Ballet has a history of more than 500 years

The transliteration of French ballet means: ① A form of stage dance, that is, European classical dance, commonly known as ballet. This is a traditional European dance art with strict specifications and structural forms, which was formed after centuries of continuous processing, enrichment and development on the basis of folk dances from various parts of Europe. After the 19th century, an important technical feature was that actresses had to wear special toe dancing shoes to dance with the tips of their toes, so some people also called it toe dancing. ②Dance drama originally refers to a dramatic art that uses European classical dance as the main means of expression, integrating music, pantomime, stage art, and literature to express a story or a plot. It is called classical ballet (or classical dance drama). After the emergence of modern dance in the 20th century, modern dance combined with classical dance techniques as the main means of expression to express the content or plot of the story is called modern ballet. Gradually, the word ballet is also used to refer to dance dramas that use various other dances as the main means of expression, although they are different from classical ballet or modern ballet in terms of dance style, structural characteristics, and expression techniques. ③ A considerable number of dance works created by modern choreographers have no story content or plot. Choreographers use European classical dance or modern dance, or combine the two, to express certain emotions, artistic conception, or express the author's ideas. The understanding of a certain musical work, etc., these are also called ballet.

The word ballet comes from the ancient Latin ballo. Initially, the word only meant dancing, or performing dance in public, and did not have the meaning of a theater performance. As a stage art, ballet was born in the grand banquet and entertainment activities in Italy during the Renaissance. It was formed in the French court in the 17th century. This kind of court ballet is actually a loosely structured dance, singing, and music under a unified theme. A comprehensive performance of recitations, recitations and dramas, designed by professional dance teachers, with kings and nobles as actors, and female roles also played by men. The performance venue is in the center of the palace hall, and the audience watches around the hall; the actors wear leather masks with different signs Character, so it is also called mask ballet.

In 1661, Louis XIV ordered the establishment of the Royal Academy of Dance in Paris. In the 1670s, ballet performances began to be performed in the Bishop Richelieu Palace Theater. Changes in performance venues and audience viewing angles have caused changes in dance techniques and aesthetic perspectives. Actors' standing postures have become more and more outward, thus formally determining the five basic positions of the feet. These five outward positions have become the development Fundamentals of Ballet Technique. Professional ballet actors came into being and gradually replaced aristocratic amateur actors. Professional female ballet actors also began to perform on stage, and dance technology developed rapidly. Ballet performances have gradually transformed from basically a self-entertaining social activity into a theater performing art. Ballet during this period was subordinate to opera. The court composer J. B. Lully added ballet scenes to the opera. It was actually a series of dance performances, and the plot seemed irrelevant. At this time, it was called singing ballet or ballet opera. This situation lasted until the middle of the 18th century. The 18th-century ballet master J.G. Nowell was the most influential dance innovator in the history of ballet. He first put forward the idea of ??"plot ballet" in his "Letters on Dance and Dance Drama" published in 1760, emphasizing that dance is not just a physical skill, but a tool for dramatic expression and ideological communication. Nowell's theory promoted a wave of innovation in ballet. With the continuous efforts of him and many other actors and choreographers, ballet has undergone a series of reforms in terms of content, themes, music, dance techniques, costumes, etc. These reforms have made ballet Finally, it can be separated from opera and form an independent theater art.

In the history of ballet development, there are two main aesthetic viewpoints that have been at work. One view is that ballet is "pure dance". B. de Beauroye, an Italian dance teacher in the 16th century and the choreographer of "The Queen's Comedy Ballet", believes that ballet is "a combination of geometric patterns in which several people dance together." This view focuses entirely on the formal beauty of ballet and almost completely ignores the content or plot of ballet, often leading to the pure pursuit of superb skills and gorgeousness. Before the mid-18th century, this view dominated ballet creation. Another view emphasizes that ballet is a "dramatic dance", and Nowell's "plot ballet" theory most intensively represents this view.

He believes that in a ballet work, dance must express dramatic content, "the plot and choreography must be unified, have a logical, understandable story as the central theme, and solo dances and dance segments that have nothing to do with the plot must be eliminated." , in the dance drama, "it is not only the dazzling dance technique, but also the dramatic performance that moves the audience emotionally." The above two main views are still in effect today. Many choreographers are committed to creating dramatic or plotted ballet works, while some are keen on plotless ballets and focus on formal beauty. The excellent repertoires in both types of works are well received by the audience. Appreciated, and often performed as part of the repertoire. Since the 20th century, the influence of various literary and artistic trends on ballet creation has become more and more obvious, and many works of different styles have appeared.

When creating a ballet work, the choreographer is the key figure. He conceives the dance drama structure or dance structure based on the literary script (or a story, a poem, a musical work), and then the actors embody it. Both the director and the actors must master the ballet language (or ballet vocabulary) - ballet technical skills, and the ability to use ballet language to express specific content or emotions. The director should have a good understanding of what they are good at expressing and what they cannot express; while the actors should be trained to The ballet creation can be carried out and completed only if these basic conditions are met. Ballet structural forms include: solo dance, duet dance, trio dance, quartet dance, group dance, etc. The choreographer uses classical dance, character dance (staged ethnic dance and folk dance), modern dance, etc. Multiple acts can be choreographed according to the above forms Ballet (divided or not, such as "Swan Lake"), one-act ballet (such as "La Sylphide"), ballet sketches (such as "The Death of the Swan"), etc. This structural form of ballet developed to a high degree of standardization and stylization in the late 19th century, which affected and restricted the development of ballet. In the large number of ballet works created by choreographers in the 20th century, these norms and procedures have been greatly broken, and new explorations and creations continue to occur.

Overview of the Development of World Ballet

Banquet Ballet

Ballet appeared in Italy during the heyday of the Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries. Artists tried their best to imitate the artistic style of ancient Greece. The earliest ballet performance was performed at a palace banquet. In 1489, "Orpheus" was performed in a small town in Italy to celebrate the wedding of the Duke of Milan and Idabel, the Spanish Princess of Aragon. The performance format at that time was completely different from the ballet performances we see today. Each performance was roughly related to the serving of food. For example, after the performance of simulated hunting began, wild boar was eaten; the gods of the sea and rivers appeared and began to eat. fish. Then, many mythical characters came on stage to offer many dishes and fruits, and finally the guests all participated in the lively carnival performance. This is a performance form that combines singing, dancing, recitation, and drama. It can be said to be the prototype of ballet. Later generations called it "banquet ballet."

Court Ballet

With the intermarriage between Italian nobles and the French court, Italian "ballet" performances were brought to France. In 1581, in the performance of Queen Henry III's sister, Margaret "The Queen's Comedy Ballet" was performed at the special wedding celebration. There was no stage and the audience sat in a two-story gallery with three walls. The king and dignitaries sat on the altar and the performance took place on the floor of the hall. The choreographer and director Beauroye was an Italian employed by France. The content shows how the succubus Silse conquered Apollo, but had to surrender to His Majesty the King of France. The performance is a mixture of drama, music, dance, recitation, and acrobatics. During the Louis XIV period (1643-1715), French ballet developed to its heyday. Louis XIV himself loved dancing and was well-trained. At the age of 15, he participated in the performance of the court ballet "Cassandra" and played the role of the god Apollo.

Melodramatic Ballet

The European Enlightenment in the 18th century profoundly affected the development of French ballet. Its innovative ideas are reflected in its opposition to treating ballet as a decoration for aristocratic entertainment. It wants ballet to express real life like drama and advocates that ballet should have social content and educational significance. This is the background of the era when "plot ballet" was born. Nowell represents the mainstream of European ballet innovation and embodies the democratic spirit of the Enlightenment. He put forward his innovative ideas for ballet in "Letters on Dance and Dance Drama". The dance drama "No Use of Caution" created by Nowell's student, Jean Doberval, is still performed today and has become the repertoire of major contemporary ballet companies.

Romantic Ballet

Romantic ballet is the "golden age" in the history of ballet development. It has experienced a splendid stage in terms of dance skills, choreography and performance forms. The emergence of dance dramas such as "La Sylphide", "Giselle", "Esmeralda" and "Pirates" has created a number of ballet talents, such as Perrault, Bournonville, Tagoni and Elsler. wait. The characteristics of ballet during this period are summarized as follows:

1. Changes in content and themes. Otherworldly fairies and ghosts replaced characters from myths, legends and ancient heroic tales. It reflects an emotion of dissatisfaction and disappointment with reality, a pursuit of an interest in another world that transcends this world, or death to get rid of disappointment in reality, or an unrealistic pursuit to replace the desire for life. Among the representative works are "La Sylphide" (1832) and "Giselle" (1841). "Giselle" brings together French styles and becomes the pinnacle of romantic ballet. Since then, the phenomenon of combining romanticism and realism has gradually appeared.

2. Dance skills and performances have undergone significant development. Toe dancing skills have become an important factor in the performance of female dancers, and men's dance skills have also been further improved.

3. In terms of performance form, gas lamp lighting and large curtains were used, and ballet costumes and shoes were reformed, creating a poetic and light style.

The golden age of romantic ballet was extremely short-lived. From the 1830s to the 1940s, it stagnated and withered in just over 10 years. Starting from the second half of the 19th century, the center of European ballet gradually moved to Russia.

Russian Ballet

In the second half of the 19th century, European romantic ballet declined, and the mission of reviving ballet historically fell on Russia's shoulders. Since the 1940s, foreign dancers have frequently visited Russia. The performances and choreography activities of the Taglioni father and daughter, Perrault, Saint-Leon and others, especially the teaching activities of Bournonville students Johnson (in St. Petersburg) and Brass (in Moscow), paid tribute to Russian dance. He taught the world the essence of the two major dance schools of France and Italy, and gradually formed a new school of thought - the Russian dance school. Matipa and Ivanov played a decisive role in the construction of the repertoire. Tchaikovsky realized the innovation of dance drama music through "Swan Lake", "Sleeping Beauty" and "The Nutcracker", making music the basis for shaping images and narrating events in dance dramas, inspiring and enriching the symphonic dance of dance drama choreographers thoughts. The second act of "Swan Lake" reaches the peak of dance poetry and is regarded as an example of symphonic dance. Later, there were "Raymunda" (1898) and "Four Seasons" (1900) written by Glazunov. These works not only inherited the tradition of romantic ballet, but also reflected the tradition of Russian realism.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Russian ballet had already occupied a dominant position in the world ballet scene. It had its own repertoire, performance style and teaching system, and a number of choreographers and performing talents had emerged. Since then, a group of young people in the Russian ballet world have demanded innovation and exploration of new performance methods and development paths. Gorski and Fokine are their leaders. Fokine's innovative ideas could not be realized in the Imperial Theater, and his major works were rehearsed and staged abroad for the Diaghilev Ballet. Diaghilev organized Russian performance seasons for three consecutive years starting in 1909, and established a permanent theater company based in Monte Carlo in 1913 - the "Diaghilev Russian Ballet", which toured throughout Europe and the United States and had a huge influence. The classical and traditional repertoire preserved in Russia was sent back to Europe, which promoted the revival of European ballet. After the group was disbanded, its members dispersed to various European and American countries. Lifar was in France, de Valois was in the United Kingdom, and Balanchine and Fokine were in the United States. They made important contributions to the revival or creation of ballet in various countries.

Contemporary Ballet

At the end of 1929, Lifar became the permanent choreographer and principal dancer of the Paris Opera Ballet until he left in 1958, actually carrying out a reform. , for example, abolished the century-old right of patrons to go backstage and chat with the dancers before a ballet performance. There is also a weekly opening ceremony. In the 1932 revival of Giselle, Lifar played Albert, a man of great talent. Two major French choreographers, Laurent Petit, choreographed "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" based on Jarrar's music in 1965, and achieved brilliant success. "The Firebird" written and directed by Maurice Bayard in 1970 is a most unique work.

The repertoire of the Paris Opera Ballet also includes "Giselle", "Coppelia", "Sylvia", etc.

British ballet is mainly due to the life work of three great women: Madame Adelina Genet, who served as prima ballerina at the Royal Theater for many years; Madame Ninat de Valois Her immortal work is the Royal Ballet; Lady Mary Lambert is the founder of the ballet company named after her. There are also Festival Ballet and Scottish Ballet.

There was no National Ballet in the United States. Balanchine met with Lincoln Costin in 1933 and was invited to host the American Dance School. In 1948, it was transformed into the New York City Ballet, with Balanchine as artistic director and principal choreographer, and associate artistic advisor Jerome Robbins. A typical American dance style has been formed. Another important ballet company is the American Ballet Theatre, which began its activities in 1940. Among those who have served as director are Ford King, Maxine, Anthony Tudor, etc. There was also the Joffrey Ballet, Arthur Mitchell's Dance Theater of Harlem, the first black classical ballet company.

The Royal Danish Ballet is an excellent inheritor of the Danish national tradition. The dance drama created by Bournonville a hundred years ago is still performed in Copenhagen in a pure style. (Actually, old French style) In Danish ballet, the sense of tradition has always been very strong. In 1932 Harald Randall was appointed ballet director of the Royal Theater until 1952. His rearrangement of "Etude" for France and England was a brilliant exhibition of ballet skills.

Influential Russian directors in the early 20th century included Gorsky, Puni and Fokine. Anna Pavlova ideally embodied Fokine's conception with "The Death of the Swan" in 1905.

In Russia, after the October Revolution, Gorsky insisted on the expressive nature of drama, allowing his dancers to adopt the Stanislavski way of living in the characters, which was originally produced in the court. Ballet is not dead. "Red Poppy" was performed in Moscow in 1927. It was the first heroic modern-themed dance drama in Russia. It marked the victory of the classical school and pointed out the principles to follow. Classical ballet won a new reputation. Semyonova and Ulanova made their debut. The newly created dance drama focused on dramatic structure and made more use of folk dance to enrich the choreographer's vocabulary. Russian ballet began a revival.

For more than 400 years since the performance of "The Queen's Comedy Ballet" in France in 1581, ballet has spread all over the world and is recognized as an important part of human cultural heritage. It has become a world-wide art with many performances on five continents. Countries have established their own professional ballet schools and ballet performance groups. In today's world, the art of ballet is prosperous. Different schools such as classical ballet and modern ballet, dramatic ballet and symphonic ballet are competing for excellence. A large number of talents and repertoires have emerged. Many countries have gradually formed their own styles and characteristics. In terms of artistic expression of ballet, New explorations and creations are constantly emerging.

How to appreciate ballet

There are generally two ideas for appreciating ballet. One is traditional and the other is modern. It is generally advocated that the method of appreciation should be unified with the object of appreciation: that is, using meticulous traditional thinking to appreciate ballet, musical ballet and pure ballet in the three traditional periods of "early", "romantic" and "classical".

The traditional appreciation method requires the audience to arrive at the theater about half an hour in advance, so that they can leave all the trivial matters and worries in daily life outside the theater door or in the earthly space of the cloakroom, and then calm down. , devote yourself wholeheartedly to the theater, a very special aesthetic field that has nothing to do with the crowds on the road, the noise in the market, the disputes in the workplace, and the trivial matters in the family, and enter into "Sylphide", "Giselle", " A man-made wonderland like "Coppelia" and a dream world like "Sleeping Beauty", "The Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake" to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and mental pressure for several hours.

Next, we can also carefully study the program list, carefully read the plot synopsis, relevant comments, a brief history of the dance company, introductions of choreographers and dancers, etc., look for widely recognized ballet stars, and imagine other ballet stars. Intoxicating famous music, look forward to luxurious and gorgeous costumes and magnificent scenery...

Modern appreciation ideas do not have any harsh requirements on the audience, but provide them with a happy-go-lucky philosophy, because modern life The rhythm of the film does not allow the audience, especially the professional audience, to arrive at the theater half an hour in advance. Instead, it emphasizes that the audience does not need any preconceptions during the appreciation process, and only needs to use the different rational knowledge they carry with them to understand. , just use your colorful perceptual experiences from life to participate.

This way of appreciation believes that the things on the program list are simply traps set by the choreographers, or panaceas sold to make up for the incoherence of the dance drama director or ballet choreographer. You can watch it or not. It’s even better not to watch! It doesn't matter how the plot is "written". The success or failure can only depend on how he "dances" on stage. In the final analysis, ballet is mainly based on dance and supplemented by drama. Otherwise, it would be unexplainable that the leading actors in the ballet would frequently salute the audience after dancing the pas de deux or even after dancing the variations. Phenomenon. If drama is more important than dance, wouldn't this kind of behavior be a "drama"? How can Western audiences and critics tolerate it for a whole century?

This way of appreciation believes that celebrities can be appreciated, but there is no need to worship them to the point of admiration. The culture of celebrity worship is really too classical! The most important thing is to follow your own aesthetic standards instead of following the opinions of critics; to find the star in your own eyes and heart instead of following the crowd.

The history of Chinese ballet

Haha

If we talk about the performance of the French "Queen's Comedy Ballet" in 1581, it has always been regarded as the beginning of ballet - the prototype. If it were true, the spread and development of ballet in China would be almost three centuries late. However, although it started late, it is progressing by leaps and bounds.

At the beginning of the 20th century, foreign ballet companies came to China to perform, but their scale was limited. Since then, Russian overseas Chinese have successively come to China to open amateur private ballet schools, especially in Shanghai, Tianjin, Harbin and other places, which have a positive effect on China's ballet enlightenment education. There is no doubt that the real rise and development of ballet in China occurred after the founding of the People's Republic of China. This is closely related to the Chinese government's basic policy of actively absorbing and supporting all outstanding culture and art of world significance. relation.

Initially, it was the Russian school that had an influence on Chinese ballet. From February 1954, when the first Soviet expert O·A·YEALINA was invited to come to Beijing to hold the first "teacher training class", to 1958, China staged the first classic ballet " "Swan Lake", Chinese ballet achieved a rapid "triple jump" in its initial stage. During this period, Dai Ailian, who was well versed in ballet art, also played an important role.

The students in the first "teacher training class" (most of whom had received some ballet training) miraculously completed the syllabus for grades 1-6 of the Soviet Dance School in half a year and passed All passed the rigorous examination. They became the teaching backbone of the Beijing Dance School, a ballet major founded in the same year. Since then, I have continued to improve in practice and grown into a true ballet educator - cultivating batches of outstanding talents. An important measure to achieve the "three-level jump" is to practice and perform while training. During this period, famous Soviet ballet artists often came to China to perform. Their superb performances attracted many audiences, and the Chinese gradually became familiar with and loved this art.

In 1957, under the guidance of Chaplin, China staged a complete ballet for the first time - "LA FILLE MAL GARDEE", which was written by Jean Doberval at the end of the 18th century. The work has a realistic style, which is suitable for the actual level of Chinese ballet dancers at that time, and the team has been improved through the performance.

In October 1958, under the guidance of Gusev, the Beijing Dance School concentrated its efforts and successfully staged the world-famous classic ballet "Swan Lake" (Odette was played by Bai Shuxiang) (SWAN LAKE) The whole play aroused strong repercussions at home and abroad. Through rigorous rehearsals, a ballet team with multi-faceted talents has been created at a high speed.

Today, "Swan Lake" has "settled" in China - becoming the most appealing ballet to the audience. At the end of 1959, the Beijing Dance School Experimental Ballet Troupe was established, the first professional ballet troupe in China's history. The following year, Shanghai established a dance school with the same structure as Beijing, and also took on the task of cultivating professional ballet talents. From then on, the north and south responded in an effort to open up a new situation for the ballet industry. After "Swan Lake", in 1959 and 1960, under the guidance of Gusev, they successfully staged "LECORSAIRE" and "GISELLE". The young Chinese ballet team was responsible for these two performances. This famous ballet with different styles has appeared relatively calm.

During this period, China sent Jiang Zuhui (1934-), Wang Xixian (1933-) and others to study in the dance drama directing department of the Moscow State Theater Academy, and they all achieved excellent results. After returning to China, Jiang Zuhui released her graduation work - "The Spanish Daughter" (adapted from the famous poetic drama "Yangquan Village" by the famous European writer Robert de Vega during the Renaissance, premiered at the Tianjin Song and Dance Theater in 1961; Wang Xixian In Beijing, he directed and performed his graduation work "THE FOUNTAIN OF BAKHCH I SARAY" (adapted from the famous poem by the Russian poet Pushkin), premiered by the Beijing Dance School Experimental Ballet Company.

1963 , the Central Opera and Dance Theater was established, and the ballet troupe affiliated with the school ended its experimental stage and became a national-level theater. Soon, Jiang Zuhui directed a famous ballet - "NORTRE-DAME DERARIS" (based on Adapted from the novel of the same name by the famous French writer Hugo, it premiered at the Central Opera and Dance Theater... In just 10 years, Chinese choreographers and actors have basically been able to independently control the creation, rehearsal and stage performance of classic ballets.

The creation and practice of Chinese ballet began in 1964. In fact, most of the first generation of ballet choreographers switched from studying folk dance to ballet major. Their national cultural backgrounds undoubtedly have their own. Contribute to the exploration of the nationalization of ballet. Although the performance of the large-scale Chinese ballet "THE RED DEPACHMENT OF WOMEN" is not strictly a "record opening", (before this, there have been different types and scales) , an exploration of the nationalization of ballet with different results), it can be said to be the first and most successful large-scale Chinese ballet - it has a distinct Chinese style and style from content to form.

"Red Detachment of Women". Premiered in 1964, choreographers: Li Chengxiang, Wang Xixian, Jiang Zuhui; composers: Wu Zuqiang, Du Mingxin, etc.; premiered by: Central Opera and Dance Drama Theatre, heroine: Bai Shuxiang as Qionghua; Wu Jingzhu as company commander; male lead: Liu Qingtang as Hong Changqing; Li Chengxiang Plays Nan Batian; Main supporting actress: Zhao Ruheng plays Qionghua's comrade; Wan Qiwu plays the fourth child. It is adapted from the movie of the same name and tells the story of the tortured Qionghua during the second revolution in China. After enduring the oppression of landlord Nan Batian, she escaped from the tiger's mouth and met Hong Changqing, a representative of the Red Army. Through his guidance, Qionghua joined the Detachment of Women and grew into an outstanding revolutionary warrior after Hong Changqing's death. Forward. With its shocking tragic plot, magnificent scenes, distinctive characters and local customs of Hainan Island, this dance drama has won praise from many parties since its birth. It has created an unprecedented heroic figure on the ballet stage. The sassy image of the Chinese Detachment of Women wearing pointe shoes combines the essence of ballet with Chinese style, adding a unique touch to the world of ballet.

By Hu Rongrong (1929——), "The White-Haired Girl" created by Fu Aidi (1936——), Cheng Daihui (1932——), and Lin Yangyang (1939——) was released at the same time as "The Red Detachment of Women" and is equally important. It is another successful exploration of Chinese ballet. .

THE WHITE HAIR GIRL premiered in 1965, composed by Yan Jinxuan; premiered by: Shanghai Ballet; heroines: Cai Guoying (A), Mao Huifang (B) as Xi'er ;Gu Xiamei (A) and Shi Zhongqin (B) play the white-haired girl; the leading actor: Ling Guiming plays Dachun; the main supporting actor: Dong Xilin plays Yang Bailao. It is adapted from the opera of the same name and tells the story of Xi'er, the daughter of a poor farmer, who is forced to be sold to the bully landlord Huang Shiren to pay off her debt. She cannot bear the humiliation and flees into the mountains.

After living in the open air for many years, her hair turned white, and those who didn't know called her the "White-haired Fairy" - (ghost). In the end, she was rescued by the Eighth Route Army and reunited with her young lover, Dachun, who was now an Eighth Route Army soldier. The opera "The White-Haired Girl" has moved millions of people in China with its true story of "the old society forced people to become ghosts, and the new society turned ghosts into people."

This ballet does not follow the original work and take shortcuts, but recreates it according to the artistic characteristics of ballet. It skillfully uses Chinese classical and folk dance materials to present the plot in a ballet-like way, combining realism and romance. Regarding the main characters in the play, such as: Xi'er's innocence and sweetness and her tenacity and perseverance after becoming a "white-haired girl"; Dachun's simplicity and honesty, her bravery and hardiness after joining the army, and Huang Shiren's insidiousness and viciousness... etc. They are all painted more vividly and vividly.

"The Red Detachment of Women" and "The White-Haired Girl" play a milestone role in the development history of Chinese ballet. They are a deeper practice of "adapting foreign materials to China", and stand on their own in the world of ballet art with their unique Chinese characteristics. The collective wisdom makes up for the lack of experience, making the exploration of ballet Chineseization start from a higher starting point and start quickly. Different from the fate of other dance and dance drama works, these two works were designated as "model operas" during the "Cultural Revolution" - they were two dance dramas that were rarely allowed to be performed at that time. Withstanding the test of time and society, "Red Detachment of Women" and "White-Haired Girl" still retain their artistic vitality. Both works have been recognized as "20th century classics". The performance of the period of literary recovery in the field of ballet is, first of all, the resumption of performances of the classic Western ballet repertoire, so that the broad audience who have only seen 1 "Red" and 1 "White" for a long time, after a long absence from the colorful ballet art, set off a wave of "Swan" Lake" craze.

Chinese ballet in the new era has shown a trend of vigorous development:

First of all, with a more open vision, it is widely absorbed and learned from the world, not just limited to a single Russian school. influence. Since the early 1980s, famous ballet artists from Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and other countries have successively taught their skills through friendly exchanges. Ballet veteran Anton Dowling and famous ballet choreographer B. STEVENSON have successively guided and rehearsed their own works at the National Ballet of China: the pure classical style "Four deux" for men and women. (TE-PASDE QUIXOTE), "Prelude" and the famous ballet master Balanchine's "SERENDE" (SERENDE)... etc., most of which have become the repertoire often performed by the troupe.

In addition, over the past ten years, China has successively staged many Western classics of different styles. For example, in 1980, it was performed by the National Ballet of China under the personal guidance of Lisette Sanval, the ballet master of the Paris Opera House. The famous French romantic ballet "Sylvia" (SYLVIA); in 1984, Anton Dowling's version was rehearsed and performed by the famous British ballet artists Belinda Wright and Yulisha Jerko. "Giselle"; in 1985, he performed "Don Quixote" under the personal guidance of world-class ballet artist Rudolf Nureyev and ballet master Eugene Polyakov. "(DONQUIXOTE); and "ROMEO AND JULIET" (1989, directed by Roman Walker) and "SLEEPING BEAUTY" (1994, MacMillan MAC MILLAN edition, Maury Directed by Ke Parker)...all very successful. In particular, Nuliev used his unparalleled superb skills and deep understanding of dramatic characters, combined with the actual situation of the National Ballet of China, to conduct rigorous training, which greatly promoted the improvement of the actor's level - leaving a mark in the history of Chinese ballet A precious page. In many of the above-mentioned international exchange activities, Dai Ailian played a very good role as a bridge.

At the same time, the Beijing Dance Academy adhered to the good tradition of combining learning and practice, and successively staged "Coppelia" (1979) and "La Bayadere" (1981); the Shanghai Ballet staged "Napoli" (also known as "The Fisherman"). "With the Bride") Act 3; Tianjin Song and Dance Theater revived "The Spanish Daughter" (1982); in addition, the Liaoning Ballet, established in 1981, launched "Sea Heroes" (1983)... This not only enriched the culture of the masses Live, and perform pure classical ballet masterpieces under the guidance of authoritative ballet authorities from all over the world, allowing a new generation of ballet talents to grow rapidly.

In May 1980, Wang Qifeng (female, Shanghai) participated in the 3rd World Ballet Competition held in Osaka, Japan, and placed fourteenth, winning my country's first ballet medal.

In June 1982, Wang Qifeng (female, Shanghai) and Zhang Weiqiang (Beijing) won the third prize in performance at the Jackson International Ballet Competition in the United States.

In the first Paris International Ballet Competition in November 1984, Wang Qifeng (Shanghai) and Wang Caijun (Beijing) won the Paris Opera Development Association Award.

Since then, Chinese contestants have frequently participated in various international ballet competitions, showing strong strength. The more prominent ones include:

1985 - The 13th Lausanne International Ballet Competition, Li Ying (female, Beijing) won the first place and Xu Gang (Beijing) won the second place;

1985 - At the 5th Moscow International Ballet Competition, Tang Min (female) won the Best Performance Award, and Zhang Weiqiang and Zhao Minhua won the third place in the male pas de deux and solo dance respectively. (all contestants from Beijing).

1992 - Tan Yuanyuan (Shanghai) won the first prize at the 5th Paris International Ballet Competition; in the same year, Tan Yuanyuan won the gold medal in the women's junior category at the 1st Japan International Ballet Competition (Liaoning, China) Female contestant Yu Xiaonan won the silver medal in the youth group of the same session); Polanyi Gold