-Christian Johansson
Ballet is the base or foundation in every style of dance
there is offered, their fundamentals are worked to incorporate the ballet
foundation. The technique, discipline, structure and concepts are portrayed
through the styles of other dances. Therefore, in order to master other dance
styles in the industry you must first be well rounded in the most important
structure, which is of course ballet.
Some may say that you don’t actually need ballet in a dance
schedule, or that ballet isn’t really used in all forms of dance. I do not
agree with this at all. Ballet is used in jazz, modern, lyrical, contemporary,
ballroom, pointe, hip-hop, acrobatics and tap.
Jazz hold ballet in its core with the need of balance.
Balance is a great category in the field of ballet and requires you to have a strong
core, spot and strength in muscles. These requirements must be possessed to
perform a piece of jazz choreography to its fullest potential. This is because
jazz contains many elements containing turns, jumps, leaps. The angle of the
body would become awkward and incorrect if the body’s balance didn’t help
control the jazz elements. Ballet is also a base for jazz in essence of the
technique. A dancer would not be able to execute the releve of a pirouette, the
straddle for a center leap or the stretch of a battement if the basics of
ballet were not learned.
Modern dance uses the plie one must acquire through the
construction of ballet. The body’s center is the basis for dancing in modern,
it requires a strong center and control, deep within the dancer's body but
dancers are free to deviate from this axis as well. Ballet plays a role in the
balance and grand plie of modern, however the difference in modern is the body
is constantly at a free move within that axis as the modern style is a motion
of gravity pulling you down.
Lyrical’s foundation is made from the fusion of jazz and
ballet, therefore ballet plays a huge role in the lyrical style. Again, lyrical
dances rely on a centered axis of balance from the education of ballet. Lyrical
also depends on the correct placement of ballet technical skills. Lyrical uses
more pointed feet and strong ankles, clean lines, light footed movements and
turn out from the hips.
Contemporary dancing is the most modern style for slow
pieces of choreography. Its roots are much more based off of modern styles
rather than traditional, but it still hold the ideas of ballet in its
framework. The main similarity is in the slow music of the routine, but also
including a fast pace area to crescendo. However this is only true in some
cases as contemporary can range from delicate to riveting, taking spins off of
jazz, lyrical and modern. Which In this case all three of the spinoffs use the elements
of ballet in their structure, which translates to the use of ballet in the
contemporary style as well.
Ballroom uses many intricate footwork patterns that are used
from the base of ballet, as well as body lines. I do not know much about
ballroom dance, but from observing, it is noticeable to see the straight lines
used in both styles and the elaborate footwork that goes into each. Ballroom
also uses skills from head, arms, body, leg and feet technique.
Pointe obviously requires an immense amount of training in
ballet. Ballet gives pointe every element it needs to be successful. The only
true difference between the two is the difficulty level. It takes a very
advanced ballet dancer to properly complete the facilities of a pointe routine.
This mastery comes with being a top of the block of a pointe shoe and completing
the already mastered ballet ideas.
Hip-hop may seem farther from the roots of ballet, but there
is definitely works of ballet in hip-hop. For example a well-rounded dancer
will be able to compete a ballet dance just as meticulous and fluid as they would
a hip-hop. Hip-hop uses ballet’s grand plie enormously. A large grand position
in hip-hop is very important. It helps hip-hop dancers give illusions of bigger
movement and change within a piece of choreography. It’s what helps them get
down and low.
Acrobatics takes ballet to a whole new level. Acrobatics and
ballet both center on the athlete’s body movements requiring strength, balance,
flexibility and artistry to be displayed in performance. Although acrobatics
requires a different type of technique they both have elements that share
common qualities and are essential to the formation of each.
Tap is the final style I will relate to the base of ballet.
One of the most basic executions in a tap dance is a shuffle, and in order to
complete this shuffle, a dancer must be able to point the ankle and bring it
forward and backwards. Tap is its own language, but for some of the most basic
moves, ballet is a fundamental that is needed.
My message is to inform that ballet is the most important
dance style. It is used in nearly every form of dance imaginable in one way or
another, Please take ballet seriously and work hard to improve on all the
elements, skills and technique it requires.
~Julia
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