Ballet has existed in some form for more than 500 years — but the ballet performed on stages today looks remarkably different from its earliest roots. Here is the story of how ballet evolved through five distinct eras, each shaped by changing cultural, political and artistic forces.
The Renaissance: Ballet Is Born in Italy (1400s–1500s)
Ballet’s earliest ancestors were the elaborate court entertainments of 15th-century Renaissance Italy — spectacular performances combining music, poetry, dance and theatrical spectacle to celebrate royal weddings and diplomatic occasions. The Italians called these entertainments balletti, from the word ballare (to dance).
Catherine de Medici, who married the French King Henry II in 1533, brought Italian court entertainment with her to France. The most famous early example is the Ballet Comique de la Reine, performed in Paris in 1581 — often cited as the first ballet in the modern sense, lasting five and a half hours and costing the equivalent of millions in today’s money.
The Baroque Era: France Takes Control (1600s)
Ballet consolidated in France under Louis XIV, who was both a passionate dancer and a patron of the arts. His 1661 establishment of the Académie Royale de Danse in Paris formalized the teaching and vocabulary of ballet for the first time.
During this era, ballet was danced almost entirely by men — women in elaborate costumes could not execute the footwork required, so male dancers in female roles were standard. The movements were relatively small and formal, emphasizing courtly elegance over virtuosity. The five positions of the feet were codified, and the French vocabulary we still use today — plié, tendu, arabesque — was established.
The Romantic Era: Ballerinas Take Centre Stage (1820s–1840s)
The Romantic era transformed ballet from a formal court entertainment into a theatrical spectacle focused on the female dancer. Costumes changed dramatically: the long, heavy court skirts of the Baroque era gave way to the white tutu — a diaphanous skirt that allowed the audience to see the dancer’s feet and legs for the first time.
Two technical developments defined the era: the rise to full pointe (the tip of the toe), which gave female dancers an ethereal, otherworldly quality perfectly suited to Romantic themes of spirits, sylphs and supernatural beings; and the ballerina as star, displacing male dancers from the centre of the stage for the next century.
The great Romantic ballets — La Sylphide (1832) and Giselle (1841) — remain in the repertoire of companies worldwide.
The Classical Era: Russia and the Golden Age (1860s–1900s)
Ballet’s classical golden age was shaped by one figure above all others: Marius Petipa, the French choreographer who spent most of his career at the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg. With composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Petipa created the canonical works of the classical repertoire — Swan Lake (1895), The Sleeping Beauty (1890) and The Nutcracker (1892).
Classical ballet developed a highly formal vocabulary: precise academic technique, codified mime, elaborate corps de ballet formations, and the grand pas de deux structure (adagio, male variation, female variation, coda) that appears in virtually every classical ballet to this day. The tutu shortened to the stiff, pancake-shaped classical tutu that displayed the dancer’s legs fully.
The 20th Century: Revolution and Modernism
Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes (founded 1909) overturned the conservative classical tradition. Working with revolutionary choreographers — Michel Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, George Balanchine, and later Bronislava Nijinska — and artists including Picasso and Matisse, the Ballets Russes produced works that shocked and transformed audiences across Europe.
George Balanchine brought this modernist sensibility to America, founding the School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet, and developing the neoclassical style — pure, abstract, music-led choreography without narrative.
In parallel, teaching bodies including the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance, founded 1920 in London) and the Vaganova Academy in Russia worked to systematise and preserve classical technique through structured syllabi.
Ballet Today
Contemporary ballet encompasses a vast range of styles — from the pure classical technique of the Royal Ballet to the abstract neoclassicism of New York City Ballet, the physical theatre of Matthew Bourne, and the fusion styles that blend ballet with contemporary and hip-hop influences. Recreational ballet, taught through syllabi such as the RAD, introduces millions of children worldwide each year to the same basic vocabulary first codified in Paris in the 17th century.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has ballet been around?
Ballet has existed in some form since the 15th century, with the earliest court entertainments in Renaissance Italy. As a formally codified art form with a specific vocabulary and teaching structure, ballet dates to 1661, when Louis XIV established the first royal ballet academy in Paris. The classical repertoire most companies perform today largely dates from the 19th century.
How did ballet technique change over the centuries?
Ballet technique evolved from slow, formal courtly movements with minimal elevation (17th century) to include increasingly virtuosic jumps and turns as male dancers became more athletic (18th century), then added full pointe work for women (19th century), and has continued to expand range of motion, athletic demands and expressive freedom through the 20th and 21st centuries.
When did women start dancing ballet on pointe?
Female dancers began rising to full pointe in the 1820s–1830s, during the Romantic era of ballet. Marie Taglioni is often credited as the first major ballerina to dance extensively en pointe, in La Sylphide (1832). The technique developed gradually as shoe construction improved — early pointe shoes were simply reinforced soft slippers, very different from the hard-blocked shoes used today.
Which country has contributed most to classical ballet?
Ballet has been shaped most significantly by France (where it was formalised), Russia (where the classical repertoire was created by Petipa and Tchaikovsky), and later the United States (where Balanchine developed neoclassical ballet). The UK also played a major role through the Royal Ballet, Frederick Ashton and the RAD, which established the English school of classical ballet and an internationally recognised teaching syllabus.
