Do you have a blossoming young dancer in your family? Are you wondering which iconic classic ballets you can show them for inspiration?
Classical ballets may not be as difficult as you think to find. Local colleges, community theaters, and dance schools often give excellent performances for an affordable price. And of course, a big day out to a professional theater is well worth the money if you've got an aspiring dancer in your family.
If you've got a busy family, you may simply wish to show ballets in your home theater and discuss them together. This also gives your tiny dancer a chance to re-watch their parts as many times as they want.
Here are some famous classic ballets you've got to introduce to your little ballet-lover.
Why the Ballet?
Classical ballet promotes excellent discipline habits in children. It teaches them gross and fine motor skills, teamwork, and fosters life-long friendships.
When you take your child to the ballet, you're showing them what they can become if they continue to practice diligently even when they don't feel like it. They'll get inspired by the excitement of the theater as well as the costumes, lights, and music on stage.
Ballet exposes your child to classical music and works by famous composers such as Mozart and Tchaikovsky. This can help improve their brains, encourage listening skills and even enhance creativity. Classical music can also help to boost your child's memory, build self-esteem, and develop a love of learning.
Certain ballets are perfectly suited for little minds to latch onto.
1. Swan Lake
The music of Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky has a graceful innocence. You'll hear waltzes that are easy to remember and meet characters that are hard to forget.
The sets and costumes in Swan Lake are fascinating. The story, however, can get interpreted a bit tragically. Swan Lake is an excellent choice for serious dancers who are a little older.
2. Cinderella
If happy endings are more your little dancer's style, take them to see Cinderella, whose music is composed by Sergei Prokofiev. The romantic, flowing melodies emulate the unparalleled romance of the story.
The story of Cinderella is classic, with a beautiful young girl transformed into a glowing debutante the night of the prince's ball. While she must return to her life working for her evil stepmother, the prince tracks her down using a glass slipper and they live happily ever after.
3. The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker with music by Tchaikovsky is another classic ballet for children. It features the story of young Clara, who falls asleep at a Christmas party and enters a dream world fantasy. Waltzing through the stage are soldiers, princes, and Sugar Plum fairies that have all become holiday classics.
The Nutcracker features music that features motifs in different meters. This is a great way to introduce your child to the feel of songs in 4/4 and 3/4 time. And the melodies will remain with them for a lifetime.
4. Sleeping Beauty
If your little dancer loves fairy tales, they'll not soon forget Sleeping Beauty. The happy ending features a princess being awakened from a deep sleep by a brave prince.
Sleeping Beauty is famous for its waltz, but so much of the music is memorable. It features many challenging parts for ballerinas that require excellent, clean technique.
5. Romeo and Juliet
Prokofiev wrote the score for Romeo and Juliet in 1935, and it has inspired many great choreographers. The music is considered some of the greatest in ballet history. Children will learn a classic love story that will inspire them to read Shakespeare when introduced in English class.
6. Firebird
Firebird is a classic ballet written by Igor Stravinsky with music that was somewhat dissonant for its time. The end result, however, is haunting melodies and beautiful stage production that's difficult to forget. And the happy ending allows the prince to rescue princesses and marry one of his choosing.
7. Giselle
Giselle first became popular in Paris in 1941. It's a tragically romantic story of a young, fragile peasant girl. In the ballet world, the role of Giselle is much sought-after, as it requires an impressive level of technique.
8. Coppelia
The music of Coppelia is choreographed by Delibes, whose waltzes and suites can bring an audience to tears. Coppelia is a beautiful life-sized doll whose gorgeous appearance results in a young man falling in love with her. If your child is entranced by fantastic stories and elegant ballerinas, they won't want to miss out on this classic.
9. Don Quixote
Don Quixote tells the story of an older man who dreams of a beautiful woman named Dulcinea. He mistakes Kitri for Dulcinea, and Kitri uses the opportunity to escape from an undesirable marriage match arranged by her father. The tone of Don Quixote is both serious and inspiring at the same time.
10. La Sylphide
The pointe work in La Sylphide is pretty impressive. It was first danced in the Paris Opera in 1832. The revised version is what's used in modern productions.
La Sylphide is seen as a cornerstone in the Russian ballet tradition, and it set a precedent in the world of ballet.
Classical Ballets for Your Dancer
If your child loves to dance and perform, you can't go wrong by introducing them to some of the finest classical ballets in music literature. The melodies, technique, and costumes will inspire them to work and create as they develop into a young musician.
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known and to to educate my grandchildren minds. Please and thank you. I want them to learn and explore life and danc