Ballet Evolved - August Bournonville 1805-1879 

There really is no such thing as "Bournonville style". For a very, very long time he has been credited with the creation of, or at the very least with the perfection of, a style of dancing that really was not created by him at all. The so-called "Bournonville" style is the French style of classical ballet without the Italian influence. Russian ballet is to a large extent the morphing together of the French & Italian schools. Although Bournonville certainly codified & perfected the teaching methods of the french style, he by no means invented it. From the point-of-view of Bournonville's ballets & in particular of his choreography, there really isn't anything special about him. He was a provincial ballet master not unlike many of the scores of other ballet masters in his day who were employed at the great opera houses & theatrical schools of Europe. But unlike many if not all of his contemporaries, August Bournonville's choreography & even many of his works managed to survive merely as a result of the roll of the historic dice. When Pierre Lacotte staged his truncated, nothing-to-do-with-Petipa production of "The Pharaoh's Daughter" at the Bolshoi in 2000, dancers & audiences alike referred to the choreography as "looking like Bournonville". Lacotte simply employed the more intricate footwork, less "jumpy" or heavily reliant upon "ballon" style of dancing as he had learned from his own teachers, in particular the great Lyubov Egorova.

MsVaughn75 me too, I'd watch a full rehearsal. So interesting to see the impact a few slight adjustments make.

+CurlyQue415 The bourrées are? In what way?

Amen

thanks frederico bom ano novo

+Bron Stormborn I am sure that Johan has a gorgeous body and ridiculous core strength but it appears he is wearing a back brace under his shirt? I believe he was nursing an injury at the time.

"Bron Stormborn" - LOL!! You def get the award for best handle!! LOL! There really is no such thing as "Bournonville style". For a very, very long time he has been credited with the creation of, or at the very least with the perfection of, a style of dancing that really was not created by him at all. To put it simply, "Bournonville" is the French style of classical ballet without the Italian influence. Russian ballet is to a large extent the morphing together of the French & Italian schools. Although Bournonville certainly codified & perfected the teaching methods of the french style, but he by no means invented it. From the point-of-view of Bournonville's ballets & in particular of his choreography, there really isn't anything special about him. He was a provincial ballet master not unlike many of the scores of other ballet masters in his day who were employed at the great opera houses & theatrical schools of Europe. But unlike many if not all of his contemporaries, August Bournonville's choreography & even many of his works managed to survive merely as a result of the roll of the historic dice. When Pierre Lacotte staged his truncated, nothing-to-do-with-Petipa production of "The Pharaoh's Daughter" at the Bolshoi in 2000, dancers & audiences alike referred to the choreography as "looking like Bournonville". Lacotte simply employed the more intricate footwork, less "jumpy" or heavily reliant upon "ballon" style of dancing as he had learned from his own teachers, in particular the great Lyubov Egorova.

mrlopez2681 Ahhh! Thank you for this information!

YES it seems very "butch" if that is a good way to put it . I love it

But in a good way .

Everyone gets older. Not everyone evolves into a good teacher.