History of Ballet: From the Renaissance Courts to Theaters and Opera Houses

By Catalina Rovira

Imagine a time when ballet was all about men in wigs and heeled shoes twirling around in front of kings. Originating in the Italian Renaissance courts of the fifteenth century, ballet had absolutely nothing to do with tutus and pointe shoes. Dancers wore masks, layered costumes, pantaloons, large headdresses, and ornaments; these clothing articles limited their ability to move. Due to this, their movements weren’t up to their full potential, and they were faced with having to move slower and more delicately. Ballet was used as entertainment to celebrate marriages or show off wealth. In the sixteenth century, the art moved its focus to France following Catherine de Médici’s and Henry II of France’s marriage and finally reached its peak in the seventeenth century under Louis XIV’s reign. The performance of ballet in the courts slowly began to decline, and Louis XIV, to help bring attention to the art form, established the Académie Royale de Danse in 1661 and the Académie Royale de Musique in 1669. These establishments became crucial to the development of ballet in history. Louis XIV performed in many dances of the era and was known as the Sun King not only because of his abundant territorial possession but also due to his appearance as Apollo in Le Ballet de la Nuit at the age of fifteen. It was also he who expanded ballet’s terminology and vocabulary in French. Terms such as plié (to bend), adagio (slow tempo or movement), allegro (brisk or excited tempo), développé (to develop), sauté (jump), and tendu (stretched) are some examples of the terminology developed by Louis XIV. His contributions to ballet laid the foundation for its evolution over the years into the art it is today.

Romantic ballet emerged in the eighteenth century and reached its end in the nineteenth century. During this period, some of the popular archetypes of ballet emerged, such as sentimentalism, free love, idealism despite a miserable reality, and imagination. From this era, there are a variety of ballerinas, but four of the most distinguished among them are Maria Taglioni, Fanny Elssler, Carlotta Grisi, and Fanny Cerrito. Maria Taglioni was mostly known for performing in "La Sylphide," her father's ballet, and was one of the first ballerinas to dance on pointe. Not only this, but she also introduced a new delicate and precise technique which would continue to be used for centuries. Fanny Elssler, an Austrian ballerina, is whom introduced folk dance into ballet, and was often compared with Maria Taglioni due to their contrasting styles. Carlotta Grisi was an Italian ballerina who created the title role of "Giselle," by which she is most remembered. Lastly, Fanny Cerrito made her mark in the nineteenth century by being one of the first women to be recognized as a choreographer. The ballets that were particularly famous during this time were "La Sylphide" (1832) and "Giselle" (1841), choreographed by Filippo Taglioni, and Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, respectively. "La Sylphide" is about a Scottish farmer, James, who is bound to be wed to Effie, but on the day of their wedding James sees a Sylph, a magical spirit. Following their encounter, James attempts to erase all memory of the Sylph from his mind, but she reappears and coerces him to accompany her into the forest, where he meets Madge, a witch, who hands him a magical scarf. James decides to wrap the scarf on the Sylph's shoulders, but it causes her death as her wings deteriorate. "Giselle" tells the story of a peasant girl who falls in love with a nobleman, Albrecht, disguised as a commoner, Loys. In an attempt to gain Giselle's love and attention, Hilarion, a gamekeeper, exposes Loy's real identity; this leads Giselle to great despair and grief resulting in death. On the occasion that Albrecht visits her grave, the Wilis—ghostly maidens who force men to dance until they perish—attempt to kill him, but Giselle's spirit and love for him protects him until the maidens weaken at dawn. The ballets approach themes like unattainable love, betrayal, fate, and tragic consequences, which were key archetypes of ballet, and continue to be so today. As to the eighteenth century, "La Fille Mal Gardée" is one of its best-known ballets, choreographed by Jean Dauberval. His original choreography is long forgotten but got reconstructed by Frederick Ashton in the twentieth century. Romantic ballet and its emotive manner of telling a story has continued to influence the art even today, conserving its most famous works and themes.

It wasn’t until the Romantic era that pointe shoes became the norm for ballerinas, and the Romantic tutu was also introduced. Throughout the nineteenth century, Russian choreographers came up with productions such as The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. The productions mentioned previously are still widely known today and continue to be performed on stages globally. The Nutcracker is usually considered a tradition by many academies and companies for the winter season and is often performed in the month of December.

The twentieth and twenty-first centuries are recognized as the era of modern, neoclassical, and contemporary ballet. One of the most significant figures in this era was Sergei Diaghilev, who introduced new levels of artistic expression to the art. Diaghilev put together a group of dancers, artists, and musicians, called the Ballets Russes, to perform a short season of ballets in Paris, and for the following twenty years, this group shone on stage. George Balanchine, co-founder of the New York City Ballet (NYCB) and dancer of the Ballets Russes, was crucial to the development of ballet in America upon his arrival in 1933 as he emphasized aspects such as speed, delicacy, and precision. Ballet spread internationally, causing companies all around the world to come to light. A few distinguished companies are The Royal Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, the Bolshoi Ballet, and NYCB. It is also worth mentioning that the Vaganova Ballet Academy, established in 1738, is still a prestigious institution where many of the world's greatest ballerinas have emerged.

Today, ballet is an insanely demanding and rigorous art, or sport, that requires the dancer’s full attention. Ballerinas are expected to execute a wider spectrum of steps and movements than ever before in ballet's history. Worldwide, dancers are trained from a young age to apply the techniques that have been developed over the years, like the Vaganova or Balanchine methods. The overall ways of performing and representing the art have been evolving throughout the years, but it has always remained a form of entertainment meant for an audience. Ballet continues to evolve while maintaining its essence as a timeless art that pushes the body and mind of the dancer to its limit, all while inspiring audiences globally with its beauty.