Character Dance

Character Dance 

one of the expressive means of the ballet; a type of stage dance. Originally, the term “character dance” denoted a dance representative of a certain character, such as the dances performed in intermezzi or the dances inspired by artisans, peasants, or robbers. Later, the choreographer C. Blasis applied the term to all folk dances included in ballet performances, and it is this meaning that has survived to the present day. Choreographers and dancers of the classical school of dance created character dances in the classical style, using professional technique. Character-dance exercises for the bar and center were developed in the late 19th century and were later included as a pedagogical discipline in choreographic schools.

In contemporary ballet, the character dance may be an episode, or it may serve as a means of revealing a character in a ballet or creating a unified, integrated performance.

REFERENCES

Lopukhov, A. V., A. V. Shiriaev, and A. I. Bocharov. Osnovy kharakternogo tantsa. Leningrad-Moscow, 1939.
Dobrovol’skaia, G. N. Tanets; Pantomima; Balet. Leningrad, 1975.

G. N. DOBROVOL’SKAIA