It is said that ballet is the basis of all forms of dance. This is due to the dance’s rigid structure of movements.
There are several core components of ballet, such as legs’ turnout, five basic feet positions, erect posture, lifting of the leg as an extension, etc. This dance in its beautiful complexity takes years of training. Ballet as a classical dance is known by the attributes of grace and elegance. It is also like opera which is used to relay a dramatic story. Mime, for instance, is hailed from ballet, as it is designed for speaking without the use of words. Ballet is also used commonly for telling a lot of famous stories. Some of these are the Swan Lake, the Nutcracker, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and others. This thing called Ballet Story-telling has been carried on by several dance companies like the American Ballet Theatre.
Ballet is the oldest dance form and recently it has been modified into modern or contemporary ballet. Techniques involved in this newly found dance form are free of rigid movements and they change frequently to convey different feelings. The movements in this dance organically make use of momentum, breath, and also gravity to make steps around the creative space allotted. Gravity is what separates classical ballet from contemporary dance. It is said that ballet avoids it while modern dance is governed by it. This movement happens through the natural swing of the body as it falls and rises.
Modern dance is known primarily as the abstract type of dance but it is now becoming a part of the global art culture. This is purely dramatic and tugs at one’s emotional strings yet it doesn’t convey a story like ballet. It is often experimental in nature. It doesn’t seem to have a theme or a story and therefore it is open-ended.
About AQDance Singapore
Aiming to churn out knowledgeable dancers, educators and audiences, AQ Dance offers an array of dancing programmes in Singapore for the masses to feel the art. There are classical ballets, contemporary dances, jazz and tap dance lessons for your kids to choose from. Visit their website here!
