Character dance Character dance Character dance is a specific subdivision of classical dance. It is the stylized representation of a traditional folk or national dance, mostly from European countries, and uses movements and music which have been adapted for the theater. Character dance is integral to much of the classical ballet repertoire. A good example of character dance within ballet is the series of national dances which take place at the beginning of Act III of Swan Lake. The ballet Don Quixote as well as La sylphide also features many character variations based on traditional Spanish dances. Popular character dance adaptations for
Pulcinella (ballet) Pulcinella (ballet) Pulcinella is a one-act neoclassical ballet by Igor Stravinsky based on an 18th-century play "Quartre Polichinelles semblables" ("Four identical Pulcinellas"). Pulcinella is a stock character originating from "commedia dell'arte". The ballet premiered at the Paris Opera on 15 May 1920 under the baton of Ernest Ansermet. The dancer Léonide Massine created both the libretto and choreography, and Pablo Picasso designed the original costumes and sets. The ballet was commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev. A performance of the work typically lasts 35 minutes. The ballet score was revised by Stravinsky in 1965. Diaghilev wanted a ballet based on an early