Catanduanes State University

Laboratory Schools
Virac, Catanduanes
S.Y. 2019-2020

CONTEMPORARY ARTS
Activity 4: Dance

12-Canary
Grace Ann A. Tablizo
 Ballet Dance

Ballet is a form of theatrical dance used to interpret stories of all kinds. It allows the
characters to come alive, not in spoken language but in body movements as dance moves or
techniques. Creative steps, arm gestures, facial expressions, and body movements are the
dancers’ ways to express the meaning of the story being revealed. Philippine ballet present
folktales based on local fables. Famous Philippine ballet companies are Ballet Manila, Ballet
Philippines, Philippine ballet Theater and Halili-Cruz Ballet Company. I once wanted to learn
ballet dance. It amazes me how dance can convey a detailed plot. I mean, there are some hip-hop
dances that tells story but ballet dance, for me, is different because it conveys a lot of emotions to
tell a story.
Ballet integrated dance, music, stage design and poetry to make a dramatic storyline. At
first its roll was a virtually component of the opera. In the present, contemporary ballet is known
and is performed around the world. It is a combination of classical ballet and modern dance. This
makes it more of an attraction to today’s aspiring dancers.
Ballet dances presents culture. I love how dance promotes culture. Ballet dance is an
example of that dance, though we can say that all dances mirrors culture. In ballet dance, they
bring back the folklores into life again through dancing. Folk stories that might already be
forgotten by most of youth these days are being resurrected by ballet dancers. Maybe that’s one
of the reasons why I took liking to this type of dance.
Ballet dancing is not easy. It needs a lot of physical training. It’s totally different from the
dances I grew accustomed to up to now. Learning it will be a different story. Just simply
performing while your feet fully extended and your toes about to break is something I can’t
imagine yet.
 Personally, I like hip-hop dances more because it has strong and powerful dance
techniques to convey dancer’s emotion and I’m used to dancing hip-hop. But ballet is a different
case, it oozes elegance. I like how the dancers use delicate movements to express music and to
illuminate human emotion and endeavor. It’s beautiful. I want to be able to dance gracefully
that’s why I took interest in ballet dancing. Though, I might not be able to learn how ballet dance
work.