Did you know that Anna Pavlova danced the role of The Dying
Swan hundreds of times throughout her career. It is even said that her last words before she died were "prepare
my swan costume".
Did you know that for his Paris performace of La Spectre de
la Rose in 1911, Nijinsky wore a costume coverd in rose petals. Later, his assistant was said to have made a small
fortune by selling the petals to Nijinsky's fans.
Did you knw that a female ballet dancer can go through 2 pairs of
pointe shoes in one performance.
Did you know that Maria Taglioni was the first ballerina to successfully
dance en pointe in a production of la Sylphide in 1832. Dancing en pointe made the dancers appear light and delicate,
like fairies. But it was not until later in the centrury when Italian shoemakers produced "blocked" shoes, that pointe
work could be sustained for any length of time.
Did you know Marie de Camargo (1710-1770) who was the most
celebrated dancer of her day and was famous for the brilliance and speed of her foot work. To show off her dazzling
footwork, she daringly raised the hem of her ballet skirt from floor length to just above the ankle.
Did you know that the first ballet dancers were courtiers and members
of the nobility. Men played the women's parts dressed in masks and wigs. The first professional female dancer
did not appear until 1681.
Did you know the first real ballet combining dance, music and mime
was commissioned by the French queen, Catherine de Medici, to celebrte a wedding. The ballet lasted 5 hours and was
watched by 10,000 guests.
Did you know the earliest ballets were danced in the royal courts
of Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries. They were called dinner ballets because the dancing took place between courses
of the banquet.
Did you know that the word ballet comes from the Italian
word balletto, which means "little dance".
Did you know that the majority of the So You Think You Can Dance
(SYTYCD) finalists have ballet training?
