Ballet

Ballet /ˈbæleɪ/ (French: [balɛ]) is a type of performance dance that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread, highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary based on French terminology. It has been globally influential and has defined the foundational techniques used in many other dance genres. Becoming a ballet dancer requires years of training. Ballet has been taught in various schools around the world, which have historically incorporated their own cultures to evolve the art.

Ballet may also refer to a ballet dance work, which consists of the choreography and music for a ballet production. A well-known example of this is The Nutcracker, a two-act ballet that was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a music score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Ballets are choreographed and performed by trained artists. Many classical ballets are performed with classical music accompaniment and use elaborate costumes and staging, though there are exceptions to this. Most notably, American choreographer George Balanchine is known for his plotless neoclassical ballets which are often performed in simple leotards and tights without scenery.

Ballet (music)

Ballet as a music form progressed from simply a complement to dance, to a concrete compositional form that often had as much value as the dance that went along with it. The dance form, originating in France during the 17th century, began as a theatrical dance. It was not until the 19th century that ballet gained status as a “classical” form. In ballet, the terms ‘classical’ and ‘romantic’ are chronologically reversed from musical usage. Thus, the 19th century classical period in ballet coincided with the 19th century Romantic era in Music. Ballet music composers from the 17th–19th centuries, including the likes of Jean-Baptiste Lully and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, were predominantly in France and Russia. Yet with the increased international notoriety seen in Tchaikovsky’s lifetime, ballet music composition and ballet in general spread across the western world.

History

Until about the second half of the 19th century the role of music in ballet was secondary, with the main emphasis on dance, while music was simply a compilation of danceable tunes. Writing "ballet music" used to be a job for musical craftsmen, rather than for masters. For example, critics of the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky mentioned his writing of ballet music as something demeaning.

Classics (Kenny Rogers and Dottie West album)

Classics is a duet album by Kenny Rogers and Dottie West, released in 1979.

This album was Kenny Rogers' and Dottie West's second album together. Their previous album, Every Time Two Fools Collide, was a major seller, and made them one of the biggest duet acts country music has ever seen. This album was no different. The album sold very well, and peaked at number three on the Top Country Albums chart in 1979, and No.82 on the Billboard 200. This album featured cover versions of classic hits by other artists, including two country hit singles, one went to number one, called "All I Ever Need Is You" (a big hit for Sonny and Cher), and another went to number three, called "'Til I Can Make It on My Own" (a hit for Tammy Wynette).

The album was certified by the RIAA as Platinum. It has sold over 2 million copies world-wide.

Track listing

Classic (Rah Digga album)

Classic is the second album by American hip hop recording artist Rah Digga. It is her first released since her 2000 debut album Dirty Harriet.

A buzz single entitled "Warning Shots" was released for promotion while "This Ain't No Lil' Kid Rap" was released as the sole single. The album was released through Raw Koncept on September 14, 2010.

Track listing

All songs are produced by Nottz

External links

Rah Digga Talks Comeback LP, Working With Nottz at XXL (magazine)

References

Classics (Ratatat album)

Classics is the second full-length album from Ratatat, released on August 22, 2006. As with their first album, Classics is almost entirely instrumental, with the only exception being a large cat-like sound sample used in "Wildcat."

During a September 15, 2006 interview on radio station KEXP, the band revealed that part of the album was recorded in upstate New York in a house owned by Björk.

This album produced three singles: "Lex", "Wildcat", and "Loud Pipes".

The track "Tropicana" was featured in the 2007 film "Knocked Up".

Track listing

References

External links

Classics at Discogs