The music and conventions of performance and production began to take shape and ballet began to spread throughout the rest of Europe. At this time France was the symbol of courtly elegance and this might be one of the reasons it caught on so fast. Everywhere monarchs were striving to emulate the Sun King and thanks to the court-based support for ballet and its subsequent dispersal throughout Europe it remained. In sum, it is because of the desire to maintain the most brilliant court in Europe that caused Louis XIV to accept and later fully support the form and one might even suggest that the French monarch introduced it to the rest of the world. This new school of ballet led to the profession of a dancer, which was something new. Students trained at the classical ballet school Académie Royale de Danse became, in essence, the first true ballerinas and this period marks the beginning of the evolution of the form.

Eventually, the courtly diversion of the ballet was interrupted, almost as though patrons had grown weary of it. At this point, theatre became dominant and for some time ballet seemed to have hit a low point. Although it was still taught and one must assume still supported by the French monarchy, it had lost the prestige it had gained under Louis XIV. Eventually there were reforms made in terms of costuming and performance but it is clear that the initial golden age of ballet under the rule of the Sun King was gone. The French Revolution and other historical changes demanded that ballet fade away and reemerge fresh again after the political strife. It should be stated that all forms of courtly entertainment were generally frowned upon during the years of the French Revolution and it is impossible not to suspect that some dancers may have feared for their lives at such a time.

       At about the same time that ballet as a courtly pleasure was fading in France, it was experiencing a golden age in Russia. Also home to a ballet school, which was almost as old as the one in France, Russia was becoming the new home of ballet. This school for classical ballet had been patronized by the Russian monarchy since its inception in 1738 and much as was the case in France, it afforded courtiers with entertainment and spectacle. In 1909, shortly before the Russian Revolution (which would have much the same effect on anything associated with the monarchy and courtly behavior as in France after its revolution) the Ballet Russes company was formed. While they managed to survive the Russian Revolution unscathed, the turn of the century brought new changes to ballet. No longer were the arts a project or subjects of patronage from the monarchy, but they were forced to grow apart as a secular (in the sense that there was no longer court association) entity.

It is clear that England, although a large power in Europe with a long tradition of monarchial rule, did not accept ballet in quite the same enthusiastic way her neighbors did. Although the English posses the Royal Ballet as well as a number of state sponsored schools for classical ballet, the tradition of religion has hindered much of the patronage offered in other areas throughout Europe. Unlike France, Italy, and Russia, the court system was much different and the Puritan ideals that were paramount for the duration of many of the rulers’ time did not look kindly upon dancing, even the kind of ballet that comprised classical ballet.

In examining the influence of European monarchs on the development of classical ballet, two things become clear. First of all, ballet emerged as a result of monarchies and their constant desire to have an elaborate court. Such competition amongst monarchial powers helped spur this founding of the arts in general and led to new school for classical ballet being formed. The second issue that becomes clear is the history of classical ballet is firmly connected to the course of history, if not for the mere reason that it was so closely aligned with the courts. When revolutions toppled the court system and many of its trappings, so too did ballet suffer and one after another schools for classical ballet fell by the wayside. In many ways, one could tell the political history of the West simply by telling the history of classical ballet.

Other essays and articles in the Arts Archives related to this topic include : The Life and Works of Martha Graham : A Biography   •  The Life and Works of Marius Petipa   •  Biography : Overview of the Life and Contributions of Isadora Duncan  •   A Comparison and Analysis of the French Versus Russian Revolutions

Although a spiritual woman, especially when it came to the ideals set forth by the ancient Greeks, the ballerina Isadora Duncan was often known to have engaged in public drunkenness and accumulated a number of debt throughout Europe. Generally, her wide circle of friends, many of whom were among the European intellectually or culturally elite would attempt to help her handle her problems. Even though Isadora Duncan had a habit of causing trouble wherever she went, she became a cultural icon and traveled (and lived) in Russia as well as other places throughout Europe when she began setting up her schools. The death of Isadora Duncan was an incredible and surprising tragedy, especially for a dancer so young. Isadora Duncan died a tragic death at the age of 49 (1927) when one of her signature long scarves got caught in the axle of an automobile and broke her neck. Although her life was cut dramatically short, Isadora Duncan achieved a great deal in her lifetime and she completely changed the way the world would view ballet, and eventually, modern dance.

Isadora Duncan opened her first school of dance in 1909 while living in France. She was firmly committed to the idea that traditional ballet was “ugly” and wanted to teach her students to move more naturally. Being a great admirer of Greek art, sculpture in particular, Isadora Duncan tried to integrate these ancient notions of pure movement and nature into her teaching. She was convinced that dance, being one of the oldest art forms, had an essence to it that traditional ballet was missing. Isadora Duncan endeavored to find the meaning of life through dance and in order for such a search to take place she needed to be free from the restraints of tradition. This school became widely popular and she received a great deal of acclaim from many in France. It was clear that her school would succeed and she enlisted the help of her sisters and others to manage the daily operations while she followed the whims of her restless mind to yet another destination.

          The second phase of Isadora Duncan’s artistic career began when she moved to the Soviet Union in 1922. A large part of her desire to go to there was based in her respect for the revolutions taking place. At this time the Bolsheviks were granting rights to women and serving as a model for the society in which Isadora Duncan seemed to have been dreaming of. Well known throughout Europe by this time she was received warmly and ended up marrying the Russian poet Sergei Yesenin. They remained together as she left Russia and toured Europe with the prospect of setting up more schools to spread her ideas but eventually her husband returned to Russia where he committed suicide. After this period in her life, Isadora Duncan began concentrating more effort on her schools throughout Europe and tried to further get to the root of her philosophy of dance. Also during this time friends encouraged her to write a memoir but this was not published until after her death. It includes long essays about her feelings about art and dance and what their function should be and serves as a brilliant testament to what would later become modern dance.

Aside from freedom of movement and an escape from the traditional conventions of dance, Isadora Duncan also had unique views on performance. For instance, she grew frustrated when she found that some of the students at her schools in Europe were performing for commercial interests and was a firm believer in the idea that performance should be pure and natural and that these commercial concerns were harmful. Even though Isadora Duncan obviously performed quite often, these were not traditional shows and although one might expect there was a fair amount of commerce involved, she genuinely wished for her audiences to see art rather than stale traditional dance. Every element of the dance performance changed even in terms of costuming. Known for her loose and flowing garb onstage and long scarves, everything about her performances stressed freedom. At one point, Isadora Duncan bared a breast to a crowd in New York, a bold symbol of freedom and adoration of the human body.

In closing, Isadora Duncan’s emphasis on freedom of movement and seeing dance as an extension of the psyche went on to have a great impact on modern and interpretive dance. For Isadora Duncan, the range of human emotion could be expressed by bodily and her career marked a change in people thought about and understood dance. Even in death Isadora lives in the spirit of a new way of dancing and appreciating movement.

Other essays and articles in the Arts Archives related to this topic include : The Life and Works of Martha Graham : A Biography  •  The Life and Works of Marius Petipa   • The Influence of European Monarchs on Classical Ballet

Although the career of Marius Petipa ended without a great deal of fanfare after an unsuccessful production, his legacy remains. While no one will remember that last failed ballet, history will remember his enormous contribution to choreography and dance through the many other pieces he worked. In total, Marius Petipa produced over 50 ballets, reworked over 20 old pieces, and arranged the dancing in over 35 operas. This was a stunning career and it is worth looking at how he began before examining him closer.

Marius Petipa was born in Marseilles, France in 1822 to an actress mother and a father who was a well-known choreographer and dancer. The Petipas encouraged both of their sons to take on theatre or dance professionally and Marius’ younger brother, Lucien, succeeded in dance at an early age while Marius scorned it in favor of other pursuits. Even though it was not immediately his passion, Marius did begin dancing at the age of 7, mostly because of his parent’s desire to see him enter the field. Shortly after this, while still a child, he starred in one of his father’s productions and thus began his career as a dancer and later, a choreographer. Although the family might have enjoyed a great deal of success in France, the Belgian Revolution forced the family out to move to Nantes, where they stayed for a few years. It was during this time (around 1838) that Marius became a principal dancer at the ballet.

A year after becoming a principal dancer in Nantes, Marius and his father went on a tour through America during 1839. They returned to France less than a year later and Marius began more intensive training with the famous dancer, Auguste Vestris. After this point, his career as a dancer began to truly blossom and he partnered with some of the greatest ballerinas of the period such as Carlotta Grisi. It was also during this period that he began to dabble in choreography although he was not entirely successful. He moved to Spain where he was employed at the King’s Theatre and his abilities as a choreographer and dancer were recognized fully. Unfortunately, his stay in Spain was cut short after he engaged in an illicit affair with a Marquis. Unsure of what to do next, he asked friends and was advised to go to the Imperial Ballet in Russia. He left promptly, not knowing that he would go on to forever change the face of classical ballet in Russia as well as the rest of the world.

His beginnings in the Russian Imperial Ballet were modest. He was initially signed on for a one-year contract as a principal dancer because one of the others was leaving the country. Instead of being pushed aside for other dancers, however, Marius Petipa and his father took the creative reigns and stunned Russia with their first productions of Paquita and Leda. Amazingly, this was in 1849 while Marius was still quite a young man. His youthful creativity garnered him a great deal of favor and he was allowed to continue with the full support of the Imperial Ballet as well as given lavish praise for revitalizing classical ballet. While he continued to be a vital part of the Russian ballet, he did not seem to stagnate in terms of creativity or willingness to experiment with design and choreography.

Around 1850 Marius’ career stabilized and he was firmly in charge of a great deal of the Imperial Ballet from many angles. He still danced despite his aging body and was always choreographing new works. During this “middle period” in his career he produced popular works such as The Blue Dahlia and A Regency Marriage. It was also during this time that he met his future wife, Maria Sergeyevna Surovshcikova, whom he often gave leading roles to. They were married in 1854 and had three children, one of whom would grow up to be the famous dancer, Marie Petipa. After his marriage, it was becoming clear that his body required him to concentrate more on choreography rather than dancing. One of the landmark pieces showcasing his choreography was The Pharaoh’s Daughter in 1862. This catapulted him to fame and after the great success he was named ballet master.

Other essays and articles in the Arts Archive that are related to this topic include:  Biography of Martha Graham : Her Life and Dance Career      The Influence of European Monarchs on Classical Ballet     Biography : Overview of the Life and Contributions of Isadora Duncan*