Neo-Classical Ballet: Italian Renaissance Courts In The 19th Century

Ballet developed in the Italian Renaissance courts in the 15th and 16th century. It came from the court dances used at the time. Ballet further developed into the performance-focused art in France in the 17th century. Louis XIV established the a Royal Academy for ballet in 1661. The popularity spread throughout Europe because France was the model for the fashions and customs of the time.

Ballet did not become a serious art form until the 18th century. Ballet was mostly used in operas. Ballet was dominantly male up until the 19th century, when the spotlight turned to ballerinas. Ballerinas began to experiment with pointe work during this time. Russia was also a dominate country the world of ballet. In 1850 when popularity was dying off in other countries, it was still popular in Russia.

Romeo and Juliet, The Firebird, and Cinderella were choreographed during this time. The modern pointe shoe had been invented and ballerinas were en pointe by this time.

In the United States of America, George Balanchine opened a school in New York City and in Chicago, his most important school being the one in New York City. He re-choreographed Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, as well as producing many original ballets. These ballets he choreographed are still performed today. His style is what is now called neoclassical ballet.

Neoclassical ballet lies somewhere between contemporary ballet and classical ballet. He pioneered this style.

There are several different styles of ballet: The Vaganova method, the Legat method, and the Cecchetti method. Each of these methods is slightly different and some are more strict than others

Ballet is a disciplined art form that takes time and dedication to