To many, ballet is discerned as the first style to combine social dance and choreographed display. Ballet was the favoured art form to entertain during Renaissance France thus fundamental for aristocratic banquets and was identified for their strict code of movement and visual detail. Ballet became more centred on performance rather than participation and began to incorporate narrative elements and music (Ted-Ed, 2016). In the early 20th century, the Ballet Russes became anchored as pioneers in a new era of modern ballet. Remembered for their amalgamation of art, music and choreography, they were a revolutionary creative force. Central to this innovation was Michel Fokine, the earliest choreographer, produced The Firebird in 1910; a story of …show more content…
Murphy and Krasenstein creditably utilise costuming to build the personality of characters and provide a richer understanding of Murphy’s reinterpretation. An effective change in the new costume is presented by Prince Ivan, danced by Kevin Jackson. Although central to Fokine’s representation of the character, Ivan’s armour has been completely replaced by ripped tribal-like cloths which distinguish him as raw, bare-chested character rather than a royal figure effectively endeavouring to reinforce his natural body features. This also permits opportunity for Murphy to accomplish challenging movements without restriction which results in stunning choreography for example the pas de deux with the Firebird. In addition, the colour palettes are exploited heavily by Krasenstein through the costumes, a prime example of this is the Tsarevna’s dress. The romantic tutu colour blocks three separate colours: azure blue on the top, white in the middle and celery green on the bottom. Firstly, the azure blue embodies honesty and loyalty, thus depicting a few of the Tsarevna’s good qualities. Furthermore, the white represents innocence-the purity of Tsarevna’s spirit. Finally, the colour green represents renewal and is the colour of life; in this case, it is the renewal of life and she is a symbol supporting life. These colours epitomise the perfect contradiction of the Kostchei. However, a second meaning is can be interpreted by analysing the boldly covered by birds scattered across the dress. On the dress, the birds can be seen flying upwards towards the blue section of her dress which signifies the sky and away from the green symbolising grass. On these grounds, Murphy subtly suggests that the birds represent the Tsarevna and her wish to escape the captivity of the Kostchei. Ultimately, Krasenstein’s design is effective in distinguishing the characteristics of characters such as