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Romantic Era Dance. Romantic Era Ballet. Brought the ballerina to new heights of glamour and popularity Male dancer's role decreased 1830-1840 - The Golden Age of Ballet. The Golden Age of Ballet. Ballet became supremely popular during the Romantic Era.
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Romantic Era Ballet • Brought the ballerina to new heights of glamour and popularity • Male dancer's role decreased • 1830-1840 - The Golden Age of Ballet
The Golden Age of Ballet • Ballet became supremely popular during the Romantic Era. • The most important composer and ballet choreographer is Tchaikovsky
The Nutcracker Suite • The Romanticism movement saw the Golden Age of ballet develop, as we see in Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. The ballet is a narrative fantasy, for it shows the toys of a child coming to life and having an adventure. Part of the Nutcracker Suite is the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," a fantasy of magic, whim, and emotion typical of the Romantic period. The Nutcracker shows two key elements of the Romantic Period: • a tendency to portray life as it is not; it may distort the real world in order to escape from it, and • reason came in second to feeling and intuition. Writers abandon the old rules and started using stylized methods.
The Nutcracker Plot Synopsis • Exposition • A mysterious magician and toymaker once invented a trap that killed off half the mouse population. • In revenge, the wicked Mouse Queen cast a spell on Drosselmeyer's nephew, Hans-Peter. • Transformed him into an ugly nutcracker doll. • The only way to break the spell is for the Nutcracker to slay the Mouse King and for a young girl to love and care for him in spite of his awful appearance.
Rising Action • Drosselmeyer gives his nephew to Clara as a Christmas gift, hoping to end the curse. • At the end of the Christmas party, Clara goes downstairs and finds Drosselmeyer waiting to put her into a magical land • The magician summons the Mouse King and he and The Nutcracker fight.
Climax • The Nutcracker slays the Mouse King, but only through the intervention of Clara, who, out of compassion, saves the Nutcracker's life. • Hans-Peter is restored to his real self.
Falling Action • Clara and The Nutcracker (now Hans-Peter) travel to the Land of Snow, then the Sugar Garden in the Kingdom of Sweets, where they meet the Sugar Plum Fairy • Drosselmeyer honors them for their bravery.
Denoument • Returning to reality, Clara runs out to Drosselmeyer, but sees the human form of The Nutcracker instead • Drosselmeyer prays that his efforts will be rewarded. • His nephew returns; the spell has indeed been broken.