From Court to Theater in the 18th Century: Birth of The Ballet d’Action (Dramatic Ballet)

Abstract

Ballet which headed towards an intellectual and cultural change in the 18th Century, became a performing art reflecting all kind of emotions. The 'opera-ballet', which emerged from the ballet entrées of the early 17th Century and which was a combination of opera and ballet arts, became a genre of the French Baroque Lyric Theater in the 18th Century and continued to develop over time from the first half of this period. In the second half of the 18th Century, the ballet d’action was born as a product of choreographers who wanted to make ballet independent from opera. Jean-Georges Noverre, who wanted to tell a story through dance and mime, was the creator of the ballet d’action. According to Noverre; a ballet must be technical, at the same time be able to make the audience feel emotional depth, combine the plot of the stage and music within the story, and the pantomime must be simple and understandable. Noverre's book, "Letters on Dance and Ballet", a popular dance guide, contains his manifesto explaining how a ballet d’action should be. According to this manifesto; the theme of a ballet piece should be rational, symbolism and abstractions should be eliminated, light clothing should be preferred to bulky costumes, and the use of masks that hide facial expression should be stopped. With the reforms it went through in the 18th century, ballet became an art branch independent of opera, and together with dramatic ballet, it formed the foundations of today's ballet art.