第一篇 TheDevelopment of Ballet

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

Ballet began in the royal courts duringthe Renaissance. At that time it became common for kings and quee'ns, as well as other nobility(贵族), to participate in pageants that includedmusic, poetry, and dance. As these entertainments moved fromthe Italian courts to the French ones, court ladies be- gan participating in them. Though their longdresses prevented much movement, they were able to perform. elaborate(复杂的) walking patterns. It was not until the 1600sthat women dancers shortened theirskirts, changed to flat shoes, and began doing some of the leaps and turnsperformed by men.

It was also in the 1600s thatprofessional ballet began King Louis XIV of France, himself a devoted dan- cer, founded the Royal Academy of Dance. Thefive basic feet positions from which all ballet steps begin were finalizecL Inthe late 1700s another important change occurred. Ballet began to tell a storyon its own. It was no longer simply dance to be performed between acts ofplays. Elaborate wigs(假发) and costumes wereelimina- ted By the early 1800s dancers leamed to rise on their toes to make itappear that they were floating.

Classical ballet as we know it today wasinfluenced primarily by Russian dancing. The Russians remainedinterested inballet when it declined in otherEuropean countries iri the mid-1800s. One ofthe most influentialfigures of the early 20th century was Sergei Diaghilev Hisdance company, the Ballets Russes, brought a newenergy and excitement toballet. One of his chief assistants, George Balanchine, went on to found theNewYork City Ballet in 1948 and to influence new generations of dancers.

31 This passage deals mainly with

A.famous names in ballet

B.how ballet has developed

C. Russian ballet

D. why ballet is no longer popula