LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
School of Visual and Performing Arts | Theatre Arts Department
THEA 108-001: DANCE I (Ballet/Modern)
Adjunct Professor: Michelle Thomas
Email: Mathomas17@liberty.edu
Office Phone: (434) 582-7078
Cell Phone: (434) 942-1574
BALLET
(Exploration 9)
1.) Ballet Innovators and their Main Contributions:
a.) Agrippina Vaganova - Teaching method was the focus of the Kirov Ballet
b.) George Balenchine - Founder of the School of American Ballet, partnered Suzanne Farrell
c.) Loius XIV - Established Dance as a profession
d.) Pierre Beauchamps - Codified the 5 positions of the feet
e.) Cynthia Gregory - Known as America’s prima ballerina, partnered with Rudolph Nureyev
f.) Marie Taglioni - First to dance on the tips of the toes
g.) Arthur Mitchell - Founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem
h.) Rudolf Nureyev - Legendary dancer, partnered with Margot Fonteyn
i.) Jean-Georges Noverre - Codified the seven movements of dance
j.) Jerome Robbins - Renowned American choreographer
k.) Antony Tudor - Created “psychological” Ballets
l.) Jacques D’Amboise - Founded the National Dance Institute (7 Brides for 7 Brothers)
m.) Catherine de Medici - 16th Century patron of the arts
n.) Sergei Diaghilev - Established the Ballet Russe unifying the arts
o.) Carlo Blasis - Credited with inventing the attitude line in ballet, and wrote Code of Terpsichore
p.) Agnes de Mille - choreographed Rodeo, the first truly American ballet
a.) Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova was a Russian ballet teacher who developed the Vaganova
method – the technique which derived from the teaching methods of the old Imperial Ballet School under
the Premier Maître de Ballet Marius Petipa throughout the mid to late 19th century, though mostly
throughout the 1880s and 1890s. Her teaching method is the focus of the Kirov Ballet.
Born: June 26, 1879, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: November 5, 1951, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Quote: “Look at life all around; everything is growing, everything is moving forward. Therefore I
recommend keeping in touch with life and with art.”
b.) George Balanchine was a choreographer. Styled as the father of American ballet, he co-founded the
New York City Ballet and remained its Artistic Director for more than 35 years. He is the founder of the
School of American Ballet.
Born: January 22, 1904, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: April 30, 1983, Manhattan, New York City, NY
Quotes: “I don't want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance.
Dancers are instruments, like a piano the choreographer plays.
God creates, I do not create. I assemble and I steal everywhere to do it - from what I see, from what the
dancers can do, from what others do.”
c.) Louis XIV, known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who
reigned as King of France and Navarre from 1643 until his death in 1715. Louis XIV is the
longest-reigning monarch of all time (26,407 days). He established dance as a profession.
Born: September 5, 1638, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Died: September 1, 1715, Palace of Versailles, Versailles, Yvelines, France
Quote: “It is impossible to please all the world.”
d.) Pierre Beauchamp was a French choreographer, dancer and composer, and the probable inventor of
Beauchamp-Feuillet notation. He is known for the codification of the 5 positions of the feet.
Born: October 30, 1631, Versailles, Yvelines, France
Died: February 1705, Paris, France
Quote: September 1, 1715, Palace of Versailles, Versailles, Yvelines, France
e.) Cynthia Kathleen Gregory is an American former prima ballerina. She was known as America’s
Prima Ballerina. She received the 63 Annual Capezio Dance Award for her achievements within the
rd
American Dance Industry. Gregory, whom iconic dancer Rudolf Nureyev christened “America’s prima
ballerina assoluta,” was once celebrated as one of the world’s greatest ballerinas during a career that
spanned more than a quarter of a century. Much of Miss Gregory’s early training was in her native Los
Angeles with Carmelita Maracci. Awarded a Ford Foundation scholarship at age 14 to study with Lew
Christensen’s San Francisco Ballet, she quickly rose to soloist and then principal status in that company
while also dancing with the San Francisco Opera. She joined American Ballet Theatre in 1965, where
she went on to perform more than 80 works, including lead roles in Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty,
Coppélia, Raymonda La Bayadère Don Quixote, La Sylphide, , and & many more productions.
Born: July 8, 1946 (age 72 years), Los Angeles, CA
Books: Cynthia Gregory Dances Swan Lake, Ballet is the Best Exercise
f.) Marie Taglioni, Comtesse Gilbert de Voisins was a Swedish ballet dancer of the Romantic ballet era,
a central figure in the history of European dance. She was born is Sweden, but her nationality was
Italian. She is best known for her role in romantic ballets such as La Sylphide, choreographed by her
father Filippo. She was known as the first female dancer to dance on the tips of her toes. (En Pointe)
Born: April 23, 1804, Stockholm, Sweden
Died: April 1884, Marseille, France
g.) Arthur Mitchell was an American ballet dancer, choreographer, and founder and director of ballet
companies, including the Dance Theatre of Harlem. In 1955, he was the first African-American dancer
with the New York City Ballet, where he was promoted to principal dancer the following year and danced
in major roles until 1966. His education includes the High School of Performing Arts and The School of
American Ballet.
Born: March 27, 1934, New York City, NY
Died: September 19, 2018, Manhattan, New York City, NY
i.) Jean-Georges Noverre was a French dancer and ballet master, and is generally considered the
creator of ballet d'action, a precursor of the narrative ballets of the 19th century. His birthday is now
observed as International Dance Day. He is known for codifying the 7 movements of dance.
Born: April 29, 1727, Paris, France
Died: October 19, 1810, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
j.) Jerome Robbins was a renowned American choreographer, director, dancer, and theater producer
who worked in classical ballet, on Broadway, and in films and television. He has held many awards
including the Kennedy Center Honors, Academy Honorary Award and more. Best known for
choreographing West Side Story.
Born: October 11, 1918, Manhattan, New York City, NY
Died: July 29, 1998, Manhattan, New York City, NY
k.) Antony Tudor was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He holds The Kennedy
Center Honors Award. He is known for creating “psychological” ballets.
Born: April 4, 1908, London, United Kingdom
Died: April 19, 1987, New York City, NY
l.) Jacques d'Amboise is an American danseur and choreographer. He studied at Bates College. His
work includes 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, Carousel and he is the founder of the National Dance Institute
(NDI), home of the Triple Arts Workshop. His daughter, Charlotte d'Amboise played Cassie in A Chorus
Line and is a well-acclaimed educator of the Arts.
Born: July 28, 1934 (age 84 years), Dedham, MA
Spouse: Carolyn George (m. 1956–2009)
m.) Catherine de Medici, daughter of Lorenzo II de' Medici and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne, was
an Italian noblewoman who was queen of France from 1547 until 1559, by marriage to King Henry II.
She was a 16 Century patron of the Arts.
th
Born: April 13, 1519, Florence, Italy
Died: January 5, 1589, Château de Blois, Blois, France
n.) Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, usually referred to outside Russia as Serge Diaghilev, was a Russian
art critic, patron, ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes (unifying the arts), from which many
famous dancers and choreographers would arise. He was educated at Saint Petersburg State
University.
Born: March 31, 1872, Chudovsky District, Russia
Died: August 19, 1929, Venice, Italy
o.) Carlo Blasis was an Italian dancer, choreographer and dance theoretician born in Naples. He is well
known for his very rigorous dance classes, sometimes lasting four hours long. Blasis insisted that his
students learn theories and definitions of dance steps. In 1830, Italian ballet teacher and writer Carlo
Blasis (1803-1878) published his second work on the analysis of ballet technique, called The Code of
Terpsichore. This work was composed of figures, or illustrations, organized alphabetically; inscribing the
ideal forms of poses, steps, and jumps in ballet. In codifying the tradition of ballet training, Blasis valued
both the mechanical and aesthetic aspects of ballet. He is credited for creating the attitude ballet line.
Born: November 4, 1797, Naples, Italy
Died: January 15, 1878, Cernobbio, Italy
p.) Agnes George de Mille was an American dancer and choreographer. She holds The Kennedy
Center Honors Award, Tony Award for Best Choreography, and The Drama Desk Special Award. Some
of her most famous works include; Rodeo, Oklahoma, & Carousel. Rodeo is known as the first truly
American ballet.
Born: September 18, 1905, New York City, NY
Died: October 7, 1993, New York City, NY
Quotes:
To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth
and it is yours for the taking.
The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music. Bodies never lie.
No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently.
George Balenchine’s Serenade
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
School of Visual and Performing Arts | Theatre Arts Department
THEA 108-001: DANCE I (Ballet/Modern)
Adjunct Professor: Michelle Thomas
Email: Mathomas17@liberty.edu
Office Phone: (434) 582-7078
Cell Phone (434) 942-1574
BALLET
(Vocabulary & Terminology)
(Exploration 9)
120.) Retire – withdrawn movement
121.) Reverence – elaborate curtsy or bow (respect to teacher, accompanist)
122.) Rond - round
123.) Rond De Jambe – circle of the leg
124.) Royale – royal beating
125.) Sans Changer – without change
126.) Saute – to jump
127.) Saut De Chat – cat’s jump
128.) Seul - alone
129.) Sissone – scissor like movement
130.) Soubresaut – start, jolt, sudden quick spring
131.) Sus-Sous – over-under (traveled forwards)
132.) Soutenu – sustained
133.) Sur - upon
134.) Temps – time, or beat – movement
