Ballet is an art form originating in the Italian Renaissance courts in the 15th Century. During the 16th Century Catherine de Medici, wife of Henry II of France was a great patron of the arts-funded ballet in the French court. The contribution of King Louis XIV to popularize and standardize the art form is still remembered to date. During the latter part of the 19th Century, the popularity of Ballet soared in Russia paving the way for grand productions such as The Nutcracker. Centuries later, ballet continues to be a popular dance technique that teaches students to form character and build teamwork. During her recent visit to Sri Lanka, Oxana Karnovich,  Doctor of Art History, Head of Department –Apartment-Museum of G. S Ulanova of the State Theatre Museum assessed the new batch of students at the Russian School of Ballet and Dancing.

“Ballet is all about grace and sophistication,” Dr. Karnovich said in an interview with the Daily Mirror. “There are several reasons why it could be tedious to send children to ballet. Ballet is a beautiful style of dance that requires a lot of discipline - the dancers must be aware of every part of their body at once.  

Choreography is usually created from a set of basic ballet movements and techniques. Because it is such a strict discipline, the dancers can only move within what is proper ballet technique. But even if the child does not professionally practice ballet, this will not be in vain for his intellectual and aesthetic development.  Ballet training develops a sense of rhythm, the ability to hear a musical phrase and repeat it in motion.  It opens the mind to the perception of classical music and helps to perceive painting, and architecture in a different way - something that cannot be found now in any other educational system.”

Ballet forms character and teaches teamwork. “Ballet training is a difficult process both physically and mentally.  Watching the ease of graceful ballerinas, who, like fluffs, soar above the stage, it is hard to imagine that hard work is hidden behind aesthetic pleasure.  To become real ballet dancers and shine on stage, children have to work hard on themselves and improve not only their figure but also their inner qualities - endurance, and determination.  Classes develop industriousness in children, help to be collected, attentive.”

On the other hand, ballet develops mutual respect, understanding and cooperation between artists, without which it is impossible to achieve synchrony, the beauty of performance and purity of stage design.  “When preparing for performances, children learn to understand and feel a partner, negotiate and trust each other.  Even if you don’t want a ballet career for your child, remember that teamwork is a very useful skill.  After all, in order to achieve results in ballet, you need to be open, honest, understand your shortcomings and advantages and know how to express yourself in different situations.”

“Modern dance is all about expression through movement - conveying emotion or story through your dance,” she continued.  “There are no pointed shoes and there is a lot of freedom of movement.  The feet can bend, the legs can turn, the body can move freely, the arms can swing freely and the head can rotate.”
When asked how Ballet in Sri Lanka could be developed, she said that it could be done with the support of the government, as it was during the time of Louis XIV (also known as Louis the Great), who first founded a dance academy in 1661 and only 10 years later founded an academy of music.  “That is, ballet originated in the palace and always had a powerful material base.  Now ballet has more than three hundred years of history with a dance technique that has been developed over this time.”

Explaining the difference between Russian ballet to other ballet techniques, Dr. Karnovich said that in the 19th century in Russia, ballet reached its highest development, leaving France behind in the field of ballet Art, because ballet was subsidized by the Imperial House.  “All ballets of the classical heritage that are known throughout the world such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Nutcracker were staged by the Frenchman Marius Petipa, who served on the Russian imperial stage for 56 years.  In the 20th century, the Soviet government supported the Art of Ballet, retained two theatres - the Bolshoi in Moscow and the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, and preserved the school and academic traditions.”

When Anna Pavlova visited Sri Lanka at the beginning of the 20th century, she may not have imagined that the art of ballet would be more developed in this beautiful country like Sri Lanka.  “And it is important that the best traditions of such a wonderful art as ballet are preserved in the Russian Cultural Center.”