History of Ballet

Ballet has become more popular in the recent years, but for most people, it still remains a mystical world of movements and expressions which are confusing for everyone and only understood by the most serious Balletomane. Today, let us learn about the origin of ballet so we can have more ideas on how it became popular all around the world.

HISTORY OF BALLET

Ballet became popular in the late 15^th century Renaissance court culture of Italy. You might not believe it, but the ballet was originally known as a “dance interpretation” of fencing. It was further enhanced and developed in the French court in the 17^th century, the time of Louis XIV. This is the reason of the use of French vocabulary in ballet.

In the 18^th century, despite the great reforms of Noverre (Jean-Georges Noverre, a French dancer and balletmaster, and the creator of ballet d’action), the popularity of ballet in France became lower after 1830, though it was still continued in other countries such as Denmark, Italy and Russia. On the eve of the World War I, the ballet was reintroduced to Western Europe by a Russian company owned by Sergei Diaghilev named Ballets Russes, and it became influential all over the world.

The company owned by Diaghilev became a popular destination for most of the trained dancers from Russia, in order to escape the famine and unrest which was caused by the Russian Revolution. Numerous choreographic and stylistic modifications and innovations were brought by these dancers that had been flourishing under the czars back to their place of origin.

The ballet became more prominent and continued to advance in the 20^th century. It has strongly influenced the broader concert dance. For example, in the U.S., a choreographer named George Balanchine created his signature style “neoclassical ballet". Some of the developments and innovations that followed includes contemporary ballet and post-structural ballet, which was developed by William Forsythe in Germany.

Ballet is a formalized type of performative dance, and was performed starting in the 16^th and 17^th century French courts. It was further innovated and enhanced in England, Italy and Russia as a concert dance form. The ballet dancers that time were not as skilled compared to the dancers we have today. Since then, ballet has become a highly technical form of dance, even having its own vocabulary. The dance was commonly known to be performed in sync with a classical music. Recent developments and innovations consist of expressionist ballet, and even include some elements of modern dance.

Today, it is being taught all-around the world in different ballet schools. Should you happen to be looking for an academy that teaches ballet and gymnastics for kids, you can try and visit Bianka Panova Academy.