Les Sylphides Flashcards
Expressive intention
-Theme - young man (poet) is walking in the forest at night when he suddenly encounters a large group of white sylphs (spirits of the air) dancing in the moonlight he sees how wondrous and elegant they look and is enticed to join in them
- one act, plotless romantic ballet
- choreographed by Mikhail Fokine in 1909
Influence 1 on EI - Romantic Era
- originated in second half of 18th century in Western Europe gained strength in relation to industrial revolution
- machinery allowed different ways of doing things = change of daily life
- middle class gaining power, wanted to experience all art world had to offer = escape
- ballets, operas, poets, novelists =obsessed with supernatural allowed audience escape from changes in society
IMPACT
- Fokine wanted to modernise traditional ballet stories & themes of ballet appeal to 20th century audience souls, emotions,
- supported by 5 reforms
- whole body interpretation with emotion expressed
- supernatural character ‘sylph’ abstracted story made it plotless so movement was main focus, for expression on ornamentation
Influence 2 on EI - Diaghilev & and The Ballet Russes
Fokine met Serge Diaghilev in 1908, a period which signalled the modernisation of ballet. Diaghilev was the director of The Ballets Russe Company. It was based in Paris and is now regarded as the most influential ballet company of the 20th century. This was because it promoted ground- breaking artistic collaborations among young choreographers, composers, designers and dancers.
IMPACT OR EFFECT
The result of Fokine’s collaboration with Diaghilev was the first Ballet Russe season in 1909 which included Les Sylphides, the first plotless abstract ballet to be seen
was dance, with no plot or story to tell. The performance established that dance can be captivating and interesting for audiences,
even without a complex storyline to follow.
. Their partnership established a new direction in ballet style.
Using music to elicit dance image was a break away from the traditional narrative ballets. It
Influence 1 on MV 1 - Isadora Duncan
- Isadora Duncan - French dancer - broke away from classical ballet presented new language of dance = personal experience, emotions through improv
- new opportunities & directions - worked free from constraints of traditional ballet tech
- allowed body to move free giving movement feelings and sentiment with use of foot de emphases pointe use more attention on arms and torso, with athleticism and strength
IMPACT
- Fokine influenced by ID to explore dance freely move away from traditional ballet
- ID movement added to daily classes @ Ballet Russes
- movements where back had been stiff and straight became more flexible freed movement of torso and arms = fluid & expressive
- Fokine style evolved expression & emotion 2 tech
EXAMPLE 1
- abstraction shape of the upper body in the arabesque position when performing a series of elevations on diagonal
- shows dancers shape in profile and use of gestures
- arabesque position enforces arms as fluid, melting quality extended in an up soaring gesture - ID free & expressive styles
EXAMPLE 2
- dancer performs multiple relieves on pointe slowly moving arms in the upwards direction while rotating her wrists on the axis - abstraction of upper body
- created more fragile and delicate look to the movement moving audiences attention away from tech and to artistry of the movement
Influence 2 MV - Fokine’s innovative approach to classical ballet training
- Fokine believe in the training of classical ballet
- accepted use of pointe work, turnout and traditional ballet steps
- feel fresh approach needed - enhance & advance ballet style movement
- innovative approach to personal expression and atmospheric through tech
- rebelled against tricks which was key feature of ballet
IMPACT
- adapted and choreographed ballet steps in different ways
- choreographed movements to suit the music in different ways
- eg: traditional mazurka step involved moving down on accent - altered to show up movement on accent - modernise way movement was choreographed and developed
- point work and high elevations if necessary to character
EXAMPLE 1
- pointe work used if necessary to character - intent make dancer look light, delicate and sylph express characteristics
- weightless - through bouree steps in fifth position = sylph skimming across stage
EXAMPLE 2
- elevations on diagonal legs alternate is performed to a mazurka accent of movement is up
- legs being used in a technical way with expressive upper body with floating, soft arms to reinforce light and airy qualities of a sylph flying through the air
Influence on PA 1 - Fokine’s ideal of harmony between theatrical elements and set
- Fokine believed there should be artistic harmony between theatrical elements of the music, art and movement
- visuals and performing arts be on equal terms and complement each other
- enhance visual structure of dance to communicate intention expressively to the audience
IMPACT
- wanted set to integrate with concept of dance and make movement come alive
- set created scenario which supported expressive intention
- create artistry and give atmosphere to choreography
Influence PA 2 - Chopin’s original piano pieces on the choice of music
- choice of music inspired by Frederick Chopin original piano pieces
- assembled a range of various and complimentary pieces
- wanted music to reflect emotional and expressive content of dance to achieve desired effect with act sensitiveness to the music
- exploration of movement progress through 5 phrases
- work has inseparable relationship between music and selected movement by works to phrasing and accents of music = complete unity and between the two
IMPACT
- music reflect the intention of the music achieved through orchestrating the mazurka making the phrasing and accents of the music work together with phrasing of the choreography
- purpose to characterise the polish flavour through use of classical idiom
- rhythm of the mazurka contained accent on second beat to make accent stronger with the heel when performed in the character style
- emphasised dancers gossamer lightness ipwith dancer relive in arabesque to show accent
- enhanced performance promoted expressive intention enabling ballerina to appear light and feminine
- enhanced the ethereal nature of the sylph, showcased movements of dancers body and enhanced mood of choreography
Influence 1 on Form - The music score
- structure grew out of form of music (ABA or ternary form)
- begins with large travelling elevations to a mazurka rhythm and finishes the same way
- repetition book ends the dance
- section A - original theme idea stated
- section B - new or development of theme creating constrast
- section A- idea restated
IMPACT
- unfolds through movement and phrasing pattern closely related to the phrasing of the music
- formal structure of music is ternary- 3 part structure - (A) intro - (B) contrasting theme - (A) reinforcement of original theme
Influence 2 on Form - Fokine’s reforms
- rebelled against traditional narrative formal structures popular in romantic and classical periods with Marius Petipa bought them at their peak at St. Petersburg, Russia - Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty
- included several acts with interval in between - beg, dev, res
IMPACT
- abbreviated structure of grand narrative ballets using most important and expressive movements create shorter work presented in one act
- based off principle of reformation where choreography correspond closely to the intention
- pushed ballet forward created a new form, plotless ballet, contained on act contains -3-4 short works
INFLUENCE 3 on EI -FOKINE’S DANCE REFORMS
Fokine was accepted into the Imperial Ballet School at the age of 9 and made his performing debut that same year at the Maryinsky Theatre under the direction of Petipa. Upon graduation he entered the company as a soloist and in 1902 was offered a teaching position. This gave him a chance to explore his own views and choreographic possibilities. As a result he devised 5 principles for reforming ballet and the result was that he modernised the way ballet was presented.
IMPACT OR EFFECT
Fokine’s reforms enabled an exploration of choreographic possibilities. He moved away from big classical ballets narratives of the previous era. In creating Les Sylphides in 1909, a one act plotless ballet, he paved the way for abstraction and the changes to ballet narratives which were to follow. It allowed the audience to see that movement and music were in themselves expressive without being encumbered by the narrative.
INFLUENCE 3 on PA - THE ROMANTIC ERA ON THE CHOICE OF COSTUME
The romantic era originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe and gained strength in relation to the Industrial Revolution. People of the era wanted an escape from the changes they perceived in society, and so in response ballets containing escapist and romantic themes became predominant.
The Romantic ballet era influenced the design for the sylph costume. The costume for the sylph was designed by Alexander Benois and paid homage to the romantic period of ballet. Benois captured many romantic features in his design. It included a tight bodice with a long skirt which fell below the knee and small wings which reflected the famous romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni dressed in a sylph costume. It was finished off with a headpiece of a circle of flowers and wings attached to the bodice of the costume. The return to the romantic tutu was a break away from the short traditional tutus of late 19th century classical ballet and bought about a sense of nostalgia.
IMPACT OR EFFECT
The impact is that the sylph in the mazurka solo looks as though she is a spirit of the air. The choice of colour and romantic style capture the sylph’s purity giving the dancer a soft and feminine appearance. Benois wanted the skirt to flow with the dancer and extend the lines of the body. This showcased the movements of the dancer’s body and enhanced the mood of the choreography
Influence on MV 3 - Fokine’s reforms -innovative approach to training the 20th century
The 5 principles described by Fokine to bring about reform influenced the new direction he was creating in his choreographic works. He became convinced that ballet had reached a point beyond which it could not advance unless it was freed of the conventional technique or set order of steps. He developed the 5 principles which he used to produce expressiveness. He felt that dance could be interesting to look at even without technical tricks and acrobatics. He wanted to rebel against ‘virtuosity, acrobatics, and vulgar display’ which had been so much a part of traditional ballets.
IMPACT OR EFFECT (relates back to his principles of dance reform) plus movement example
Relates to principle 1
Fokine believed movement should be invented so as to be expressively true to both the character and the music. Fokine insisted that choreographers should use the whole body expressively.
Pointe was only used when appropriate to the character. In the Les Sylphides mazurka solo ‘pointe’ is used with the specific intent of making the dancer look light, delicate and sylph like.
Relates to principle 2
Fokine believed virtuosity and ‘tricksy’ dancing should only be performed if appropriate to the character being portrayed and if it furthered the dramatic action. The formal ballet vocabulary should not be presented for its own sake but only if it was right for the character. He believed that ballet, rather than confining itself to traditional steps and movements should draw on movements reflecting the subject, era, and music.
The mazurka ballerina in Les Sylphides performs a series of arabesques and elevations
which work with the accent in the music – always performing the movement to a higher level on the accent. Flying jetes, alternating 2nd and 3rd arabesques lines, dominate the choreography. Fokine combined these movements with floating, wing like arms to reinforce the light, airy qualities of the sylph.
Dance Design
- 3 sections - ABA
- ternary structure
- beginning section establishes idea - impression of sylph flying and soaring through the air, the spirit of the air
- development section idea progresses - sylph portray of its beauty, dreamlike and weightless spirit characteristics
- idea in beg section restablished, echoes original idea of sylph being an airborne creature
Choreographic Devices
Repetition - beg - movement phrase of grand jete, waltzing steps and arabesque repeated 4 times
Dev - the phrase of balance into fondue with a floating arm gesture is repeated three times
Abstraction - dev - the floating of the arms is abstracted from a pure classical line or shape to suggest fluttering of sylph in the air, from pose arabesque to fondu plié
Inversion - dev - elevation locomotes jete temp leves low level to bouree through the space in fifth position - idea of being weightless
Repeated later in dev section different sides
Distortion - dev - pose arabesque fall to fondu floats arms in a vibratory gesture idea of lightness and floating of sylph
Later in dev section repetition but movement distorted through the use of direction
Insertion - beg - series of grand jete arabesques and waltzing elevations sylph flying through the air and spirit of the air
Res section repeats phrase in beg section but a galloping movement is inserted in between the grand jete and waltzing step
