History of Ballet

“Ballet is a dance executed by the human soul.” -Alexander Pushkin

Ballet is one of the most well-known and well-known forms of dance in the world. Ballet’s history and evolution have developed over time and continue to do so today. Ballet can be traced back to the Renaissance in the 1300s Italy and France as elaborate aristocratic entertainment. 

The word “Ballet” is also derived from the Italian verb ballare, which means “to dance.” The dance form was performed in lavish courts for royal ceremonies like births and marriages. It was all for the enjoyment of the wealthy. Women’s ballerinas only became well-known after the 1700s. Males used to perform for the most in the Royal courts before then and the females in Ballerina were not an accepted norm and women had to don heavy wigs and tight corsets for the performance.

Around the 1600’s, Ballet took a shift and it was the first time, a female ballerina, Marie Camargo was introduced. The other major shift, also revolved around Marie Camargo, was the alteration of the costumes. She shortened the skirts. It was at this time when jumps began to appear in ballet, like how we see them today. 

Ballet took a turn in the 1600s, and for the first time, a female Ballerina, Marie Camargo, was introduced. Along with that came the altering of the outfits. Also, She had the skirts reduced. hops, jumps, and airborne twists, as we know them now, first appeared in ballet during this period.

The 19th century, popularly as a “Romantic period” where Female ballerinas thrived during the Romantic Ballet Era. It is widely considered to be the start of contemporary ballet as we know it today. For the first time, ballerinas were seen floating in the air on their tiptoes, a technique known as pointe work. The romantic tutu, a tulle calf-length full skirt, was first introduced. It was only then that unique music was composed just for ballerinas.

Ballet is a fascinating art form with a long history of development and tradition. From famous ballet works to ballet dancers, magnificent pieces of classical music, and renowned ballet composers and choreographers, there are no limitations to what you can learn about ballet. The cherry on top is that you’ll pick up some French along the road. Hey, you might even pick up a few words in French… “c’est super!

If you’re interested in learning Ballet, check out Ucanji, an Indian online dance class that seeks to make dance more exciting, accessible, and enjoyable for everyone. The dancing workshops were meticulously crafted by India’s best dance choreographers for anyone who wants to have fun while honing their dance skills at any time and in any location. Sign up for ucanji courses online to get started on your dance career and put these perks to good use.

Fun Fact

Marie Taglioni was the first female ballerina to dance en pointe, which is dancing on the tips of toes, in 1832.