6.2.16

Ballet Schools In Ottawa Are Professional

By Helen Scott


Canada's capital city, Ottawa is a hub of culture and modernity. Being one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world, with low unemployment and a high standard of living, the city is a perfect place to nurture and grow the very popular form of dance that is Ballet. There are many old and established Ballet schools in Ottawa that year after year produce excellent dancers that really contribute to the cultural richness of the city.

Ballet in Canada has been established for many years and is an old and well respected form of dance. As a dance form it has roots in the 15th century renaissance courts of Italy where it started out as a performance dance. It later evolved into a form of concert dance that took hold primarily in France and Russia. Today it has become a global attraction, and has been influential in the formation of many of the foundations of other dance genres.

In Canada this dance was not very popular until the mid 20th century. Although it had been introduced by the French in their colonization of Canada, it was usually only taught to the children of the rich by private tutors who had come from France to make a living. Only in the 1930's did it really take off and the great Canadian teachers emerged.

These teachers came from overseas where they had honed their skills and introduced them to students in Canada. Finally there were dancers of a professional standard starting to come out of the great white north. However because there were no dance companies in Canada at that time, these talented students had to go overseas to places like France or England to gain any recognition and respect. These students when they came back started the first Canadian dance companies.

A question we need to ask ourselves is that why has this form of dance been so influential in the global setting? One of the reasons for that is that it is a wonderful form of expression. It can be used as a partner to a musical piece, or used to tell a story; even by itself it leaves things very open to interpretation. The fluidity and grace of the movement in this dance form manages to rise above all petty human differences and reach into people's hearts.

Dance classes in the capital city of Canada, as with everywhere else where this dance is practiced, are very strenuous. Often dancers are required to start young and go through many years of training for their minds and their bodies before they are considered professional.

The wear and tear on a dancer's body over the years can really add up as well. Because of the strenuous and almost constant exercise muscles are more likely to be damaged, not to mention the issues that come with having to stand on your toes for long periods of time. So dance schools in this area are not for the faint of heart.

Although the life of a professional dancer is a difficult one, it is all worth it when one gets to dance in a well known production, fame and fortune may follow. Expressing emotion through movement is one of humanities purest forms of communication. The dancers that Canada's capital city produces have been communicating these stories for over 85 years, and they are only getting better.




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