Russian And Soviet Dance In The Twentieth Century Tim Scholl -- George Balanchine / Matilde Butkas -- Balanchine And The Deconstruction Of Classicism / Juliet Bellow -- The Nutcracker : A Cultural Icon / Jennifer Fisher -- From Swan Lake To Red Girl's Regiment : Ballet's Sinicisation / Zheng Yangwen -- Giselle In A Cuban Accent / Lester Tome -- European Ballet In The Age Of Ideologies / Marion Kant. Edited By Marion Kant. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 311-330) And Indexes.