Why Russians Are So Good At Ballet | AJ+
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- Ballet dancers have charmed and delighted audiences for decades. The familiar performances of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake have something in common -- and it all has to do with Russia.
Learn more here:
The New Yorker. “Danse Macabre” www.newyorker....
NPR. “Tracing Ballet's Cultural History Over 400 Years” www.npr.org/20...
Music tracks courtesy of APM and Audio Network.
*Presented and Sr. Produced By: *Imaeyen Ibanga
*Produced by*: Steph Whiteside
Shot and Edited by: Brian Joseph
Animations by: Kai Tang
Executive Producer: Sarah Nasr
Music tracks courtesy of APM and Audio Networks.
Footage and images courtesy of Getty.
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1. They pick the right girls for ballet and it’s strict. You have to be born with ballet body and flexibility.
2. Strict ballet training schools from a young age.
3. Skilled Teachers.
4. Funding.
5. It’s a respected and well loved art.
Buibuiopolis Mayor plain and simple. Excellent. Maybe you should have produced the video
Yes, great summary.
That's why I moved to Russia to learn ballet. I didn't feel challenged in American ballet classes. I amazingly got accepted into a Russian ballet school in Moscow
That's discrimination against people who want to try it but they don't "fit"...
@@vaniapinto8214 anybody can learn it's just that not everybody will become professional. That's just life.
Italians invented ballet. French created the terms and moves. Russia perfected it
The French invented it and the Italians through Enrico Cecchetti turned it into a technical art form. and...what historian (or person with Wikipedia) doesn't know this!? Do they not check their info before publishing? #apparentlynot ...and now "the masses" think everything here is "the truth" #sigh So sad.
“Italians invented ballet, french created the moves” seems kinda contradictory.
Yes, I rephrased what I say as possibly someone removed their comment?
Only extrem extension..
Annette Thomas #lol #omg
When you think you're going to watch a video about ballet in Russia but really its all about America :(
Very interesting.Thank you!
@@BAn-mu4qe You're welcome
ye and that sucks
You're right. Hollywood is entertainment, and Russian ballet is politics. Who will believe that Hollywood is not politics and not the promotion of the American way of life and ideology to the world? there are no fools to believe in it.
01:04
Because the government splurge money on it: if a Russian public ballet academy decides through examinations that you have talent, they take you in, they pay your expenses and organise your ballet and school tuition. In the US you will in the best cases get a scholarship.
idraote i was expecting this to be mentioned aswell. This video seemed more about why people left russia and origins of american ballet rather than why russians are so good at it, per title.
While the tuition is paid, the students who board have to pay boarding, they have to purchase their own ballet shoes, and there is still outside costs that need to be covered. It's not completely free.
As far as I know, they have special funds for children from poor families. If a child is talented enough to study in state ballet school and can't afford boarding or pointe shoes they will cover the expenses.
Yes, the poor students, not all the students. Most of them don't get those scholarships.
It isn't just about "gov funding"--the Bolshoi did 350million in tickets last year and broadcasts in theaters all over the world every month; the Russians are better at capitalizing on their art than "capitalist" americans.
oh and they're just orders of magnitude better and worth the ticket price.
The music of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Shostakovich is in the heart of love for Russian Ballet. My impression after reading autobiographies and biographies of Russian dancers is that Russian ballet concentrates on the hands as much as the feet.
Как говорят в любой балетной школе в России- музыка первична, мы за музыкой, а не музыка за нами. Вы правильно поняли.
Уделяется внимание всему. Гармонии ВСЕХ частей тела.
also acrobats* like seriously most acrobat performers I've seen are either from Russia or neighboring eastern European countries like Ukraine.
Rome Blanchard slavs
There's also China
China as well. Huge history of acrobatic and contortionist performace there... but, they are all in Asia, so.
Yes! Especially Cirque du Soleil performers. They tend to be the acrobats, contortionists, or aerialists in many shows.
at 5:30 she just loses all focus and balance
Interviewer: why is ballet synonymous with Russia
Russian: because we are the great
😂😂
Sorry, this has nothing to do with the question "Why Russians are so good at ballet". This is just piffle about politics, not about the training, the style, the ballet itself.
flankerpraha kinda agree but i think the things that they talked about made an environment and culture that encouraged ballet if that makes sense
flankerpraha totally agreeing with u
They also didn´t explain how and why ballet came to Russia...
Agreed, so many things incorrect in this video it's pathetic...and they had a dance historian who apparently told them that Classical Dance began in Italy not France?! The female dancer in the video (with badly fitting pointe shoes) is not vaganova trained. No mention of Methodology or Pedagogy etc. etc. Oy! No wonder America is confused. :/
Agreed
1:12 "Why has ballet become synonymous with Russia and Russians? Because we are the great."
Grace W I know right.
Erica Lozano Russians are good in so many art form!
@@mygoldenparis2898 yes. Literature. The Russian novels are a thousand pages in some cases
Racist
@@olgathehornyvampirevegan2413 How come
I don't think this video explained why Russians are good at ballet.
First of all, a special technique brought to perfection by Agrippina Vaganova, and secondly (or maybe this is the first?) exhausting work, and the work of a child. At the same time, a Russian ballerina should not be a piece of muscles, but thin and elegant, which is achieved by the techniques invented by Vaganova.
Well, the state invests money in the support and development of ballet.
That didn't explain anything about why Russians are so good at ballet! or how did ballet became so accessible for large population in Russia?! Was it included in the public education? What's the average cost of ballet courses for the young beginner, what kind of career path do Russian ballet dancers have? That's the questions you should address, not the Soviet, Cold war, artists fleeing and bring ballet to United States.
True, I assume you know the answer and just pointing out what the video should be about, but just in case you are not.... No, ballet isn't included in public education for all kids, but Russia has several famous ballet academies which provide both ballet and general education at the same time and which are free for Russian citizens. They also provide boarding for out-of-towners which isn't free, but relatively inexpensive. This way they get a lot of applicants and can afford to pick and choose those with the best "ballet physique". If someone doesn't measure up, (s)he is expelled. They accept 10-11 year olds - used to start one year earlier if I am not mistaken, but now the government requires that kids complete elementary school first - and while many kids have had classes before in various private studios (not sure about the cost, but I think it varies and affordable), prior training isn't a requirement as they choose kids based on natural characteristics - bodies, turnout, flexibility, musicality, etc. Some kids come from rhythmic gymnastics. As to the career, here is where some of this year's Vaganova graduates got: melmoth.blog/post/176225387768/whos-going-where-update-3 Basically, Bolshoi would take a few graduates from Bolshoi ballet school and sometimes a couple from Vaganova, maybe a couple from other schools, Mariinsky would take a few Vaganova graduates to their corps, other theaters may take some of the others. These academies are famous, so some may find employment abroad.
Wow！ I didn't know about that!! Very enlightening, thank you :))))))
If you are interested, there is a Russian documentary "Dance of the Little Swans" about auditions to the Vaganova academy.
@@jewelmarkess , всегда брали с 11 лет. И не потому, что нужно окончить начальную школу, а по медицинским соображениям. К этому возрасту заканчивается формироваться что-то в организме, не помню уже, что именно. Не обязательна предварительная подготовка, важны только природные данные. И самый первый отбор- медицинская комиссия.
@@professorpanchenko Спасибо за информацию. Вы уверены, что даже давно, например, в 1930х и 40х годах тоже брали в 10-11? Мая Плисетская поступила в МГАХ в 8, но, как она сама писала, это было на год раньше, т.е. тогда брали в 9. Сейчас требование после начальной школы, а не возраст, и написано, что в это время в основном все 10-11, но на странице МГАХа написано 9-11, наверно учитывая тех, кто окончил школу раньше.
Because russian way of teaching is brutal. First they break you, then they make you. I'm russian and can speak from experience. US teachers rather say something like "it's okay if you can't do this honey, just try again dont give up". Ballet is not as easy and soft as it looks like. It's an extreme sport that requires extreme discipline
Какая чушь про « ломают». Не хочешь, не занимайся. Там к батарее не привязывают.
The title of this is slightly confusing. I was anticipating a show of difference in the training and style (core). This seemed more about politics than anything. Still entertaining in a way. But i have to say, his side by side comparisons of american to russian style was so incredibly innacurate it made me cringe 😆 both styles are beautiful in their own way... but you can spot russian technique (vaganova) from a mile away.
yes! thank you! the side to side was a very faulty representation of what both techniques are like. they should’ve just had two different people that have trained in both styles
It literally says in the thumbnail that it's a political dance. So of course it's going to be how ballet has come to be in Russia and the politics behind it.
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but vaganova is taught all over the world ..i had a teacher from italy who taught me vaganova because its huge there ..most professional dancers do all styles they chose one
Exactly. I'm a Russian principal dancer but I'm an American dancer. It's a weird jump sometimes in technique but it's beautiful in their own ways
Russia: *develops extremely strict training programs, highly efficient talent scouting and scientific training methods in sports, ballet and classical music*
USA: OmG tHEY aRE dOInG It aS StaTE PrOPaGaNDa!!!!! TheY R aLl o n StErOiDs
The video felt very rushed with too many grandiose statements with none fully explaining why Russians are good at ballet.
They're the best because they choose the best. If you don't have the right body type, you're out. If you don't work hard enough , you're out. No place for political correctness.
That's so true. Plain and simple. No chubby ballerinas in Russia.
@Erica Lozano I really do not know where you got that information that Russians can't afford food. What is a proven fact is that Europeans and Americans gorge on food, more often rhan not junk food, and therefore are plagued with obesity. THAT's really sad.
@Erica Lozano Jelena Muhina is Soviet era gymnast who had a terrible accident on vault. Happens, unfortunately, now and then, the latest example beeing of a Brazilian female gymnast. On vault. But you are off topic, you were talking about famin-stricken Russia. Or, you are just one of those male-wrestlers type of women, eaten up by jealousy and hate towards beautiful girls.
Russians have discipline: either you work hard and obey everything your teacher tells you, or you’re out. That’s why.
So, not a word about Agrippina Vaganova?
Scuttlebutt101 s
It's not called "American version" and "European version", it's Balanchine technique and Vaganova technique but maybe it was back then during the Cold War
As someone who's studied many styles of ballet I think Russian ballet is prettier.
definitely and it's cleaner too
I, as a totally definitely absolutely unbiased American ballerina, think that it depends on the moves. Some Russian techniques are nicer and easier, some techniques from the "other" ballets are. It all depends.
Literally no one can compete with russians and russian style ballet; they are absolutely number 1. They are very strict and ambitious people, difficult to explain to those not familiar with russians and russian mentality, they are perfectionists at their very core and do not fool around. You can see it not only in ballet but music and literature, It is amazing.
and in math and physics too
"Why Russians Are So Good At Ballet?"
because in Russia the ballet is taught for 280 years.
Russians are the best ballet dancers because they train using the Vagovana system. One can watch a ballerina bouree and tell if she was trained by an American teacher or a Russian. Also, Russian dancers take their art seriously and devote hours each day to study and practice. Americans don't.
PastelGaming was your teacher American?
You have Americans that devote hours going to ballet school but still living with their parents / family and not getting shoved into an academy at age 6 away from your parents because you have the right body type .
Glenda Peterson informative comment
Absolutely true!
Also the government subsidizes the ballet which means it pays for a child's training if by audition that child has the perfect body for the art. During communism in Russia was when the content of a ballet became political as the government dictated what was acceptable.
I think that it all boils down to priorities, standards, and cultural history. The Russian government gives vast monetary support to conservatories within the country, so Russian artists (musicians, dancers, etc.) are able to attend these institutions without being crippled by debt. Not to mention the fact that artists in Russia are treated like royalty, as they deserve to be considered all of their efforts. Plus, Russian conservatories generally recruit their students at very young ages and they put them through years of intense training in order to attain the highest level of performance. In comparison, the United States government couldn't care less about the arts. Most parents within the US don't see the true value of art, so they aren't willing to expose their children to it at a young age, let alone put their kids through the intense training that Russian children endure. Plus, the whole "starving artist" stereotype has made it a taboo to pursue art instead of something more lucrative like law or finance.
You said well: Murican parents dont value art. In Soviet Russia, art was not something inferior or to put aside.
0:16 HE USED TO BE MY TEACHER!!! 😵 I was not expecting that! I just clicked on a random video that looked interesting *and there’s Anton* right there! I’m shook
Wowowowowowowo
Very typical of americans to make it all about politics
Jack Hartill Who is Americans I sure didn't lmao
It really is about politcs. During the communist era of Russia, sport was a method of propaganda,showcasing the greatness of communism to all the other democratic countries. Take as an example the Olympics. Almost all of the time the USSR, including the satellite communist countries, were among the top three winners,if not all of those three.
ballet is not sport.
Grace Kelly it really is, but believe what you want
I mean, just about every element of every culture is dependent on politics because politics creates the climate in which society lives in. Just about everything has a political influence, especially in Russia.
RUSSIANS ARE GOOD AT EVERYTHING! they’re good at rhythmic and normal gymnastics, figure skating, ballet, Russians are also VERY beautiful, Russians are also good at hacking, WE NEED MORE RUSSIANS
If you really wish to answer the question, try to understand a story of "bad boy in ballet" , an Ukraine-born dancer Sergei Polunin - how he was dismissed from RB, "adopted" by Igor Zelinsky and came back to the West enriched with Russian ballet culture. Royal Ballet School provided him with very good training in choreography. However.... I was shocked to know about low general cultural background they provide to students. In Russian system, from day number one pupils are taught by teachers (not parents only) to think about retirement. So in general, ballet dancers in Russia have pretty good level of general education & culture. In combination with severe selection based on yearly exams, it makes Russian ballet unbeatable. That is my opinion.
Was really surprised not to hear mention of Vslav Najinsky, Anna Pavlova or Rudolph Nureyev... While they went to England and Paris to dance, their touring of the US broadened opportunities for US dancers. For example, in 1916 Pavlova, using US dancers with Russian-ish names, produced a fifty-minute adaptation of The Sleeping Beauty in New York City. And Nureyev's tours of the US were sold out. None of this detracts from the enormous contributions of Balanchine and Baryshnikov, but they had predecessors.
In the West there is a stigma of ballet being gay, so many talented people choose something else, which reinforces the stereotype. In Russia there is no such stigma, that's why Russians are so good in ballet, choir singing etc
The west continues to be stupid and behind
Its kinda funny. As far as I knew growing up, there were only two kinds of ballet. 1) Ballet 2) The Russian Ballet. It never struck me as odd that i never thought of English, American, French, etc ballet as its own thing, everything was just ballet. But Russian ballet, stood alone.
The only reason is the hard work and pain behind the delicate performance. I wonder if dancers from other countries are trained as hard as those in Russia.
i think that, while every kid at a state funded academy goes through incredibly hard and thorough training, moscow, saint petersburg and maybe perm are as good as it can get. the l'ecole de l'opera in paris is also cream of the crop, but i am very biased towards russian style.
Oh I am ao proud to be Slavic. I love Russia and Russian culture. 😍🇷🇺🇷🇺
Thats was like the most balanced report i have seen from an American when it comes to covering something from Russia/the Soviet Union
Politicized video, I now very little about ballet and still was able to tell how much is missing for a very basic understanding of russian ballet. Next time just title the video "The Soviet Union/Russia is the evil empire, the U.S.A. rules"
um as a ballet dancer just gonna say that the female dancer they had in the vid was not v good..... (I'm not hating on the video or the girl, just saying how having someone more experienced in ballet would've been a much more accurate representation of ballet)
True. Not using the head at all, plus the tights....
ankontini My dance teacher YELLS at you if you don’t use your head. But I’m fine with it makes you into a better dancer.
Mary Joyce True..
Well, anyone who dances long enough eventually starts using the head. It always helps to know how to use it but even simply intuitively one should be able to move along and not remain stiff :/ . Not sure explaining something in a loud voice helps more than just saying it :D maybe sometimes!
Mary Joyce I agree
The ballerina they keep showing in the purple skirt... her feet are soooo sickled! Making me cringe!
Catherine Turner of course. She wears pointe shoes so she gets many blisters from it. Many ballerinas feet get ugly over time.
Zecora No. "Sickled" reffers to how her toes point inward rather than twisting toward the outer sides of her legs. It breaks the line if the leg in an unattractive way. The word comes from "sickle" which is a curved blade used in some types of farming. It is an amateur problem/mistake and shows clearly that she is not a high caliber dancer.
Catherine Turner Oh my bad
Catherine Turner it was not that bad. Calm down
Her shoes don't fit properly either...
Russian has the absolute discipline in dancing ballet.
I had a russian coach she was the thoughest coach ever but she thought me a lot!
Right they are good because of it's political. Not hard working or dedication. Old and boring. I'm tired I'm sick give me a break.
I had a Russian ballet instructor he was awesome!
Why are Russians so good at Ballet?
“Because we’re great.”
That’s my go-to line now,
Why are you watching this at 3am?
Because I’m great.
This would have been better and more in line with the title if you asked the ballet teacher to demonstrate more about the differences between American and Russian ballet. Also I would have liked to know the differences in training, differences in positions and movements and dance sequences. The history is interesting but I'm assuming most people will click on this video who have taken ballet classes at some point. It's much more interesting to learn about technique and the practicalities than the history - after all, people who perform/take classes in ballet do so because of the physical movements and not the history. This video will draw in people who do ballet, so maybe think like someone who does ballet and make a video with close up shots of dance movements and discussions of actually doing the dance. The history is interesting, sure, but who does ballet because theyre interested in the history?
GunsOnBungees yes! This! The very brief side by side he did was sloppy at best aswell. Doesnt convey the true differences. I was expecting something different with this video too. It strayed quite a bit from title and at times seemed to shed it in a negative light almost. Was weird. If they needed to go by route of politics it could have discussed their conservative era which some of the greatest ballets were formed during that time. Or their full funding of chosen students to academy. How their cultural background gives an entirely different approach to methods. And so on 🤷 im certainly someone who was thinking the video was going to be different when i clicked on it (spesh since i have training in both so it peaked my interest)
if you want some more info, kathryn morgan (here on youtube) was a dancer with the new york city ballet and she does a lot of videos with insights and demonstrations about balanchine technique and there's a tumblr (at melmoth.blog) that focuses on russian ballet - specifically, vaganova over in saint petersburg. and if you ever want to chat, i'm pretty much hyperfocused on all things ballet and know way more than i will ever need to in this life (i'm serious please send help, this isn't helping my academia)
I found this video was incredibly uninformative and slightly offensive... very disappointed
truth hurts
From age Six I've trained in Vaganova Method. The Vaganova Method makes your body incredibly strong and incredibly resilient. The Vaganova Method has the lowest percentage of injuries.
“Picking kids for sports” is done in Russia and America. Russian ballet is far more disciplined than most American ballet schools. And its also a meritocracy at some point. You’re either good or you’re not. There is no ego inflation in Russian ballet schools.
My great grandparent are from Russia.. maybe that’s why I love ballet so much😂😂
Ballet and Ice skating is really just owned by Russia. Had Russian coaches for figure skating for almost 10 years.
Were the best at a lot of things because of the way we are raised.. we are workers and our trainers and teachers never sugar-coat anything and make us work hard, painfully, but it makes us achieve our goals
Traditions and extremely high demands - that's why. Though as a Russian I'd rather my country had democracy, freedom of speech and respect for human rights instead of remarkable ballet.
Everything has its pro and cons
oh, really? you should tell our political prisoners and murdered journalists about "pro-s". They might feel much better afterwards.
Why not have both? Those two do not exclude and you don't have to replace ballet for freedom of speech.
I'm fine with the ballet. LMAO
Ну да за каждым нашим словом следит кровожадный путин, до чего ж смешно это все читать).
Not one mention of Nuryev? Shameful.
'I, Maya’ by Maya Plisetskaya, her autobiography, describes the dance training, theatrical training, and the meaning of art in Russia. Maya is like Anna Pavlova, one of history’s greatest ballerinas.
It's shocking not seeing the Perm Ballet School here, everybody should know about the magnificent school and how it contributed in the preservation of Russian Ballet (Vaganova Method)
You weren't even interested in the ballet of the Soviet period! And there was a flourishing of great dancers. Vaganova, Vasiliev, Plisetskaya, Ulanova, Lepeshinskaya, Semenyaka and many more. Stalin idolized ballet, which says a lot. The best remained in Russia and now it is the best ballet school in the world.
I like how there was a brief passing mention of Baryshnikov but not even one mention of Nureyev...
Good catch. Yes...
Yeah, but he was a nuisance to them from the beginning, so yes worth the mention, but no surprise nevertheless...
They're so good at it because they don't focus on looking "together" idk the right vocabulary for it when everyone is dancing in sync but that's not the key to dancing. Anybody can do that...to be synchronized. They are more taught to dance with emotions and to feel the music. I've notice a lot in Russian ballet and rhythmic gymnastic that many times the dancers are not perfectly synced. It's because they would rather focus more on feeling the music and the same tone of the play together and also doing it with proper techniques that they were taught even if he/she looks off from the others. To be in sync with the mind and emotion rather than with the body, only this way can u be perfectly be in "synch"
That's what you call the real Art of Movement
Shout out to Anton Pankevich! I’ve been in his classes and he’s a really fun teacher.
You didnt mention that for the first few hundred years no one used point shoes, dancers feet were not built for it. The change over was very important.
I love how it started for men to show grace and etiquette to charm
Before Barry was Rudolph Nureyev!
I’m from Russia I don’t know why but I’ve always been good at ballet
It wasn't so much about ballet, it was about....well ideology (just to add I'm not Russian).
In fact, even if you study contemporary/traditional/pair dances, rhythmic/esthetic gymnastic, figure skating etc. in Russia at school/college/university. You still have to study ballet. So, basically everyone knows what is plié, battement and other things
they never really answered the question
George balachin (balanchivadze) actually was from Georgia .
Lala La - you are right, but Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet of Vaganova has never been called "Theatre School". Here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaganova_Academy_of_Russian_Ballet When Balanchine attended it, it was called "Imperial Ballet School". @mariam tavadze - Balanchine was half Georgian ethnically, but he was born and lived in St Petersburg.
@Lala La -- I grew up in St Petersburg (when it was still Leningrad.) Yes, you are right, wiki is wrong, Vaganova academy was called Imperial Theater School, not Imperial ballet school, my mistake. I've just read it on their webpage. It's just that I've always known it as Vaganovka when I was growing up, and even when my late mother was growing up. She was accepted there, btw, it was right after the war. Her father wouldn't let her attend, he told "there are very few prima ballerinas, would be enough mediocre dancers without you." Actually, his literal words were: ""Прима балерин мало, а захудалых хватит и без тебя.", but I cannot translate it literally.
Russia respects and funds the classical arts way better than we do in the America. No wonder why they’re better, they take it more seriously and actually put in the money for it. Meanwhile in America we rely on donations and galas, so it becomes an “elite” art form.
This video along with the narration is such a mess. But many comments below keep me believing in people. People, you are great!
Hi. I did this video. I really enjoyed working on it and thank you for watching it.
@Imaeyen Ibanga - you can make another one. I think if you watch "Dance of the Little Swans", "Ballet: sweat and tears" documentaries and maybe a few videos from the Vaganova academy e.g. their exam videos, you'll get a better idea and will be able to make a video that answers this question better.
As italian i say .. i love this Channel
You couldn't have even found a talented female ballet dancer? Her feet though....#cringe
I think one of the practical reasons is that ballet schools in Russia can be quiet violent to students to make them work hard from the very early age. First, because there is an extreme competition between ballet dancers, second, it was like this for ages and there is the result that justifies it
"very early age" - Russian state ballet academies only accept kids starting from 10-11, even though they have an optional preparatory year for 9-10 year olds (some of whom get accepted). But while many kids these days take classes in various local studios - you might've seen some of those - prior training is not a requirement. At the audition, they only look at natural qualities, and only ask them to dance polka (and as you can see in Dance of the Little Swans documentary, they'd teach it right there if someone doesn't know how) to see their coordination and musicality. They'd take a complete beginner with good natural "gifts".
Vaganova, teaching kids with perfect for ballet body types from a young age... Plus, classical art is much more about perfection, hard-work and discipline than it is about freedom. And of course, Russians have a spark of magic: when the only things you have are ballet, the very idea of Art, discipline and moreover, you live in a harsh, quite depressing environment, you'll dance well. It'll be the most important mean of escapism for you and you'll have a lot to tell through your dance (you'll certainly be able to accomplish this even while following a variety of strict rules of a chosen art form). It's pretty much the same with acrobatics and gymnastics, I think.
You are right in part, but I think the education is the key. Americans who become ballet dancers have discipline too - you cannot be undisciplined and pursue ballet, it'd never work. But imagine being a talented child born in the US. If you don't live in a city with big ballet schools, you can only go to local studios. The education there isn't as good, and it costs money. Private lessons cost money. Big academies are expensive as well, and while they do give scholarships - and given how competitive ballet is, if you cannot get a scholarship you probably aren't good enough - they aren't boarding schools. They also don't provide general education the way Russian state schools do. So someone has to do it after school or be homeschooled. Also, private studios are dependent on money, hence, they need to please parents. They cannot just show an untalented or a lazy student out the door as they depend on money people pay. In terms of gymnastics, Americans aren't good at rhythmic gymnastics, but they are very strong in artistic gymnastics. It's mostly because the former isn't popular in the US, while the latter is.
Все просто. Жесткий отбор, никаких исключений. Соблюдение традицией, изучение всей культуры, истории.
Мы не подаемся, новым веяниям, а сохраняем и совершенствуем старое.
Наша страна, все свои произведения раздала бесплатно, мы не делаем на этом деньги, о могли бы. Наши люди, творцы, а не менеджеры, в отличнее от всего другого мира.
Весь классический балет, только русский.
К нам приблизиться может, разве что Китай, который полностью копирует, но они крайнее трудяги, молодцы. Ну и временами Французская балетная школа, но и они, нарушают свои обычае, что весьма грустно.
What about vodka ?? They are good at it too.
Abdulrahman Salih 😂
Lol
Why bring out negativity?
if someone says you guys are best known for jihadi terrorism, how would you feel?
andrmn Vodka is a negative racist term now huh? 🙄
Sam Mia
: Jihadi terrorism is not a racist term, it's an political and ideological term (just like Fascism, Communism etc) that permeates across races and nationalities. Also no religious Muslim would say Jihad is a negative term... in fact, it's completely opposite for them.
And yes, Vodka in Russian context is a negative term as it kills thousands every year.
Russians are definitely the best dancers. When one checks the information about a great dancer in the West, it is uncanny how often it turns out they were trained under the Vaganova method, had Russian teachers, or were actually trained in Russia. The Vaganova/Russian method focuses on slow, progressive attention to detail, perfecting each step before moving on, strong discipline, and understanding of the importance of turnout. Also, as you indicated, Russians appreciate and love ballet. Ballet is to Russians as football is to Americans. And, of course, let's not forget Balanchine was a product of the Vaganova Academy and the Mariinsky Ballet.
👍👏👏👏
That’s a pretty good and accurate summation. Thanks.
Nicely done. Please don't forget about Rudolf Nureyev. He defected to the West, Paris in 1961 at the height of the Cold War. He made his American debut in 1962. I would imagine he helped to inspire Mikhail Baryshnikov's defection.
This was a delightful article on a topic I was surprised to see AJ explore. My one comment as another dance historian is that a lot of us learn to date ballet back to the court of Louis XIV, the Sun King. One thing the former USSR got right (a lot of European countries as well) was state funding of the arts. It's criminal how little our government over here (US) spends on the arts (and social programs) compared to the zillions spent on the military. It really has created an art form accessible mainly to the elite where Russia and other countries that fund training and development have kept this beautiful art as one accessible to the masses. Really, reading between the lines, this *is* why many other countries are producing ballet superstars that excel those that are home grown in the US. (Not getting into the controversy over hiring and promotion practices at the Bolshoi and Mariinski.)
Realizing you can't cover all of this in an 8 minute video, but it is interesting to see what the political climate did for ballet in Russia vs China. In China during the Cultural Revolution, for a number of years, the only ballets allowed by the government were The White-Haired Girl and The Red Detachment of Women. Soviet choreographers continued to produce, but ballets were politically themed (eg, Spartacus, Golden Age). I remember seeing a film of Spartacus released in the 60s that less gave you the plot than lauded the role of Spartacus as the great hero of the people who stood up to the running dog, imperialist, capitalist oppressors of Rome!
I thought the same thing about Lous XIV. I was throughly confused when she credited Italy,
The ballet still needs to be understood by people. Russians know who Spartak, Narcissus or Cinderella are. Do the Chinese know?
plus the national specifics, the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union positioned themselves as a multinational multicultural country and we get wild "Polovtsian dances", Persian "Shaherizada" or Ottoman "Legenda of Love."
if the Africans were living in Russia, Russian and African dances would be put on pointe shoes.In China, they do not know how to adapt ethnic dances to classical ballet.
minissa2009
- How could you not admire AJ's article, because you not only support their version of the politicization of ballet in the USSR, but also cultivate this idea even more in the minds of Americans, with the ballet "Spartacus" specially chosen for this, manipulating the facts: ☝ S. Prokofiev's "Cinderella" (1945, choreographer R. V. Zakharov) and "Romeo and Juliet" (1946, choreographer L. M. Lavrovsky)"Stone Flower" by S. Prokofiev (1959) and "The Legend of Love" by A. D. Melikov (1965)In 1964 Grigorovich headed the Bolshoi Ballet. He makes new editions of "The Nutcracker" (1966) and "Swan Lake" (1969) by Tchaikovsky, and also stages "Spartak" by A. I. Khachaturian (1968).Carmen Suites (1967)Plisetskaya staged the ballets Anna Karenina (1972), The Seagull (1980), The Lady with the Dog (1985) by R. K. Shchedrin, and Vasiliev staged the ballets Icarus by S. Slonimsky (1976), Macbeth "K. V. Molchanova (1980)," Anyuta "V. A. Gavrilin (1986).
Maybe you will attract politicization to such ballets from the list as "Romeo and Juliet" or maybe "Swan Lake" ??))) What, these ballets do not fit into your ideologically false analysis?))) 🤣
Fortunately, not all Americans are as stupid as you want them to be !!!))) ✌
@@observer1111 I'm sorry, I don't understand the point you're making. But thanks for the Bolshoi history lesson!
I've always liked watching classical ballet. I just began at age 19, and it's tough being Hispanic. It's like one of those things I always wanted to do, but humiliated for doing so. People always think I'm not capable of even liking ballet.
This video was brilliantly concocted. Thank you!
This video is POLITICAL!))
Okay so why are the Russians so good at ballet?? I wasted 8 minutes of my life and didn't get an answer. Instead lots of (simplyfied) history and no conclusions drawn from it. You should have titled the video: ''The brief history of Russian ballet and its influence on American ballet''.
hi! ballet actually originated from china! there was an emperor in the tenth or eleventh century who liked girls to have tiny feet and constantly be on their tip toes as it shows “gentleness”. it’s a thing called foot binding and it was prevalent during that time.
“The practice of binding feet may have started with the dancer Yaoniang, who performed in the Tang dynasty court, or more generally the Turkic dancers who performed there during the 10th century CE. These dancers were known for their small feet and “bow-shoes” which had upturned toes. The first mention in historical records dates to when the Tang court was at Nanking between 937 and 975 CE.”
Certainly, the binding of feet to reduce their size was long-associated with women who earned their money entertaining men in one way or another. Another reason for its popularity may have been a desire to clearly differentiate upper-class Chinese women, the Han in particular, from the lower classes, those women from the provinces, and those belonging to cultures from newly acquired territories.”
The Russian Ballet Academy was founded even before the United States became a country. What are you even talking about here?
I will tell you why. Because Russian kids know what discipline is and you don't. You call it abuse and discrimination etc. They choose the best suitable kids to do that and its a bloody boot camp before audience will see it as pure delight and beauty and grace of human proportions. They don't have fat and clumsy ill build ballerinas that jump like horses because they want to jump so let them jump or they will sue you for discrimination. No such nonsense happens there, if you don't fit their profile for whatever reason you are out end of story without a beep. Those that were chosen work to perfection in blood and sweat literally. Don't compare its not comparable.
You are right in part, but you are generalizing a bit. Kids which do professional ballet in the US, also know discipline. Sure, there are examples that you mention, but there are pretty good dancers too. Incidentally, look up Jordan Coutts who is American and who is now in Vaganova (they take foreigners starting from their 6th "ballet" year i.e. at around 16 years of age). She is one of only two girls who got a 5 (like A) in the classical dance class. The other girl is Russian. These grades on classical dance exam there are super-important.
You are missing one more reason. They have state funded professional academies - free to Russian citizens - where they have a luxury of being able to pick the best kids and expel those who don't measure up. American studios are private and depend on money parents' pay. As they depend on money, they couldn't afford to expel those who don't measure up. There are only a few schools which can be as selective, but they aren't full time academies, and they aren't free.
Unfortunately in the U.S. young male dancers are bullied made to feel like they are less masculine assumed to be gay and generally not accepted by their families peers, friends, by both males and females. One dancer reported that his parents never went to see a single performance of his in 17 years.
Actually trying to get into Stanford with an art portfolio in ballet, watching this video is not just knowing something interesting to me, but also nervous racking watching the person that might be looking at my application....
I'm not crazy about contemporary ballet. Classical is much prettier. Better music, too. ;)
Good short review. Thank you
Why are Russians so good at figure skating?
Stop making things complicated, Russians are good because we’re not quitters, we do things through pain. We stay in standards, we don’t eat fast food 24/7. We practice 24/7. We are not snowflakes. We reach our goals no matter what because we are taught. Being the best is in our blood.
It's more than that. In Russia, there is a long tradition of teaching ballet. There are state academies which are free for Russian citizens that can choose the best regardless of ability to pay and which provide full time ballet and general education. There are no such opportunities in the US. Ballet training is expensive in the US, and private studios cannot afford to pick only the best or expel. Some of the best ones - and incidentally, there are a couple of American girls studying in Vaganova academy right now in the 6th year (of ballet i.e. "courses"), and from what I read in Russian forums, they are very good. But they usually need to take private lessons which are expensive. There are some good schools in the US, but they aren't full time, they aren't free and they don't provide boarding. So, there are fewer opportunities. All ballet dancers do things through pain be it Americans or Russian. Serious American ballet students work hard too, but it's more difficult to organize ballet classes around regular school classes. Not everyone can afford it either.
jewelmarkess Even if it would be free in the US. Not many could qualify as a ballet dance in US. And many won’t ether want to be. But it’s fact the ones who can, quit easily, BECAUSE it’s too hard for them. Honestly i know TOO MANY American friends who quit just because it was Too hard. Russians don’t quit just because it’s hard. We don’t have the word “hard” in Russian families, that’s why Russian athletes more known. There are more Russian athletes and Russian champions because Russians are more determined, we don’t look for easy paths.🤷🏼♀️
How do you know? A lot of people quit ballet or end up not being able to make it e.g. when their bodies change at puberty. Less than a third of those accepted to Vaganova academy end up graduating. Some are expelled, some leave. My late mother was actually accepted to Vaganova - I am from St Petersburg (then Leningrad) originally btw, and I do read Russian ballet forums too. Incidentally, try reading ucheba-otzyv, Vaganova page, you'd be surprised at what you might read there. My mother's father wouldn't let her attend - he was probably right - but later on when she saw a program of how difficult ballet is, she wasn't sure she'd be able to follow up. A lot of girls want to be ballet dancers, very few actually have what it takes, and very few have even enough passion to survive the training. Incidentally, there are more than enough American ballet dancers. There are very few jobs. This is another issue - there really are very few theaters that provide full time employment. Incidentally, don't generalize about "Russian". Remember, I grew up in Russia. There are quite a lot of people in various jobs there slacking off, especially it was the case during the Soviet Union. Many drunks too.
Because Russian women are the most beautiful women in the world?
"Because we are the great"
😂
Are you glad to hear that your television is pouring into your ears!)) It's easier for you to live!) You don't need to check anything and think with your brain!? 🤣
My grandma was a famous ballet dancer in Russia
Now I understand why Russians are excellent with so many art classical form: ballet, opera, music, and literature! Because they value HIGH CULTURE (before the Bolsheviks destroyed the country)!
Cause they have artistic souls and refined high culture...
I miss dancing ballet
Omg literally a am a young ballerina, am a girl, I am RUSSIAN, and my name is LITERALLY anastasia
Господи, какой поверхностный рассказ, набитый клише и стереотипами.
It’s also like this in Cuba and many many other countrys.
See with movies
You see one you know the whole rodeo..
But with ballet it’s real time mainly so it’s amazing seeing the movement