Ballet

Abstract

This chapter will trace the deep roots of colonialism through the history of Classical ballet from the French court of the 1600s which shaped the ballet steps and aesthetics of today. Louis XIV, the “dancing king,” created the first state-funded school for ballet in 1661, the Académie Royale de Danse. This shift from dance at court to a proscenium form codified the technique of Classical ballet. Ballet moved through the royal courts of Europe and dispersed outward via famous dancers, dance masters, and choreographers. Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes will be examined in relation to interdisciplinary collaboration and to the lineage of choreographer George Balanchine. The development of the Dance Theatre of Harlem will be explored to accentuate cultural inclusion through skin-tone tights and pointe shoes, as well as how societal conversations about diversity and equality are breaking down race lines. The chapter will describe the experience of “ballet blanc” casting or traditionally white costumed Romantic Ballet era ballets that resulted in the almost exclusive casting of white ballet leads. This chapter will also include stories of Precious Adams, Raven Wilkinson, and Misty Copeland of The American Ballet Theatre.