Ballet as Ideology: Giselle, Act 2

1. Ballet as Ideology: Giselle, Act 2 Evan Alderson Presented by: Michelle dePozsgay Edited by Laura Pratt and Dr. Kay Picart

2. Aims • To understand how art functions in society • To understand how ideology is projected through aesthetic value in Giselle • To explore the connection between Balanchine’s ballerina and the incidence of Anorexia

3. Key Terms • What is IDEOLOGY:____________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Key Terms • What is ROMANTICISM: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Key Terms • What is the BOURGEOISIE:_________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Ballet Terms • ADAGIO:____________________________________ • ATTITUDE: _____________________________________________ • BALLET BLANC: _______________________________ • RONDS DE JAMBE: ____________________________ • POINTES: ____________________________________

7. Theophile Gautier 1811 – 1872 Libretto for Giselle “More than one eye which thought it was seeing only ronds de jambe and pointes found to its surprise its vision obscured by a tear- which does not often happen in ballet.” (123)

8. Giselle CHARACTERS: • GISELLE:___________________ • ALBRECHT: ________________ • HILLARION: ________________ • PRINCESS BATHILDE: ___________________________ • THE WILIS: ______________________________________________________ • QUEEN MYRTHA: ___________________________

9. Giselle PLOT: • ACT1: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • ACT2: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Alderson’s Giselle experience • Second Act adagio, Giselle en attitude: “...Evelyn Hart’s virtuosity, the forms of grace given in ballet, the unfolding story, the music and the décor all seemed to become one thing. Criticism fell away; I was for that time seized by beauty.” (123)

11. Alderson’s Giselle Experience • Act 1: _____________ • Act 2: _____________ • ______________________________

12. FEMININE POWER: Act 2 The Wilis’ great revenge • ______________________________________________________________________ • ______________________________________________________________________ Giselle’s forgiveness • _________________________________

13. The Bourgeoisie • Gautier claimed to despise the bourgeoisie: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ • Center of social value: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. The Bourgeoisie • Bourgeois values embedded in Giselle • “MASK:” ________________________________________________________________________ • “VEIL:” ________________________________________________________________________ Though he vows to oppose the “intolerable world of the bourgeoisie,” he has instead become its ideologist. (127)

15. Maria Taglioni • sexuality and chastity • first and foremost ballerina of the Romantic period • father, Fillipo Taglioni created La Sylphide for her

16. Taglioni • Gautier, “The dancer for women” • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________ • ____________________________________________________________________________

17. More Key Terms • ANOREXIA NERVOSA: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ • ANORECTIC: ____________________________________________________________________

18. Balanchine • “Ballet is woman” (129) • “Man is a better cook, a better painter, a better musician, composer…Man is stronger, faster…And woman accepts this, It is her business to accept. She knows what is beautiful.” (129)

19. Balanchine and Anorexia “The man who defeminized women” • ___ percent of female ballet students are anorectics (130) • Ballet training and Anorexia: ____________________________________________________________________ • ___________ sexuality

20. Balanchine and Anorexia • “The anorectic pursues, with a vengeance, a particular ideal of feminine beauty.” (130) • The ballerina invites women to embody her same image. • “Anorexia is a cultural invasion of the body.” (130)

21. Ideology, Aesthetics, and Dance • AESTHETICS: ____________________________________________________________________ • IDEOLOGY: ____________________________________________________________________________ • THE CONNECTION: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. Works Cited • Alderson, Evan. “Ballet as Ideology: Giselle, Act 2.” Meaning in Motion. Ed. Jane Desmond. Durham: Duke University Press, 1997. 121-131 • McKenzie, Kevin. “Ballet Dictionary.” American Ballet Theater. Ballet Theater Foundation, Inc. 2003. 22 Mar 2005. http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/index.html • Shomler, Bob. “Giselle Act 2.” 1994. http://www.shomler.com/dance/giselle/ • “Taglioni, Maria,” “Anorexia Nervosa.” Columbia Encyclopedia, sixth edition. Highbeam Research, Inc 2005. 22 Mar 2005. http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/T/Taglioni.asp • Garland, Kevin. “La Sylphide Note.” The National Ballet of Canada. 22 Mar 2005. http://www.national.ballet.ca/Performances/Seasons/2005fall/sylphideNote.php • Hugo, Victor. “Theophile Gautier.” 22 Mar 2005 http://www.victorhugo2002.culture.fr/culture/celebrations/hugo/fr/contpg4.htm • Croatian National Theater, Multimedia. “Giselle.” 2004. 22 Mar 2005. <http://www.hnk.hr/en/novosti.php>