Ballet
Ballet is an old art form in Europa, originating in Montaigne at least 300 years ago in 1523. It is said to have begun as a collaboration between Elven and Human performers, and even today, Elvish tends to be the dominant language used to describe the positions, famous dances, costumes and props, etc. Ballet dancers will even wish each other luck by telling each other “Fuin ini taur,” which roughly translates to “go shit in the woods.”
While ballet originated in Montaigne, (where it remains a very important art form,) it spread across the continent swiftly, and was viewed as high art. It was especially embraced in Ruskovich, where its Elvish roots, and demand for physical perfection, led it to be swiftly embraced by the Anchabadze family. In fact, it was one of the swiftest cultural adoptions in the history of Ruskovich. Czar Anchabadze VIII created the Imperial Ruskovian Ballet in 1589, and it is widely regarded as the preeminent and most prestigious ballet company in the known world.
It is traditionally a severe and serious art form, where dancers are held to standards of technical excellence and ‘perfect’ physical appearance. The more traditionally Elven standard of beauty is considered the norm, so dancers tend to be slender, willowy, and lean more angrogynous in appearance, with most significant feminine or masculine traits strongly discouraged (feminine body curves, facial hair, etc).
The Principal dancer of the company is traditionally the most important member of the company, typically the prima ballerina, and often wields more influence in the company than directors, choreographers, and sometimes, even the company owners.
However, there is a growing artistic movement, emanating from a ballet company based in Novandria called Das Nachtballet, that is attempting to redefine the art form. It embraces more diverse body types, and a wider display of passion - it embraces humor, sensuality, and other more earthy passions, and places less emphasis on the more traditional, ethereal perfection associated with the art. Obviously, the more established companies detest this movement, and it remains to be seen if this new movement will grow past Eisen and be more commonly embraced elsewhere.
The more traditional ballet companies tend to be favored by the noble classes, or those aspiring to upward social mobility, or to be thought more cultured and sophisticated. However, the Nachtballet is making waves by also embracing a more varied clientele, and selling inexpensive standing room or gallery seats affordable even for those who are not wealthy enough to afford traditional performances.
Participants
Historically, there has not been a strong Bardic guild presence in the art, typically the ballet companies have only been in contact with the guild to hire musicians and arrange performance space. This was largely due to the fact that the traditional companies tend to be ‘guilds’ unto themselves - many run their own schools, grooming young dancers up to join them. Switching companies is not common, and can be viewed as a scandal - when a company loses a prestigious dancer, it can result in a severe loss of face, and a coup for the company they join.
In the last few decades, however, the The Most Noble Society of Bardic and Performing Artisans has pushed to become more associated with the art, recognizing that protecting and encouraging the traditional art form - and its dancers - is important, particularly after seeing some of the abuse that young dancers are often put through. This has resulted in the bardic guild actively recruiting young ballet dancers and encouraging the art form - those dancers in turn going out to start their own theaters and troupes under guild auspices. While still schooled in the traditional art form, many of these troupes are small and while their caliber could rival the large, traditional schools, they simply aren't as large or well known. (modern comparison: Boston Ballet versus the Bolshoi)
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