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1500
Renaissance Era
Ballet began in the Italian Courts. It was a form of entertainment for the higher class. The performers were all male and involved elaborate costumes and mask. The term "ballet" come from the Italian ballade, to dance. -
1533
Ballet in France
Catherine Medici of Italy marries King Henry II of France . She introduces France to ballet. Dance steps were composed of small hops, slides, curtsies, promenades, and gentle turns. Dancing shoes had small heels and resembled formal dress shoes rather than any contemporary ballet shoe we might recognize today. In France, many of the traditional ballet terms are formed in the French courts by the French. -
King Louis XIV and The Royal Academy of Dance
King Louis XIV loved to perform ballet. When he performed he enjoyed representing Apollo the Sun King. He began the first ballet school. Academic Royal de Danse, or The Royal Academy of Dance. The purpose of the academy was to transition ballet from a form of entertainment to a form of art and train professional ballet teachers. -
Pierre Beauchamp and the 5 positions
Pierre Beauchamp was appointed as King Louis XIV personal ballet teacher. Pierre Beauchamp is credited for personalizing ballet. In 1661, he was appointed director of the Royal Dance Academy. -
Women in Ballet and Marie Salle
Female ballet stars became more prominent. Ballet began to incorporate jumps, hops, and airborne twist. Marie Salle, a female ballerina, made history when she began to dance with her hair down and wore lighter clothing. -
The Romantic Era
This era is known as the age of imagination, individuality, and harmony. The ballets would allow the performers to express different emotions and story lines. Often the subject of romantic ballets came from the perceived conflicts between beauty and ugliness, good and evil, spirit and flesh, and realism and fantasy. -
Marie Taglioni, dancing en pointe, and the tutu
Marie Taglioni was the first ballerina to dance en pointe. Dancing en pointe created an illusion of floating without the use of special effects. During this time, Marie wore the romantic tutu, which was a long tutu cut just above the ankle. -
La Sylphide
The first romantic ballet to be performed with women as the stars, long skirts, and dancing en pointe. -
American Ballet Theater
Ballet made its way into the United States. The American Ballet theater was founded by the New York City Ballet. -
Leotards
Ballerinas began to wear Lyrca Spandex, which allowed for more freedom and movement than before.
