About Ballerinas

Ballet is a 15th-century dance form, the ballerina its female star. Famous ballerinas are the grand dames of dance due to the sacrifice, commitment and hard work required to master the art form. More than tall and lithe dancers performing the impossible on their toes, ballerinas practice endless hours to achieve the graceful perfection expected by their audiences and demanded by their instructors.

History

The word ballerina is Italian for female dancer. Although rarely used in modern times, the word ballerino is the male equivalent to a ballerina. Notable ballerinas include Maria Tallchief, the first American-trained dancer to receive international recognition; Marie Taglioni, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, who was one of the most important ballerinas of the romantic movement; and Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who was featured in Michel Fokine's "Dying Swan" and was the first ballerina to travel around the world.

Function

Ballet emerged as a dance interpretation of fencing set to music. In the early days of ballet, dancing was restricted only to men, and ballet dancers performed only during special occasions for aristocrats. In 1681, women were allowed to join the ranks of men and dance in public. Female dancers could not show their legs or ankles to the public, and masks were important elements of a ballerina's costume.

Significance

In the early 1830s, dancing "on pointe" was introduced into the ballerina's vocabulary. Ballet costumes also changed with the complexity of the movements. To show off fancy footwork during ballet's romantic period, bell-shaped dresses were introduced as performance costumes. Ballet originated in Europe and has transformed from a dance for nobility to an art form appreciated by all.

Types

According to Wikipedia, ballerinas are categorized from lowest to highest in the following manner: corps de ballet, coryphée, sujet, prima ballerina and prima ballerina assoluta.
The highest-ranking ballerina, the prima ballerina assoluta, was coined by the Italian ballet masters and was reserved only for an exceptional ballerina. The first prima ballerina assoluta was the Italian performer Pierina Legani. She received this title in 1894. Other notable prima ballerina assolutas: Galina Ulanova, Maya Plietskaya, Alicia Alonso and Morgot Fonteyn.

Considerations

Most ballerina prodigies are discovered at a very young age and will audition for a professional ballet company. Daily classes to sharpen and develop technical knowledge of ballet are required and expected. It is considered an honor if a ballerina is invited to audition for one of the esteemed ballet companies, such as the Royal Ballet School of London, the School of American Ballet in New York or the Paris Opera School in France. Despite the long-term devotion to the craft of ballet, ballerinas often retire around age 40.

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Resources

• Ballerina - Wikipedia
• Ballerina Gallery's List of Famous Ballerinas

Photo Credit

www.istockphoto.com