2014/15 The Faerie Queen A Ballet Based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream Photography Réjean Brandt PHOTO: PHOTO: STUDY GUIDE Elizabeth Lamont ABOUT Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet Réjean Brandt Photography Réjean Brandt PHOTO: PHOTO: Company Dancers Company Dancers Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally founded Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School nearly 75 years ago. The two women met when Lloyd was running a dance school in Leeds, England and Farrally was her student. They both immigrated to Canada in 1938, and settled in Winnipeg. There they offered dance classes to the community – starting out with only six students in their first year. Word quickly spread, however, and by year two their enrolment had grown and they were able to establish the “Winnipeg Ballet Club.” By 1943, The Winnipeg Ballet was formed with all of its dancers coming from the Club. Six years later, the Company officially became a not-for-profit cultural institution. In 1951, the Company was invited to perform for then Princess Elizabeth during her visit to Winnipeg, just prior to her becoming Her majesty Princess Elizabeth’s visit to Winnipeg visit to Elizabeth’s Princess Her majesty Queen of England. Following her coronation in 1953, she bestowed The Winnipeg Ballet’s “Royal” designation. Between the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) School’s two divisions of study, there is a place for virtually every type of dance student: from preschoolers to adults, those new to dance and those aspiring to become professional dancers. Gweneth Lloyd, Betty Farrally, Betty Farrally, Lloyd, Gweneth T-B includes a command performance which introduces her to The Winnipeg Ballet (1951) The Winnipeg Ballet her to which introduces performance includes a command THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 1 PREPARING To see the ballet This booklet is designed to enhance the student’s experience at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s performance of The Faerie Queen, A Ballet Based on a Midsummer Night’s Dream. The activities and information included are organized to help students prepare, understand, enjoy, and respond to their experience watching the performance. DURING THE PERFORMANCE: AFTER THE Enjoy the ballet! As part of the audience, your attendance is as essential to the ballet PERFORMANCE: performance as the dancers themselves. Prior to arriving at the theatre, discuss Process and respond proper audience etiquette using the keywords below. These steps will help students to the performance handle their feelings and enthusiasm appropriately. It is also very important to arrive by engaging in class on time or even early for the performance in order to allow enough time to settle in discussions or writing a and focus on the performance. letter to the RWB. We love CONCENTRATION: Always sit still and watch in a quiet, concentrated way. This to get feedback from our supports the dancers so that they can do their best work on stage. student groups. QUIET: Auditoriums are designed to carry sound so that the performers can be WRITE TO: heard, which also means that any sound in the audience (whispering, laughing, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet rustling papers or speaking) can be heard by dancers and other audience members. 380 Graham Avenue Your movement or checking your phone and texting disrupts the performance for Winnipeg, MB, R3C 4K2 everyone, so always ensure that phones and other electronic devices are turned off during the entire performance. E [email protected] facebook.com/RWBallet By watching quietly and attentively you show respect for the dancers. The RESPECT: twitter.com/RWBallet dancers show respect for you (the audience) and for the art of dance by doing their very best work. instagram.com/RWBallet pinterest.com/RWBallet APPRECIATION: Do clap at the end of a dance (when there is a pause in the music) if you feel like showing your appreciation. At Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, our mandate is: “To enrich the human experience by teaching, creating and performing outstanding dance.” Whether touring the world’s stages, visiting schools, offering rigorous dance classes for all experience levels, or performing at Ballet in the Park each summer, the RWB consistently delivers world class dance and instruction to the citizens Samanta Katz Samanta of Winnipeg and far beyond. PHOTO: PHOTO: Find out more about us at rwb.org. RWB Company Dancers RWB Company Dancers THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 2 ABOUT Ballet The First Ballet that have been handed and allow the audience to with the Russian composer In 16th century France and down through centuries, see her intricate footwork Pyotr Tchaikovsky to create Italy, royalty competed to and which now form the and complex jumps, which the lavish story ballet have the most splendid basis of today’s classical often rivaled those of the spectacles such as Swan court. Monarchs ballet style. men. Ballet companies Lake, The Sleeping Beauty would search for and The First were now being set up and The Nutcracker. Today, employ the best poets, Professional Dancers all over France to train these ballets still form the musicians and artists. At first, ballets were dancers for the opera. The basis of the classical ballet At this time, dancing performed at the Royal first official ballet company repertoire of companies all became increasingly Court, but in 1669 King (a collection of dancers over the world. theatrical. This form of who train professionally) Louis opened the first One Act Ballets entertainment, also called was based at the Paris opera house in Paris. In 1909, the Russian the ballet de court (court Opera and opened in 1713. Ballet was first viewed impresario Serge ballet), featured elaborate publicly in the theatre The Pointe Shoe Diaghilev brought scenery and lavish as part of the opera. By 1830, ballet as a together a group of costumes, plus a series The first opera featuring theatrical art form dancers, choreographers, of processions, poetic ballet, entitled Pomone, truly came into its own. composers, artists speeches, music and included dances created Influenced by the Romantic and designers into his dancing. The first known by Beauchamp. Women Movement, which was company, the Ballets ballet, Le Ballet comique de participated in ballets at sweeping the world of Russes. This company la Reine, was performed at court, but were not seen art, music, literature and took Paris by storm as court in 1581 by the Queen in the theatre until 1681. philosophy, ballet took it introduced, instead of France (and her ladies) Soon, as the number of on a whole new look. The of long story ballets in at her sister’s wedding. performances increased, ballerina ruled supreme. the classical tradition, The Sun King courtiers who danced Female dancers now short one act ballets In the 17th century, for a hobby gave way to wore calf-length, white, such as, Schéhérazade, the popularity and professional dancers who bell-shaped tulle skirts. Les Sylphides, The Rite development of ballet trained longer and harder. To enhance the image of of Spring, Firebird and could be attributed to The physical movement the ballerina as light and Petrouchka. Some of the King Louis XIV of France. of the first professional ethereal, the pointe shoe worlds greatest dancers, He took dancing very dancers was severely was introduced, enabling including Anna Pavlova seriously and trained daily hindered by their lavish women to dance on the (1881-1931), Vasslav with his dance master, and weighty costumes tips of their toes. Nijinsky (1889-1950) and Pierre Beauchamp. One and headpieces. They also Classical Ballet choreographers Mikhail of the King’s famous wore dancing shoes with Although the term Fokine (1880-1942) and roles was the Rising Sun tiny heels, which made it “classical” is often used to George Balanchine which led him to become rather difficult to dance refer to traditional ballet, (1904-1983) were part of known as the “Sun King.” with pointed toes. this term really describes Diaghilev’s company. King Louis also set up Revealing Feet and Ankles a group of story ballets the Academie Royale de Early in the 18th century first seen in Russia at the Danse (Royal Academy of in Paris, the ballerina, end of the 19th century. Dance) in 1661, where, for Marie Camargo, shocked At this time, the centre of the first time, steps were audiences by shortening ballet moved from France structurally codified and her skirts to just above the to Russia. In Russia, the recorded by Beauchamp. ankle. She did this to be French choreographer These are the same steps freer in her movements Marius Petipa collaborated DID YOU KNOW … ? SEE FOR YOURSELF! Dancing ballet puts Do a search for images of ballet a lot of wear on a dancers throughout the ages. dancer’s shoes. Some Can you notice the differences dancers need to get in costumes over time? What do new shoes every week! most dancers wear today? Marie Camargo, with her ankles exposed with her ankles Marie Camargo, THE FAERIE QUEEN STUDY GUIDE | 3 THE LIFE OF A DANCER The career of a dancer is relatively short and it is not unusual to spend more years training than dancing professionally. As in Olympic-level sport, the movements demanded of the human body in ballet are very specific and require great precision and care. For that reason, the physique must be prepared for a professional ballet career at a young age. The professional training period usually consists of at least seven years of intensive, precise work. Ideally, girls and boys should begin their professional training by age ten. Training is a very progressive process. The young professional student begins with daily classes, practicing the basic ballet positions and movements, learning body placement and how to move through the space with balance and artistry.