Biography Of George Balanchine s The Ballet - 1000 Words

George Balanchine once said â€Å"The Ballet is purely a female thing; it is a woman, a garden of beautiful flowers, and man is a gardener† (Goellner and Murphy, 36) , but this ideology doesn’t apply to everyone. King Louis XIV of France wasn’t a gardener, but the beautiful flower. He started practicing ballet from a young age. The ballet was rising in the late 17th century and it had an important role both in social and political sections. Also named as the Sun king, Louis XIV had the longest reign of absolutism. To strengthen his absolute monarchy, Louis XIV used ballet as one of his political tools. Louis XIV was born as a son of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. He was portrayed as a gift from God and a miracle as he was born after four stillbirths of her mother. When King Louis XIII of France died, Louis XIV was only four years old, which led his mother Anne to become the Regent under the guidance of Cardinal Mazarin. Since the country was ruled by a Regent with the help of ministers and a child waiting to be a king, a few nobles saw this as an opportunity to gain more power, which became the beginning of â€Å"Fronde†. Louis’s throne and his life was in serious danger. Seeing all this chaos, the citizens started losing faith in the court government. To regain their faith, Mazarin, the chief minister used Louis’ title and talent for dancing to initiate an aura of divinity around the notability of the king (Hilton 5). That’s how LouisShow MoreRelatedGeorge Balanchine Essay821 Words   |  4 PagesGeorge Balanchine Ballet is one of the worlds oldest and newest forms of dance. One man that created new audiences for ballet and mastered the dance to its fullest was none other than George Balanchine. He brought the standard ballet to levels no one has ever seen before. In the world of dance, there have been many wonderful and talented choreographers but Balanchines work affected the dance world so much that he was a legend long before his death. Not only was he legendary worldwide but alsoRead MoreGeorge Balanchine s The Nutcracker1636 Words   |  7 PagesFink Professor Christopher Connelly Humanities 101 6 December 2016 George Balanchine and The Nutcracker George Balanchine himself said, â€Å"The choreographer and the dancer must remember that they reach the audience through the eye. It’s the illusion created which convinces the audience, much as it is with the work of a magician.†  ³ Balanchine could be considered just that of a magician in the way that he brought his ballets to life. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, could truly be described as an illustrationRead More Eating Disorders and Ballet - Anorexia Nervosa is Eating the Soul of Young Dancers3494 Words   |  14 PagesEating Disorders and Ballet - Anorexia Nervosa is Eating the Soul of Young Dancers The applauding audience, the lights, sequins and feathers, the colorful, elaborate tutus, and satin pointe shoes capture the hearts of young girls. Where else can a young girl dream of becoming a princess, a swan, a dancing snowflake or flower, or a sugarplum fairy? Where else can she be a fairy tale character like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty? Where else can she be rescued by her handsome princeRead MoreHow Mark Morris Changed Dance Essay1213 Words   |  5 PagesCity, his first major choreographed work, Rattlesnake Song, garnered critical acclaim by reviewers like The New Yorker’s Joan Acocella. Acocella later went on to write the definitive biography on Mark Morris, because of how impressed she was by him overall. The piece was inspired by earlier works by George Balanchine and Merce Cunningham whom Morris claims are the choreographers that have most influenced him. Morris has become so well respected in his field that he was tasked with planning the ceremonie s