Ballet has a rich history that spans more than half a millennium, bridging cultures and traditions from across the world. Different styles of ballet have evolved over time, from Romantic to academic classical to neoclassical, and every flavor of dance is unique. We’re here to break down the major styles and help you become an expert in the art form, so you know just what to look for at the theater this season.
Classical Ballet
Ballet originated in the Renaissance courts of the 16th century, quickly growing in popularity with nobility. In the 17th century, King Louis XIV of France frequently entertained his guests with court dances and even performed his own ballets. Louis XIV helped propel the art form forward by establishing the world’s first ballet school, the Académie Royale de Danse, now Paris Opera Ballet School, where the building blocks of classical technique were established. The Academy developed the ballet terminology we know today, with descriptive names for steps derived from the French language, such as jeté (to throw) and fouetté (to whip). This explains why French is considered the language of ballet.
Classical choreography emphasizes the five basic positions, fluid movements (port des bras), high extensions, and turnout of the legs and feet. When you hear “classical,” think of the elegant lines and precise pointe work in CINDERELLA, or the astonishing pirouettes of the Sugar Plum Fairy in THE NUTCRACKER. These ballets are often accompanied by ornate scenery and detailed costumes.
Romantic Ballet
As ballet moved into the Romantic era (late 18th and early 19th centuries), choreographers shifted their focus towards new storylines and techniques. Romantic ballets followed dramatic and sometimes tragic narratives and often incorporated supernatural elements. Choreographers also used extensive pointe work to showcase ballerinas in otherworldly, muse-like roles; dancing en pointe enabled dancers appear to float across the stage, perfect for ethereal roles like the woodland sprite in La Sylphide or the ghostly Wilis in Giselle.
If you’re unsure whether a ballet is classical or Romantic, just look at the tutus; the longer, soft, bell-shaped skirts of Romantic ballets are distinctively different from the short, stiff, platter-style tutus worn in classical pieces.
While not considered a true 19th century Romantic ballet, George Balanchine’s COPPÉLIA draws from many of the era’s defining characteristics, including whimsical storytelling and a fascination with fantasy. The ballet blends comedic charm with the illusion of a life-sized mechanical doll, while its detailed scenery, vibrant costumes, and emotive neoclassical choreography evoke the theatricality of both Romantic and classical traditions. Coppélia is a classic instance of how many works fit into several styles or genres of ballet, due to their boundary bending storylines and choreographers who draw inspiration from multiple techniques.
Neoclassical Ballet
In the early 1900s, ballet made its way to the United States with legendary choreographer GEORGE BALANCHINE at the helm. A classically-trained dancer with an innovative approach to movement, Balanchine extended classical ballet technique by highlighting speed and attack. His choreography includes more modern, athletic, and explosive movements. His signature style broke free of the academic classical rules and paved the way for neoclassical ballet—a unification of the old and the new.
Many of Balanchine’s works strip away the costumes, sets, and plots so prominent in the Classical and Romantic eras and focus solely on the movement. Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements, is a quintessential example of these elements working together and marking a shift towards neoclassical aesthetics and a departure from the more elaborate and story-driven ballets that had dominated the art form in the 19th century.
Balanchine’s signature neoclassical approach to movement can be seen throughout SPRING EXPERIENCE, where the different facets of his revolutionary style take the stage. Balanchine’s choreography is often characterized by movements that emphasize strong lines, striking musicality, and lively contrasts. These elements are on full display in The Four Temperaments, where bold, angular, and athletically charged shifts in movement push the boundaries of classical technique with unexpected off-balance shapes, sharp transitions, and sculptural groupings.
Later in the program, Mozartiana reveals another side of Balanchine’s artistry through its purity of line, lyrical movement, and reverent atmosphere, while Gounod Symphony celebrates the power and beauty of the corps de ballet with sweeping geometric formations and synchronized symmetry. Together, these works demonstrate the breadth of Balanchine’s neoclassical vision.
