The mathematical foundations of classical ballet

Abstract

This treatise sets out to show how both the mathematical aspect of ballet (and music to a very limited extent) and the associated psychological aspects of both the dancer and the stage space in which he or she operates contribute together to create an entire gestalt that becomes visible on and within the bodies of the dancers as they move through time and space. The recognition of both intention in the role of speaking a language with meaning, along with the existence of energy projection in music, dance and drama, make apparent the existence of this extension of the mental realm into the physical one. Although some people accord the spoken language a privileged status which causes a gap between artists and analytical philosophers, I have attempted, in this work, to show a way in which language may be considered as a concept applying to all languages, including those used in the arts. In this manner, hopefully, this gap between the two sets of theoretical concerns may be shown to be no longer applicable, and a manner of bridging the theoretical split can be forged upon the theory suggested by this treatise.