The Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance
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Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 4-1979 A Comparative Analysis of Two Methods of Teaching: The Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance Barbara Ann Ruemenapp Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Fine Arts Commons Recommended Citation Ruemenapp, Barbara Ann, "A Comparative Analysis of Two Methods of Teaching: The Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance" (1979). Master's Theses. 2063. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/2063 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TWO METHODS OF TEACHING: THE CECCHETTI METHOD OF CLASSICAL BALLET AND THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF DANCE by Barbara Ann Ruemenapp A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillm ent o f the Degree of Master of Arts Western Michigan U niversity Kalamazoo, Michigan A p ril 1979 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In writing this thesis, I have greatly benefited from the advice, concern and constructive criticism of Dr. Elisabeth Hetherington, Dr. Janet S tillw ell and Dr. Bruce Lloyd. They have indeed shared w ith me th e ir knowledge and u n s e lfis h ly gave to me th e ir time whenever i t was needed. As the f i r s t student in the Department of Dance to write a thesis, I appreciated their much needed help and advice. My g ra titu d e goes to them and also to Mr. Michael Meeusen for his constant support and encouragement. 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Requests can be made to our Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases we have filmed the best available copy. University M o d filrn s International 300 N. ZEEB ROAD. ANN ARBOR. Ml 48106 18 BEDFORD ROW. LONDON WC1R 4EJ. ENGLAND Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 1312973 RUEMENAPP• BARBARA ANN A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TWO METHODS OF TEACHINGS THE CECCHETTI METHOD OF CLASSICAL BALLET AND THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF DANCE. WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY. M .A ., 1979 University M icrofilms International 300 n zeeb road, ann arbor, mi <8io 6 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PLEASE NOTE: In a ll cases this material has been filmed 1n the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been Identified here with a check mark . 1. 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TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I INTRODUCTION ......................................................... 1 S ignificance and Background o f the S t u d y .................................................... 5 Purpose o f the Study and Statement of the Problem ............................................ 6 Need for the Study .................................... 7 Delimitations of the Study .................... 7 Definition of Terms ................................ 8 I I REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE AND A BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF BALLET.........................................................................11 I I I THE CECCHETTI METHOD OF CLASSICAL BALLET . 17 IV THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF DANCE................................. 25 V SUMMARY AND EVALUATION ..................................... 33 APPENDIX.................................................................... 43 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................ 46 i i i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION "Under the stress o f jo y , Man makes words. These words are not enough, he prolongs them. The prolonged words are not enough; he modulates them. The modulated words are not enough, and without even perceivina it his hands make gestures and his feet start to move."- Dance is a part of one of the oldest of the arts, the art of movement. To trace the origins of dance, it is necessary to go back beyond the beginnings of history into prehistoric times. As nearly as can be determined, prim itive dances are concerned with the seasons o f the year, includ ing the seasons o f vegetation, the seasons of the tribe's development or history, dances with social overtones (family birth and death dances, marriage and sexual dances, war and welcome dances, and tr ib a l in itia t io n dances) and dances with religious overtones (worship of the tribe's deity). Many cultures have produced their own forms of "dance" or motion of the body. In this way, we view dance as a daily use of expression and not as an art form devised to interest an audience. The art of theatre, of which theatrical dance is a part, is an art of relatively recent times. It emerges during the very beginning of modern history in the period known as the Renaissance.2 ^irste in , Lincoln, Dance, A Short History of Classic Theatrical Dancing. New York: Dance Horizons, Inc., 1936. p. 1. 2Guest, Ivor, The Dancer's Heritage. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1960, p. 13. 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 The term Renaissance, or rebirth, reflects man's emergence from the Dark Ages in to the Age o f Enlightenment. The Renaissance began in Italy during the fourteenth century. The rulers of this time (Lorenzo the Magnificent, the Medici ruler o f Florence, Galeazzo Sforza, Duke o f M ilan) were overly concerned with the brilliance of their courts. It mattered greatly to these rulers that they should appear important in the eyes of their neighbors. It was these people who became patrons of the arts and provided artists (those who worked in the visual and the performing arts), scientists and philosophers with the opportunities to achieve in their various fields. Professional dancing-masters were important figures at these Italian courts. Under their influence, dancing developed from a pastime into an art form. They created this art form to include a definite, elaborate and systematic technique because o f th e ir hope to ris e above and outshine th e ir neighbors. Our present ballet technique has developed from this influence. The French discovery o f th is example o f Ita lia n cu ltu re was significantly valuable in the development of ballet. Although court dancing was common in France, it had little value other than as a form of merriment, with the appearance of the Italian dancing-