French Ballet

The French are known for their complex beats, and their rigorous technical cleanliness, called "placement", which is more important to them than virtuosity.

Mega-star dancer & choreographer Rudolf Nureyev choreographed re-worked versions of the great academic classic Ballet s (such as " La Bayadère ", " Swan Lake ", " Romeo & Juliet ", " Raymonda ", " Cinderella ", " Sleeping Beauty ", and directed the Paris Opera Ballet . His artistic direction was extremely strong, and he formed and named a whole generation of young principals ("Étoiles"), called the Nureyev Babies. ( Manuel Legris , Laurent Hilaire , Kader Belarbi , Isabelle Guerin , Elisabeth Maurin , amongst others). Since that time the French school has turned into the Nureyev school, with his very idiosyncratic style, based on all the steps that Nureyev himself excelled at. Great speed and quantity of steps, necessitating the music to be played slower are characteristic of this style. This influence lasts from the 1980's to the 2000's, when it is just starting to wane, as the Nureyev Babies retire.

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Choreography

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French Ballet

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