Enrico Cecchetti: Taking the Past
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ENRICO CECCHETTI: TAKING THE PAST INTO THE FUTURE by Kirsten Marie Koeraer submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Dance Chair:' Naima Prevots Rob Esposito j O t V v - - iela Moore Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Date ^ 2001 American University Washington, D.C. 20016 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LIBRAS' Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1405484 Copyright 2001 by Koemer, Kirsten Marie All rights reserved. UMI___ ® UMI Microform 1405484 Copyright 2001 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © COPYRIGHT BY KIRSTEN MARIE KOERNER 2001 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ENRICO CECCHETTI: TAKING THE PAST INTO THE FUTURE BY Kirsten Marie Koemer ABSTRACT Enrico Cecchetti was both a reflection of the time in which he worked and an innovator who helped to usher in changes in the world of dance. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the contributions of Cecchetti throughout his career as a dancer, teacher, and theoretician, and the lasting impact that is still seen today. Currently, there are no comprehensive explorations into Cecchetti’s life and career that analyze his theory and why it was developed, and what makes this training method unique. With each new generation of teachers and dancers, some of the performance quality instilled in Cecchetti trained students is lost. Therefore, there is an urgent need to document these qualities. Research for this project was done not only through collection of printed material, but also the author’s ongoing personal study of the Cecchetti Method from Standards A through Diploma level. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to thank just a few of the many individuals who helped contribute to this project, especially to her coach Pamela Moore and the teachers’ class at the National Ballet School of Maryland, and the faculty of the American University, especially Naima Prevots. Thanks also go to the rest of the faculty, staff, and students of the National Ballet. The author also appreciates the encouragement and contributions of many members of the Cecchetti Council of America, and in particular the East Coast Committee. Thank you also to Katherine van den Heuvel, for modeling for the photographs included in this paper. m Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT............................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................................................... iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS..................................................................................................... v Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1 2. BIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND.................................................................. 6 3. NON-CECCHETTI TRAINING METHODS .................................................. 10 4. CECCHETTI PEDAGOGY ................................................................................ 16 5. CECCHETTI’S CLASS AS A SYLLABUS.................................................... 28 6. THE USE OF THE CHILDREN’S GRADES.................................................. 34 7. CECCHETTI’S INFLUENCE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE..............38 APPENDIX................................................................................................................................50 BIBLIOGRAPHY.....................................................................................................................65 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. The Eight Fixed Points of the Practice Room.................................................................50 2. The Five Positions of the Head........................................................................................ 51 3. Epaulement..........................................................................................................................52 4. Body Alignment................................................................................................................. 52 5. Positions of the Feet and Arms.........................................................................................53 6. Derivative and Softened Arm Positions...........................................................................55 7. Hand Positions....................................................................................................................57 8. Ten Movements of the Foot..............................................................................................58 9. Cecchetti Attitudes............................................................................................................. 60 10. Cecchetti Arabesques.................................................................................................... 61 11. Eight Body Positions..................................................................................................... 62 12. Other Cecchetti Positions.............................................................................................64 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Enrico Cecchetti was not only a reflection o f the times in which he worked, but was also an innovator who helped to usher in changes in the world of dance. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the contributions of Cecchetti throughout his career as a dancer and teacher and the lasting impact that is still seen today Bom literally into the theatre, in a dressing room at the Apollo Theatre in Tordinona, Italy following a performance on June 21, 1850, Enrico Cecchetti made an early mark on the dance world as an outstanding technician. He had studied with teachers such as Giovanni Lepri and Cesare Coppini, proteges of the celebrated pedagogue Carlo Blasis. Although Blasis did not coach Enrico Cecchetti, he observed the young man in rehearsals and predicted a successful future. Another influential teacher in his training was Fillippo Taglioni, ballerina Marie Taglioni’s father and coach. Cecchetti first found success as a performer. His career included performing as a child with his family on a tour of the United States in 1858, and continued with tours throughout Europe and Russia throughout the 1860s and 1870s. He formed his own small troupe in 1882. This group continued to tour through 1887, when Cecchetti, at age 37, was invited to join the Maryinsky Ballet as a principal dancer and assistant ballet master to Marius Petipa. Through his career as a performer, Cecchetti was celebrated as a partner for his pas de deux lifts. He performed such feats as lifting and carrying the ballerina over his l Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 head on the palm of his hand. He was also appreciated for his own technique, with his exciting performance quality and superior technical