Dancing and Ballet
Dancing and BalletDANCING AND BALLET
Dancing is the art of moving the body in time to music. Dancing is both an art and a form of recreation. Most people dance to have fun or to entertain others, but dance can also be used for communication. Dancers express feelings of joy without saying a word. Since prehistoric times people have danced, and there are lots of kinds of dancing. There is folk dancing and religious dancing, popular dancing and theatrical dancing, to name a few. Out of all dancing, theatrical is probably the most entertaining. Theatrical dancing includes ballet, jazz, tap, and musical comedy. Theatrical dancers may take great personal satisfaction in creating something beautiful. However, their enjoyment is not as important as their ability to interpret the dance to the audience.
All types of dancing require practice and technique, but probably none require as much as ballet. Ballet dancers seem to ignore the law of gravity as they float through the air in long, slow leaps. They keep perfect balance while they spin, and at times, their feet move so rapidly that the eye can hardly follow the movements. Women often dance on their toes while men lift them up like they were as light as feathers.
Ballet dancers take joy in controlling their bodies, but they can only perform difficult steps after many years of training. Ballet classes are held for both professional and beginning dancers. Because professional dancers must keep in shape, they usually take at least one class daily. Beginning students may take anywhere from three to ten classes a week to improve their technique.
Ballet classes begin at the barre where dancers develop better technique. Later they move to the center where they do exercises to strengthen and improve their dancing. Next, the women sometimes work on pointe , and the men will work on big, energetic jumps.
When developing a ballet, many people must work together to make it the best show it can be. There is a choreographer (one who composes dances), an orchestra and a composer (though some ballet companies use recorded music), people to make scenery, costume designers, and most importantly, the dancers.
Ballet dancers have short career. Most become professional before the age of twenty and retire by the age of forty-five. Good dancers by far out-number good jobs. Some dancers may spend many months auditioning - only to be turned down. Dancers' lives are not easy. They have to attend many rehearsals and have little time for anything else. The average pay isn't very good, though star performers can earn large salaries. Dancer's career problems are sometimes too much for them, which is very sad since dancing is such a beautiful art.
GREAT DANCERS
Anna Pavlova (1881-1931)
Anna Pavlova was a Russian ballerina who was known for...
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