主持人：Joanne Tam 譚綺旻

Have you ever tried to imagine attending a 13-hour ballet show in one go? Not quite as long as Wagner’s Ring cycle perhaps, but bear in mind this is a spectacle in one sitting! Such was the origin of the art form of ballet. In a new series titled ‘Ballet’s Ballade’, we follow the development of ballet and its intricate relationship with music from the same period, beginning in the 14th century as Italian court dances. It was then brought to France by Italian noblewoman Catherine de Medici, and the art flourished in the French royal court. The 13-hour ballet spectacle we mentioned earlier featured none other than King Louis XIV himself, who was an avid dancer. From the French courts, ballet moved to the public theatre, and on to Russia with French dancer and choreographer Marius Petipa. Together with some of the greatest Russian composers of the period, including Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, and Katchaturian, ballet took root and blossomed into the strict and noble discipline we know today, both in musical interpretation and dance technique. We will also look at how the changes in costumes and footwear helped in these respects too. Tune in with us over nine weeks to find out more.

(first broadacst in 2023)