Russian Ballet Influence

Since the dawn of the 15th century, Ballet has had significant influence on dance internationally. Although originating in the Italian Renaissance Courts it was later developed in form by Russians. History indicates that up until 1689, ballet in Russia was non-existent due to the conservative attitudes at the time. However, by the early 20th century, the Russian Ballet was extending its performance outside the borders of its country. A key pioneer in the expansion of Russian ballet was Sergei Diaghilev. As a wealthy entrepreneur, he helped bring the Russian Ballet to Paris and after a successful season, Diaghilev established the company and named it the Ballet Russes. Alongside the talents of choreographer Michel Fokine, the talents of Vaslav

Petersburg, Petrouchka is brought to life by the Showman, and although he is only a puppet, he is burdened with human emotions. As a result, a love triangle spawns between three puppets: Petrouchka, The Moor and The Ballerina. Although, The Moor and The Ballerina are regarded as significant to the Showman who brought them to life, it is evident from Act II that Petrouchka is not treated with the same dignity. From the outset of the act, Petrouchka is immediately pushed to the floor by the Showman, this highlights that he is that discriminated against. To reinforce this, the Showman purposely shows extra scorn by raising his fist and aggressively shaking it towards him. After being left in confinement, Petrouchka grabs his head and rubs it softly. Afterwards, he positions his hands on several points on his body. These two actions have high merit as they indicate that Petrouchka feels pain from the actions and previous actions of the Showman. This effectively positions the audience to feel anxious towards The Showman and sympathy for Petrouchka. Subsequently, he begins to gesture to his heart and open his arms towards the audience. This insinuates him asking why his heart is being hurt by the Showman. Furthermore, he emphasises his depressing situation by waving towards the walls while circling the room. The objective of these locomotor movements is to exhibit Petrouchka’s wishes to escape. Overall, the first

The section begins with the distinct music change as Petrouchka points at the Showman’s portrait which is illuminated simultaneously. It is indicated that Petrouchka has a disdainful relationship towards the Showman as he pushes at the portrait repetitively while running backwards. Furthermore, the flat palm movement is a motif used in Act II to show disdain towards another person. Additionally, the puppet shakes his head with a hard dynamic which can be translated to disapproval or disgust. The aural elements also play a major role in setting the atmosphere for the movements, namely the crescendo of drums and strident trumpets. Ultimately, Petrouchka displays that he feels overpowered by the Showman by pirouetting clumsily with arms in fifth position before landing towards downstage with his head facing the ground and arms swinging insipidly. In consequence, the dynamics shown are mildly entertaining, however the grim realisation that The Showman oppresses Petrouchka elicits sympathy. The mood begins to transition from aggressive to soft with the introduction of high piano keys and flute. Petrouchka reuses the motif of the flat palmed hands to reinforce his disdain for The Showman then drops sluggishly to his knees. It is clear that he yearns to express the love he feels for the Ballerina because he displays this through touching his heart and blowing kisses. This section provides