Dream ballet
Encyclopedia
A dream ballet, in musical theater, is an all-dance
, no-singing
production number that reflects the themes of the production. The plot, themes, and characters
are typically the same—although the people playing the characters may be different, as the roles of the dream ballet are usually filled by well trained dancers rather than actual actors.
Dream ballet sequences exist mainly for clarification, foreshadowing, and symbolism, and occur outside the continuity of the production. They also provide the opportunity to impress the audience with advanced dancing techniques and elaborate staging that would otherwise be impossible or drama
tically inappropriate.
The dream ballet is thought to have originated in Rodgers and Hammerstein
's 1943 musical Oklahoma!
, which includes a 15-minute first-act dream ballet finale. The technique has since become a routine (although by no means universal) theatrical practice.
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, no-singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
production number that reflects the themes of the production. The plot, themes, and characters
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
are typically the same—although the people playing the characters may be different, as the roles of the dream ballet are usually filled by well trained dancers rather than actual actors.
Dream ballet sequences exist mainly for clarification, foreshadowing, and symbolism, and occur outside the continuity of the production. They also provide the opportunity to impress the audience with advanced dancing techniques and elaborate staging that would otherwise be impossible or drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
tically inappropriate.
The dream ballet is thought to have originated in Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
's 1943 musical Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
, which includes a 15-minute first-act dream ballet finale. The technique has since become a routine (although by no means universal) theatrical practice.