The Story Of Enrico Cecchetti

Enrico Cecchetti was born June 21, 1850 in Rome. Cecchetti was the son of two dancers in the costuming room of a Roman theater. Cecchetti is most known for the development of a strict training regime called the Cecchitti method. The method enforces internalization of classical ballet techniques throughout seven grade levels, reaching to the diploma level.

Cecchetti is recognized as one of the greatest ballet virtuosos to ever live. As a dancer he had starring roles in such productions as The Sleeping Beauty. Following the introduction of the pointe shoe, male performers received less substantial roles and instead became a helper of sorts for the ballerina. In 1890, Cecchitti played two starkly different roles in The Sleeping Beauty and introduced the understanding that male performers could do the same movements as female performers. After joining the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia he went on to teach ballet to such students as Anna Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky at the Imperial School. He also held a teaching position at the Warsaw State School in Poland for three years.

In 1910, Cecchetti was hired as ballet master and mime for the Ballets Russes dance company. The company director, Sergei Diaghilev, wanted to take his company on tour, but many of his dancers refused because they would be missing out on their classes with Cecchetti. Thus Diaghilev hired Cecchetti to travel with the company. He performed mime roles choreographed specifically for him by members of the company. Cecchetti is said to be responsible for linking modern ballet to the dance of the past. He specialized in assisting dancers in maintaining the physicality required of them while also maintaining perfect technique.

In 1918, Cecchetti opened his own dance school in London. After several years of successful and world famous teaching he decided to retire. However, Arturo Toscanini invited Cecchetti to teach at La Scala. Teaching at La Scala had been a lifelong goal of Cecchetti's and he could not pass up the opportunity. A mere five years later, Cecchetti collapsed while teaching a class. He was taken home and died the following day on November 13, 1928.

Enrico Cecchetti is remembered foremost for the marvelous ballet dancing he gave to the world. He left a training method that is still used today by many dance companies, even the National Ballet of Canada. Cyril Beaumont and Stanislas Idzikowsky are responsible for preserving the Cecchetti method after its creator's death.

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