4/14/2026 - Week 14 / Meeting 25: Renaissance / Ballet

 

 

I 

Unit: Renaissance

Theme: Ballet

 

Introduction

With origin in the Italian Renaissance,  Ballet is a type of performance dance.  From the fifteenth century and later, ballet developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. Since then, ballet has It has become a widespread and highly technical form of dance. Its codified movement vocabulary has served a the foundation for other dance forms.

 

II

Learning Objectives

  •  Understand the main characteristics of ballet technique
  • Explain relationship between ballet and fencing, politics, and performance
  •  Gain an awareness of the influence of  ballet on other dances
  • Experience dancing the five positions of ballet 

 

 III

Main Lesson

 Presentation: Sydney, Hayden, Leah, Shoshana / Hip Hop

 

1

The Origin of Ballet
 
 
Question 1

Why is Catherine de Medici and important historic figure in the Renaissance?
 
 
2
 
From "The Devils"

From "Le roi danse"


 Question   2
 
Why was ballet important in the court of Louis XIV?
 
 
3
 
 
 Question  3
 
What aspects of fencing are still present in ballet technique?
 
 
4
 



Question 4

In which way has ballet changed over the centuries?
 
 
5





IV

A Note to Remember


Ballet is a theatrical dance in which a formal academic dance technique—the danse d’école—is combined with other artistic elements such as music, costume, and stage scenery. The academic technique itself is also known as ballet.


V

Case Studies

 

Ballet Russes

 From Russia came the impulse that reanimated ballet in western Europe. For the ballet season in 1909 the impresario Serge Diaghilev  brought to Paris a company, called the Ballets Russes, that was made up of prominent dancers from the Imperial Ballet. The effect on the artistic world was shattering. Ballet, which in western Europe had sunk low in public estimation, became recognized as a major theatre art, one in which dance, music and stage design contributed to an unprecedented and impressive overall effect.

 


Question 5

 

Why was ballet Russes important for the development of dance in the West?

 

Historic Ballets

 Religious

(28:27)

Prokofiev- Prodigal Son, New York City Ballet, 2013

 

Matthaus Passion / In dieser Nacht werdet ihr (This night you will)

 

Medievalist

Misericordes



VI


ACTIVITY 1


 
 

 
 
  1. Female students learn the 5 ballet positions. Create a phrase with the 5 positions and dance them with music.
  2. Male students create a movement phrase with the fencing positions. 
  3. Both groups combine phrases and create a small piece.



Question 6

What is your overall impression of dance in the Renaissance?
 
 
 
VII
 
Glossary
 
 
 
VIII
 
Journaling
 
 
 
 IX
 
Sources 
 
 
Ballet. https://www.britannica.com/art/ballet/The-establishment-of-the-ballet-daction

X

Students' Work


 ==============

 Anthology of Renaissance / Baroque Dance

 

 

Tajaraste

https://youtu.be/a_Ck5x9G7Gc?si=8o2cUEvYGS3Uu_lB

Tajaraste is combined mysic and dance typical of the Canary Islands, Spain. It is specific to the islands of Tenerife and La Gomera. It is an upbeat, happy and syncopated rhythm, danced in pairs, accompanied by tambourines, drums, and small castanet-like instruments called characas.


1

Prelude

 


2

Allemande

The Allamande is a Renaissance and Baroque dance. It is one of the most common instrumental dance styles in Baroque music with examples by Couperin, Purcell, Bach, and Handel. Following the Canary lineage we will focus on the Baroque dances of the Spanish composers. One of the main Spanish Baroque composers was Gaspar Sanz (1640 - 1710) whose work influenced that of J.S. Bach and other Baroque Composers.

 
 https://youtu.be/c3ay1kAK0YA?si=DtS6usZlJ2OxIY-C



3

Courante
 
The courante, corrente, coranto and corant are some of the names given to a family of triple metre dances from the late Renaissance and the Baroque era. Originally from Italy, is characterized by quick running steps. In English, courante means current.
 


https://youtu.be/8laqWk7qcQo?si=j7BgHuSpak6-_6zt


 
4

Sarabande
 
Originated from a Spanish dance with Arab influence. It is danced by a lively double line of couples with castanets. It is a dance in triple metre. It is a slow stately dance of the court. It was considered a risquee dance reason why it was banned in 1583. It was deemed too provocative for polite society.

Sarabande pour femme.

 

 https://youtu.be/k0Y_fksQdfk?si=Cpg1ou_VICqsZTGb

 

Sarabande Espagnole Pour Homme 

 

https://youtu.be/NTmcUFEyI8k?si=opzTn-eQobfjaFsG


5

 Bourree

The bourree is dance of French origin. It is a double time dance. Its name comes from a ballet step characterized by a rapid movement of the feet while en pointe or demi-pointe.



https://youtu.be/VOo5xRjj-Yk?si=UsSve0a4_mbywH14

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