Romantic Ballet

Romantic ballet is the "golden age" in the history of ballet development. It has experienced a splendid stage in terms of dance skills, choreography and performance. The emergence of "Fairies", "Giselle", "Esmeralda", "Pirates" and other dance dramas has created a group of ballet talents, such as Perot, Bunonville, Tanioni, Elsler Wait. The characteristics of ballet in this period are summarized as follows:

1. Changes in content and subject matter. Otherworldly fairies and ghosts replaced the characters in myths, legends and ancient hero stories. Reflects a feeling of dissatisfaction and disappointment with reality, a pursuit of an interest in another world that transcends the world, or getting rid of disappointment in reality with death, or replacing the desire for life with an unrealistic pursuit. Among the representative works are "Fairies" (1832) and "Giselle" (1841). "Giselle" brought together French styles and became the pinnacle of romantic ballet. Since then, the combination of romanticism and realism has gradually appeared.

 

2. There have been significant developments in dance skills and performance. Tiptoe dance skills have emerged as an important factor in the performance of female dancers, and men's dance skills have also been further improved.

3. In the form of performance, gas lamp lighting and curtains are used to reform ballet costumes and dancing shoes, creating a poetic and light style.

 

The golden age of romantic ballet was extremely short. From the 1830s to the 1940s, it stagnated and withered in just over a decade. From the second half of the 19th century, the center of European ballet gradually moved to Russia.