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Quiz about Ballet in the Nineteenth Century

Ballet in the Nineteenth Century Quiz

Most of the information in this quiz can be found in various books and encyclopedias of dance. Even the most serious books about ballet tend to include a lot of interesting tidbits and gossip. Good luck!

A multiple-choice quiz by snm. Estimated time: 8 mins.

Author
snm

Time
8 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
111,068

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
7 / 15

Plays
529

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Jules Perrot, who was considered the greatest male dancer of the Romantic period, studied for a time under August Vestris. Vestris instructed Perrot to keep moving all the time during his dancing. What explanation did Vestris give for this instruction? Hint

Perrot had incredible stamina, and Vestris wanted him to show this off in his dancing.

Perrot was extremely ugly, and Vestris didn't want the audience to have time to see what he looked like.

Most of the dancers in this period spent most of their time standing around the stage in various poses, and Vestris felt that if Perrot showed off a different style of dancing it would give him an advantage over the competition.

Vestris was attempting to establish this style of dancing as the leading style of dancing at the time, and felt that Perrot, as his star pupil, would be the perfect dancer to demonstrate this new style.

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Question 2 of 15

2. The first great ballet of the Romantic period was "La Sylphide". However, two different versions of this ballet were created, each with different music. In what years were these versions created? Hint

1830 and 1836

1834 and 1838

1832 and 1840

1832 and 1836

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Question 3 of 15

3. The 1845 ballet "Pas De Quatre", choreographed by Perrot and produced by Benjamin Lumley, brought together four of the top ballerinas of the time. Much fuss was made (by the ballerinas themselves) over the order in which they would dance. How was this matter resolved? Hint

Lumley threatened to cancel the production, and the ballerinas, who were being paid a large sum of money for their performance, managed to come to an agreement among themselves.

The order was determined according to the ballerinas' ages.

Perrot drew lots.

The order was determined according to the ballerinas' heights.

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Question 4 of 15

4. Following the success of the "Pas de Quatre" Lumley and Perrot collaborated on two additional ballets in a similiar format. What were they called? Hint

"Les Elements" and "Les Metamorphoses"

"Les Metamorphoses" and "Les Quatre Fees"

"Le Diable a Quatre" and "Les Quatre Saisons"

"Les Elements" and "Les Quatre Saisons"

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Question 5 of 15

5. During the 1840's the repertoire of the Paris Opera Ballet included "La Peri", famous for the leap in which Carlotta Grisi leaped from a high platform into the arms of her partner Lucien Petipa. One Parisian gentleman never missed a performance of the ballet. Why was this? Hint

He was in love with Grisi, and wanted to watch her perform as often as possible, and "La Peri" was usually performed on a Tuesday, when his wife attended a Church meeting and could not berate him for spending money on the ballet.

He felt sure that one day Grisi would accidentally miss Petipa's arms and leap to her death, and he wanted to be there to see it happen.

His estranged daughter had a minor role in the ballet, and this was the only way he could see her.

He had made a drunken bet with a friend, and if he ever missed a performance he would have had to run halfway across Paris stark naked.

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Question 6 of 15

6. When "Giselle" originally premiered, Jules Perrot did not receive credit for his share of the choreography. True or false?

True

False

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Question 7 of 15

7. The political revolutions of 1848 caused a decline in the stature of ballet in Western Europe. Which East European city became the new "center" of the ballet world? Hint

Moscow

St. Petersburg

Krakow

Prague

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Question 8 of 15

8. The Vienna Congress had many nicknames, and one of them was given to it because of a new style of dance that was becoming popular at the time, and which was very popular at the Congress. What was this nickname? Hint

The Polka Congress

The Waltzing Congress

The Congress of the Minuet

The Congress of the Pavane

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Question 9 of 15

9. From 1851 until 1858 Jules Perrot was the "Maitre De Ballet" for the Marynski theatre in St. Petersburg. What event prompted his decision to return to France? Hint

He caught his wife with another man, and wanted to get her as far away from her lover as possible.

He received a death threat from an anonymous admirer.

He was fired from his position at the theatre.

A mirror in his drawing room broke one evening while he was in the room with his family, and he considered this an ill omen.

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Question 10 of 15

10. After Perrot left St. Petersburg, Marius Petipa became "Maitre De Ballet". Which of the following ballets did he not choreograph? Hint

Swan Lake

La Bayadere

The Sleeping Beauty

Coppelia

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Question 11 of 15

11. Due to an illness, Petipa was not able to choreograph all four acts of "Swan Lake", and Lev Ivanov was given two acts to choreograph. Which two acts were choreographed by Ivanov? Hint

II and IV

I and III

I and II

III and IV

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Question 12 of 15

12. Which French literary figure was also a renowned ballet critic? Hint

Vernoy De St. George

Honore De Balzac

Victor Hugo

Theophile Gautier

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Question 13 of 15

13. Carlo Blasis was a famous dancer, choreographer and teacher who trained many of the top Italian dancers. Which of the following books on ballet did he write? Hint

Neither

"The Code of Terpischore"

"Treatise on the Dance"

Both

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Question 14 of 15

14. What is meant by "the girls by the fountain"? Hint

The name of the last ballet choreographed by Petipa

The back row of the Corps de Ballet

The dancers waiting for an audition

A group of women who loved ballet but could not afford to attend performances, and would gather at the fountain outside the Paris Opera each evening hoping that some wealthy gentleman would notice them and invite them to accompany him.

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Question 15 of 15

15. How many new ballets did Marius Petipa produce between 1862 and his death in 1910? Hint

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Perrot was extremely ugly, and Vestris didn't want the audience to have time to see what he looked like.

Theophile Gautier described Perrot as having "the torso of a tenor, but with the perfect legs of a Greek statue, somewhat feminine in their roundness" and also mentioned his ugly face. I believe at one point he actually compared Perrot's looks to those of a monkey!

Answer: 1832 and 1836

The 1832 version was choreographed by Filipo Taglioni to music by Scheitzhoffer, and debuted in Paris with Marie Taglioni (Filipo's daughter) dancing the lead role. The 1836 version was choreographed by Bournonville to music by Lovenskjold for the Royal Danish Ballet, and debuted in Copenhagen with Lucille Grahn in the lead.

This second version is the one most people are familiar with today.

Answer: The order was determined according to the ballerinas' ages.

Marie Taglioni was the oldest, followed by Fanny Cerrito, Carlotta Grisi and the young Lucille Grahn. The ballet was only performed three times, and Queen Victoria attended the second performance with her husband.

4. Following the success of the "Pas de Quatre" Lumley and Perrot collaborated on two additional ballets in a similiar format. What were they called?

Answer: "Les Elements" and "Les Quatre Saisons"

1847's "Les Elements" featured Grisi as Water, Cerrito as Air, Caroline Rosati as Fire and all three together as Earth. 1848's "Les Quatre Saisons" featured Grisi as Summer, as well as Cerrito, Rosati and the younger Taglioni.

Answer: He felt sure that one day Grisi would accidentally miss Petipa's arms and leap to her death, and he wanted to be there to see it happen.

Fortunately this never happened, and Grisi went on to live for 45 years after her retirement.

6. When "Giselle" originally premiered, Jules Perrot did not receive credit for his share of the choreography. True or false?

Answer: True

Perrot was Carlotta Grisi's teacher (and lover) and he insisted on choreographing all of her scenes in the ballet. However, he was never officially hired for the job, and Jean Coralli initially received full credit for the choreography. Perrot's involvement became known within days, thanks to the intervention of Theophile Gautier, and Perrot has been credited as co-choreographer ever since.

7. The political revolutions of 1848 caused a decline in the stature of ballet in Western Europe. Which East European city became the new "center" of the ballet world?

Answer: St. Petersburg

The most prominent choreographer who went to work in St. Petersburg at this time was Perrot, and he was followed by Marius Petipa (Lucien's older brother).

Answer: The Waltzing Congress

The Waltz began as a peasants' dance, and gradually caught on in ballrooms as the sucsessor to the Minuet.

9. From 1851 until 1858 Jules Perrot was the "Maitre De Ballet" for the Marynski theatre in St. Petersburg. What event prompted his decision to return to France?

Answer: A mirror in his drawing room broke one evening while he was in the room with his family, and he considered this an ill omen.

While in Russia, Perrot married Capitoline Samovskaya, a pupil of his, and the couple had two children.

10. After Perrot left St. Petersburg, Marius Petipa became "Maitre De Ballet". Which of the following ballets did he not choreograph?

Answer: Coppelia

"Coppelia" was choreographed by Saint-Leon (Fanny Cerrito's husband) and debuted at the Paris Opera.

11. Due to an illness, Petipa was not able to choreograph all four acts of "Swan Lake", and Lev Ivanov was given two acts to choreograph. Which two acts were choreographed by Ivanov?

Answer: II and IV

Anyone seeing "Swan Lake" for the first time will immediately notice the huge difference in style between Petipa's acts and Ivanov's.

12. Which French literary figure was also a renowned ballet critic?

Answer: Theophile Gautier

Besides being a critic, Gautier was also instumental in bringing about the production of "Giselle", for which he co-wrote the libretto (with St. George), and he also wrote the librettos for a number of other ballets (among them "La Peri"), most featuring Carlotta Grisi, with whom he was madly in love and whose sister he married.

13. Carlo Blasis was a famous dancer, choreographer and teacher who trained many of the top Italian dancers. Which of the following books on ballet did he write?

Answer: Both

Both books deal with the subject of Classical ballet training.

14. What is meant by "the girls by the fountain"?

Answer: The back row of the Corps de Ballet

The term was derived from the typical backcloth of the era, which often had a fountain in the middle.

15. How many new ballets did Marius Petipa produce between 1862 and his death in 1910?

Answer: 54

He also revived seventeen old productions and provided the dances for many operas.

Source: Author snm

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rj211 before going online.
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