Dance Appreciation

Ballet Pantomime

In order to tell a story without words, ballet developed a language of gestures called pantomime. Although the term shares a name with the entertainers performing in Rome in the Middle Ages, the ballet version is more refined. Some movements are as simple as easily-understood body language, but more abstract concepts are given their own specific gestures to convey meaning. The dancer's facial expressions, musical phrasing, and dynamics all play a role in making the story understood.