The Development of Ballet

Ballet is a dance form that has a long history. The fact that it survives to this day shows that it has adjusted as times have changed.

Ballet began in the royal courts during the Renaissance. At that time it became common for

kings and queens，as well as other nobility，to participate in pageants that included music，poetry，

and dance. As these entertainments moved from the Italian courts to the French ones，court ladies began participating in them. Though their long dresses prevented much movement，they were able to perform elaborate walking patterns. It was not until the 1600s that women dancers shortened their skirts，changed to flat shoes，and began doing some of the leaps and turns performed by men.

It was also in the 1600s that professional ballet began. King Louis XIV of France，himself a devoted dancer，founded the Royal Academy of Dance. The five basic feet positions from which all ballet steps begin were finalized. In the late 1700s another important change occurred. Ballet began to tell a story on its own. It was no longer simply dance to be performed between acts of plays. Elaborate wigs and costumes were eliminated. By the early 1800s dancers learned to rise on their toes to make it appear that they were floating.

Classical ballet as we know it today was influenced primarily by Russian dancing. The Russians remained interested in ballet when it declined in other European countries in the mid -1800s. One of the most influential figures of the early 20th century was Sergei Diaghilev. His

dance company，the Ballets Russes，brought a new energy and excitement to ballet. One of his

chief assistants，George Balanchine，went on to found the New York City Ballet in 1948 and to influence new generations of dancers.

词汇:

adjust / ?' d??st/v. 调整 eliminate /i'limineit/ v. 淘汰

pageant / 'pæd? ?nt / n. 盛会 influential / influ'en??l/adj. 有影响力的

注释:

1. At that time it became common for kings and queens，as well as other nobility，to participate in pageants that included music，poetry，and dance. 在那时，芭蕾舞在国王、王后以及贵族之间变得普遍，并且与音乐、诗歌以及舞蹈一起参与到盛会的表演。

2. It was not until the 1600s that women dancers shortened their skirts，changed to flat shoes，and began doing some of the leaps and turns performed by men. 直到17世纪女舞者缩短了她们的裙子，改穿平底鞋，并且通过男舞者的帮助开始做一些跳跃和转圈动作。

3. The five basic feet positions from which all ballet steps begin were finalized. 由此正式确定了 脚的5个基本位置，这 5个外开的位置成为发展芭蕾舞技术的基础。