The origins of ballet - Jennifer Tortorello and Adrienne Westwood

Translator: Elda Indria Sari Reviewer: MU Azmi

Can you imagine a party where every movement,

Dapatkah kau bayangkan sebuah pesta yang setiap gerakan,

from the slightest gesture to walking across the room,

mulai dari gerakan terkecil hingga melangkah melintasi ruangan,

and every visual detail,

dan setiap detail visual,

from furniture to hemline length,

dari furnitur sampai panjang hemline (jarak rok dari lantai),

were governed by a complex system of rules and procedures?

diatur oleh sebuah sistem aturan dan prosedur yang rumit?

For centuries, such rituals were commonplace for European nobility.

Selama berabad-abad, ritual itu umum bagi kaum bangsawan Eropa.

And while they've gone out of fashion,

Walau sudah tak populer lagi,

we recognize the components under a familiar label:

kita mengenal komponennya dengan nama yang tak asing:

ballet.

balet.

Ballet, from Italian "balletto," or little dance,

Balet, berasal dari bahasa Italia balletto, atau tarian kecil,

originated in Renaissance Italy as a combination of social dance

bermula di Italia pada abad Renaisans sebagai gabungan tarian pergaulan

and choreographed display at aristocratic gatherings.

dan tampilan koreografi dalam pertemuan para aristokrat.

In many aspects, it was a way of controlling people in court

Dalam banyak hal, balet adalah cara mengatur orang di istana

with acceptable forms of behavior,

dengan bentuk perilaku yang pantas,

such as the manner in which people stepped, bowed, or took someone's hand.

seperti cara melangkah, membungkuk, atau memegang tangan seseorang.

It also involved rules governing everything from attire

Balet juga mencakup segala macam aturan mulai dari pakaian

to where one could walk or sit in relation to the King.

hingga di mana kau bisa berjalan atau duduk di hadapan Raja.

Over time, the study of ballet became a central element of court life,

Seiring waktu, studi balet menjadi elemen utama kehidupan istana,

and proper grasp of the etiquette could make or break one's success as a courtier.

dan pemahaman etiket bisa menyukseskan atau menghancurkan seorang punggawa.

Many of these court gestures can still be seen in modern ballet techniques.

Banyak gerakan istana ini masih bisa dilihat dalam teknik balet modern.

Ballet was brought to France in the 16th century

Balet diboyong ke Prancis pada abad ke-16

by Catherine de' Medici,

oleh Catherine de' Medici,

the Italian wife of King Henry II.

wanita Italia, istri Raja Henry II.

As celebrations became more lavish, so did the dance,

Ketika perayaan bertambah mewah, demikian pula tariannya,

dengan guru tari yang mengajarkan langkah rumit pada bangsawan muda

with dancing masters teaching elaborate steps to young nobles

and story elements providing a unifying theme.

dan elemen cerita menjadi tema yang mengikat.

The focus shifted from participation to performance,

Fokusnya bergeser dari partisipasi ke pertunjukan,

and the form acquired more theatrical trappings,

dan bentuknya menjadi lebih terikat pada bentuk teater,

seperti tata panggung profesional

such as professionally designed sets

and a slightly raised platform or stage with curtains and wings.

dan panggung yang sedikit ditinggikan dengan tirai dan sayap.

But it was in the 17th century court of Louis XIV

Namun baru pada abad ke-17 di zaman Louis XIV

that ballet was refined into the art we know today.

balet disempurnakan menjadi seni yang kita kenal sekarang.

Louis himself had been trained in ballet from childhood.

Louis sendiri sudah belajar balet sejak kanak-kanak.

His early role as the sun god Apollo at age fifteen

Peran awalnya sebagai dewa matahari Apollo saat berumur 15 tahun

cemented the central role ballet would play during his reign.

mengukuhkan peran penting balet selama masa kekuasaannya.

It also earned him the title of Sun King,

Ia juga memperoleh julukan Raja Matahari,

dengan kostum indah keemasan dan koreografi

with his splendid golden costume and choreography

that promoted the idea of the king as a divinely ordained ruler.

yang menekankan gagasan raja sebagai penguasa yang ditahbiskan secara ilahi.

Louis would go on to perform 80 roles in 40 major ballets,

Louis menampilkan 80 peran dalam 40 pertunjukan balet besar,

either as a majestic lead,

baik sebagai pemeran utama yang agung,

or sometimes playing minor or comedic parts

atau terkadang memainkan peran kecil atau peran komedi

before emerging in the lead role as the end.

sebelum muncul sebagai pemeran utama di akhir kisah.

He trained daily in ballet,

Dia berlatih balet sehari-hari,

as well as fencing and riding,

begitu pula anggar dan berkuda,

and through his example,

dan lewat teladannya,

dancing became an essential skill for all gentlemen of the era.

tari menjadi keterampilan penting bagi semua pria di zaman itu.

But Louis XIV's main contribution to ballet was not as a performer.

Namun kontribusi utama Louis XIV pada balet bukan sebagai penampil.

His founding of the Royal Academy of Dance in 1661

Royal Academy of Dance yang didirikannya di tahun 1661

shifted control of ballet from local guilds to the royal court.

memindahkan kendali balet dari asosiasi lokal ke istana.

As director,

Sebagai sutradara,

he appointed his personal ballet master and frequent performance partner

dia menunjuk guru balet pribadinya dan yang kerap menjadi pasangannya,

Pierre Beauchamp,

Pierre Beauchamp,

yang menciptakan aturan lima posisi tubuh utama yang masih digunakan saat ini.

who codified the five main positions of the body still used today.

Through is collaborations with Jean-Baptiste Lully,

Lewat kerja sama dengan Jean-Baptiste Lully,

the director of the Royal Music Academy,

direktur Royal Music Academy,

and famed playwright Molière,

dan dramawan terkemuka Molière,

Beauchamp helped establish ballet as a grand spectacle.

Beauchamp membantu menjadikan balet sebagai pertunjukan mewah.

And in 1669, a separate ballet academy was founded.

Di tahun 1669, akademi balet lainnya didirikan.

The Paris Opera Ballet survives today as the oldest ballet company in the world.

Paris Opera Ballet adalah perusahaan balet tertua di dunia saat ini.

Ballet moved away from the royal court to the theater

Balet beralih dari istana ke teater

and survived the democratic revolutions and reforms

dan bertahan dari revolusi serta reformasi demokrasi

that followed over the next century.

yang terjadi selama abad berikutnya.

With the advent of the romantic movement,

Dengan datangnya gerakan romantis,

fantasy and folklore themes became common motifs.

fantasi dan cerita rakyat menjadi tema umum.

And though the influence of ballet in France would decline,

Walaupun pengaruh balet di Prancis menurun,

other countries, such as Russia,

negara lain, seperti Rusia,

would play a major role in its further development.

berperan besar dalam perkembangan balet selanjutnya..

Fortunately, today most of us don't have to learn a complicated set of steps

Untungnya, saat ini kebanyakan dari kita tak harus belajar langkah rumit

just to socialize at a wedding.

hanya untuk bersosialisasi di pernikahan.

Instead, we can go to the theater to see professionals

Malah, kita bisa pergi ke teater untuk menyaksikan para profesional

yang berlatih keras sepanjang hidupnya

who spend their lives training rigorously

to perform feats that would have been unimagineable in Louis XIV's day.

menampilkan tarian yang tidak terbayangkan pada zaman Louis XIV.