Going to Amazon.com I was happy to find the book of prints! So, it has just now arrived and it is BEAUTIFUL! I love it!

It's called "Great Ballet Prints of the Romantic Era" by Parmenia Migel, Dover Publications, 1981. It was only around $15.00 including shipping. What a bargain!

The book is not hard cover but it is 9 by 12 inches - so it is quite a good size. It has 109 prints, 9 in full color. Many, many of these prints I have never seen before! Such exquisite detail!

If anyone enjoys looking at old prints I recommend this book , even though I haven't read every word yet - just for the pictures of the prints.

Do I sound exicited! Yes!

The author also wrote: "The Ballerinas, From the Court of Louis XIV to Pavlova" which I got out of the library but have not as yet begun.

I have to say this is an author I have never heard of. Anyone ever hear of her?

No, Robert I have not. That would be fun to try some of those dances!

I know that some of the names of those old dances still exist and are in use. When I took Cecchetti technique (many years ago) we had a center adagio called "Pas de Chaconne" which is the name of an old dance. Also pas de bourrée was originally the name of a French folk/court dance.

I was able to get a hold of another book by Parmenia Migel at my local branch library and there is this bio on the book jacket:

"The founder and president of the first Ballet Guild of New York and former director of the Dance Forum at the New School in New York City, is a lecturer and authority on the history of ballet."

It is interesting that in some of the Romantic Ballet Prints the dancers are in barefeet - and almost none of them have their hair up in buns - or even up at all. I am quite taken with many of the costumes.

I have just begun to read "The Ballerinas, From the Court of Louis XIV to Pavlova" and so far I do like it.

I've found a 'substitute' to the coloured one...on Ebay :
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10164&item=3737796920&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Seriously, that's a marvelous print, Viviane. Are you going to get it?

Among the prints in this book is one of the "Cloister Scene" in "Robert le Diable" 1831. The stage is shown at a distance. The view is from the back of the theater auditorium. Therefore, one gets to see the entire inside of the Paris Opera theater. The set on stage is quite complex and the theater looks so beautiful with candlelights in scounces on the walls.

I am really taken with the intricacy of the costumes throughout the years. When one considers that it was all created by hand!

In the center fold of the book - covering both sides - is a picture of Bal Mabille, Paris, 1842. It is a scene set outside in a park with trees, lots and lots of gas lights on posts and in arches, with people really kicking up their heels having a wonderful time. Flirtatious ladies and eager gentlemen. There is so much movement in this picture and so many stories

On the B&W print at Ebay you can spot (left corner) 2 musicians, but no piano ? Is there an explanation for that or simply the freedom of art ?
No, I won't purchase this one...since I just couldn't resist another one by Carrier-Belleuse, a famous French sculptor.

Viviane: having piano for ballet class is fairly new, relatively speaking. I believe that Enrico Cecchetti played violin while he taught class. As I recall reading, he did both - play and teach at the same time.

Other instruments were used for class, but mostly violin or other string instruments, as I have read. I am not sure when piano became the norm for ballet class. I have taken class with piano, harp, violin, drums.

I find it interesting that in the room (in the print) there are places to sit and that the dancers are sitting down. This is different from what we find today. Dancers sometimes sit on the floor when they have long intervals between rehearsal, but chairs are only occupied by administrative personnel. And dancers never sit in class. That's a huge no-no.

Also in that picture -on the other side of the room, there are two more dancers sitting down and one looks like her head is drooping. Or perhaps she is leaning over to hear what her companion is saying.

The stance of the ballet teacher is well done; his feet widely planted, his chest thrust out with authority. And oh that stick in his hand!

Yes, nowadays it's impossible for a dancer to sit down : it's 'not-done'. I wonder if it was really the case in those years, could also be an artistic feature ?!
My print is a large one (18x32") so I can see more detail
The musicians are playing violin and contrabas (if that's the right word in English !). And the stick in the teachers hand is actually his violin arc (?), he hold the violin under his arm.
The dancer in the back with the 'drooping' head seems to be in pain : holding her hands/arms on her back..maybe she's out of breath ? while her friend is looking worried.

I remember that when I was about ten years old my teacher told the class never to sit down in class or we wouldn't be able to get up again!

Because we'd be too tired, I mean, not because she'd break our legs or anything.

Actually, I was told that in sitting, especially in a chair the muscles would tighten up. I don't know if that is true, but that's what was said. However, we were also told that if sitting was to be done, like between a long interval during rehearsal, then sitting on the floor was the preferred method. Except on a cold floor.

Anyway, it wasn't something anyone wanted to test the teacher on.

I think when you really look at a lot of these old prints, there is so much to be learned. I love the hair styles. Also one can see how the tutus gradually go up. The dancers are also never as slender as they are today - they look more like ordinary women.

In the older prints the slippers are shown as barely on the foot, very very low on the sides and heels. In the later prints they look more as they do today, not only with platforms, but also higher on the foot and heels.

In addition, the ribbons as they are tied on the ankles are shown with spaces between the first and second wrapping around the ankle. This is something that is never done today.