Ballet

Ballet is a form of performance dance that first appeared in fifteenth-century Italy during the Renaissance. It later evolved into a concert dance style in France and Russia. Today, it is a widespread and technically demanding art form with its own specialized terminology. Ballet’s influence has been felt around the world, and its foundational techniques are used in many other dance styles and traditions. Different schools in various countries have added their own cultural elements, so ballet has developed in distinct ways over time.

A ballet as a complete work includes both the choreography and the music for a specific production. Trained dancers perform these works. Traditional classical ballets typically use classical music, elaborate costumes, and detailed staging. In contrast, modern ballets often feature simpler costumes and minimal sets or scenery.

The word “ballet” comes from French, which took it from the Italian *balletto*, a smaller form of *ballo* (dance). That word traces back to Latin *ballo, ballare* (“to dance”), and further to the Greek *βαλλίζω* (ballizo), meaning “to dance, to jump about.” English adopted the term from French around 1630. In French, *ballet* can refer to a performance, a specific work, or the dance genre itself, though the phrase *danse classique* is also used and is less ambiguous, especially when discussing the study of the dance.

Ballet began in the courts of the Italian Renaissance during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Catherine de’ Medici, as Queen of France, helped spread it to France, where it developed further. Early court dancers were mostly noble amateurs, and their ornate costumes were meant to impress but limited movement. Performances took place in large halls with viewers on three sides. After 1618, the introduction of the proscenium arch separated dancers from the audience, allowing viewers to better see and appreciate the technical skills of professional dancers.

French court ballet peaked under King Louis XIV. In 1661, he founded the Académie Royale de Danse to set standards and certify teachers. In 1672, he appointed Jean-Baptiste Lully director of the Académie Royale de Musique (Paris Opera), which led to the creation of the first professional ballet company, the Paris Opera Ballet. Pierre Beauchamp served as Lully’s ballet-master, and together they are credited with establishing the five basic positions of the feet. By 1681, the first ballerinas performed after years of training at the Académie.

Ballet declined in France after 1830 but continued to grow in Denmark, Italy, and Russia. Interest revived just before World War I with the arrival of the Ballets Russes, led by Sergei Diaghilev, which launched the modern era. In the twentieth century, ballet strongly influenced other dance forms. It also split into classical ballet and modern dance, leading to modernist movements in several countries. Notable twentieth-century dancers include Mikhail Baryshnikov, Erik Bruhn, Maria Tall Chief, Jeanne Devereaux, Suzanne Farrell, Margot Fonteyn, Rosella Hightower, Gelsey Kirkland, Natalia Makarova, Arthur Mitchell, Rudolf Nureyev, Anna Pavlova, Maya Plisetskaya, and Galina Ulanova.

Over time, different styles and subgenres have emerged. Early classical variations are often linked to geographic origins, such as Russian, French, and Italian ballet. Later styles, like contemporary ballet and neoclassical ballet, mix classical technique with non-traditional movement. The most widely known and performed style is late Romantic ballet, also called Ballet blanc.

Classical ballet relies on traditional technique and vocabulary. Different countries have developed their own styles, including French, Italian, English, and Russian ballet. Many of these are tied to specific training methods, usually named after their creators. The Royal Academy of Dance method, for example, was created by a group of dancers who combined Italian, French, Danish, and Russian techniques to form the English style, now recognized internationally. Famous classical ballets include *Swan Lake*, *The Sleeping Beauty*, and *The Nutcracker*.

Romantic ballet was an artistic movement within classical ballet, and several of its works remain in the standard repertoire. This era introduced pointe work, gave greater prominence to female dancers, and featured longer, flowing tutus meant to convey softness and delicacy. It took place during the early to mid-nineteenth century, with plots often centered on spirit women—sylphs, wilis, and ghosts—who captivated mortal men. *La Sylphide* (1827) is widely considered the first Romantic ballet, and *Coppélia* (1870) the last. Famous Romantic-era dancers include Marie Taglioni, Fanny Elssler, and Jules Perrot, who was also known for his choreography, especially of *Giselle*, often regarded as the most celebrated Romantic ballet.