History of Ballet By jadeemirandaa Dec 16, 1500 Beginning of ballet in 1500 in italy Dec 1, 1600 beginning of funding ballet in the french court Dec 16, 1600 In the 16th century, Catherine de Medici, an Italian noblewoman, wife of King Henry II of France and a great patron of the arts Dec 16, 1661 in 1661a dance academy had opened in Paris Dec 18, 1681 in 1681 ballet moved from the courts to the stage Dec 16, 1750 By the mid-1700s French ballet master Jean Georges Noverre rebelled against the artifice of opera-ballet Dec 16, 1900 Early classical ballets such as Giselle and La Sylphide were created during the Romantic Movement in the first half of the 19th century Dec 16, 1960 The popularity of ballet soared in Russia, and, during the latter half of the 19th century Dec 16, 2000 In the early part of the 20th century, Russian choreographers Sergei Diaghilev and Michel Fokine began to experiment with movement and costume Dec 16, 2009 PBT principal dancer Christopher Budzynski in Septime Webre’s modern take on the traditional story, Cinderella. 2009