For centuries, such rituals were commonplace for European nobility.

幾世紀以來，這些禮儀在歐洲貴族十分普遍。

And while they've gone out of fashion, we recognize the components under a familiar label: ballet.

雖然它們已是明日黃花了，但我們仍可在這熟悉的用語認出它：就是「芭蕾」。

Ballet, from Italian "balletto," or little dance, originated in Renaissance Italy as a combination of social dance and choreographed display at aristocratic gatherings.

「芭蕾 Ballet」 詞源於義大利語「balletto」或 小舞蹈，發源於義大利文藝復興時期， 是一種貴族聚會時，社交舞與編舞演出的結合。

In many aspects, it was a way of controlling people in court with acceptable forms of behavior, such as the manner in which people stepped, bowed, or took someone's hand.

在許多方面， 它約束人們在宮廷中舉止行為得宜，例如人們步行、鞠躬或牽某人的手的方式。

It also involved rules governing everything from attire to where one could walk or sit in relation to the King.

它也和一些規定有關， 像是衣著服飾或與國王同行、同坐時的遠近位置。

Over time, the study of ballet became a central element of court life, and proper grasp of the etiquette could make or break one's success as a courtier.

長久以來，學習芭蕾變成宮廷生活的重要核心，而是否正確掌握這種禮儀， 也可能決定一位朝臣的成敗。

Many of these court gestures can still be seen in modern ballet techniques.

許多這種宮廷舉止仍可見於現代芭蕾的技巧中。

Ballet was brought to France in the 16th century by Catherine de' Medici, the Italian wife of King Henry II.

芭蕾在十六世紀時，由凱薩琳·德·美第奇帶入法國，她是國王亨利二世的義籍妻子。

As celebrations became more lavish, so did the dance, with dancing masters teaching elaborate steps to young nobles and story elements providing a unifying theme.

隨著慶典日漸豪華，舞蹈也變得考究，舞蹈老師教小貴族們精緻的舞步，帶入故事情節與表演主題合而為一。

The focus shifted from participation to performance, and the form acquired more theatrical trappings, such as professionally designed sets and a slightly raised platform or stage with curtains and wings.

其形式重點由「參與」變為「表演」，此時需要更多戲劇的排場，例如專業設計的佈景以及稍微升起的平臺或配有幕簾和兩側後台的舞臺。

But it was in the 17th century court of Louis XIV that ballet was refined into the art we know today.

然而，芭蕾是在十七世紀路易十四統治時，才將它重新塑造成我們今日所熟知的藝術。

Louis himself had been trained in ballet from childhood.

路易本人從小就接受芭蕾訓練。

His early role as the sun god Apollo at age fifteen cemented the central role ballet would play during his reign.

他早在十五歲時扮演的太陽神阿波羅，鞏固了芭蕾在他執政時期的重要地位。

It also earned him the title of Sun King, with his splendid golden costume and choreography that promoted the idea of the king as a divinely ordained ruler.

這也為他贏得了「太陽王」的美名，他的金色華麗戲服以及舞蹈編排提昇了君權神授的觀念。

Louis would go on to perform 80 roles in 40 major ballets, either as a majestic lead, or sometimes playing minor or comedic parts before emerging in the lead role at the end.

路易後來在四十個重要芭蕾表演中，演過八十個角色，有時演威風的主角，有時先扮演小角色或滑稽角色，最後才在終場脫穎而出變為主角。

He trained daily in ballet, as well as fencing and riding, and through his example, dancing became an essential skill for all gentlemen of the era.

他每天接受芭蕾、擊劍及騎馬的訓練，經由他的榜樣，舞蹈變為當時所有紳士必備的技藝。

But Louis XIV's main contribution to ballet was not as a performer.

但路易對芭蕾的主要貢獻並非作為一個表演者。

His founding of the Royal Academy of Dance in 1661 shifted control of ballet from local guilds to the royal court.

他於 1661 年創立的「皇家舞蹈學院」將芭蕾的掌控權由民間團體轉到皇家宮廷。

As director, he appointed his personal ballet master and frequent performance partner Pierre Beauchamp, who codified the five main positions of the body still used today.

身為院長，他任命自己的私人芭蕾老師，同時也是多次表演舞伴的皮埃爾·博尚，他彙整了五個主要的芭蕾舞姿勢， 仍沿用至今。

Through his collaborations with Jean-Baptiste Lully, the director of the Royal Music Academy, and famed playwright Molière, Beauchamp helped establish ballet as a grand spectacle.

透過和皇家音樂學院的院長家尚-巴迪斯堤·盧利及著名劇作家莫里哀合作， 博尚幫芭蕾發展為華麗壯觀的演出。

And in 1669, a separate ballet academy was founded.

而在 1669 年，成立了另一個芭蕾舞蹈學院。

The Paris Opera Ballet survives today as the oldest ballet company in the world.

「巴黎歌劇院芭蕾舞團」至今仍在， 並成為世界最古老的芭蕾舞團。

Ballet moved away from the royal court to the theater and survived the democratic revolutions and reforms that followed over the next century.

芭蕾從宮廷轉移到劇院，也熬過了民主革命以及隨後在下個世紀中的革新。

With the advent of the romantic movement, fantasy and folklore themes became common motifs.

隨著浪漫主義運動的出現，幻想及民間故事成為芭蕾中常見的題材。

And though the influence of ballet in France would decline, other countries, such as Russia, would play a major role in its further development.

雖然芭蕾舞的影響力在法國逐步衰落， 在其他國家，像是俄羅斯，它仍扮演使其進一步發展的重要角色。

Fortunately, today most of us don't have to learn a complicated set of steps just to socialize at a wedding.

幸運的是，現在我們多數不需要學習這套複雜舞步只為了到婚禮作社交活動。

(music)

(音樂)

Instead, we can go to the theater to see professionals who spend their lives training rigorously to perform feats that would have been unimaginable in Louis XIV's day.

取而代之的是，我們可以到劇院欣賞專業舞者的演出，他們花無數時間接受嚴格訓練，表演那連路易十四時代也望塵莫及的精彩演出。