History of Ballet

Ballet invented in Italy

1459

King Louis XIV Popularizes Ballet in France

1700

Ballet Dancers wear Romantic Tutu's

1800

A romantic tutu is a long, fluffy, lightweight skirt that goes down to the ankles.

Ballerina Marie Taglioni popularizes dancing on Pointe

1830

Marius Petipa choreographs The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty

1840

Composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky composes music for these ballets

Pancake tutu popularized because of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake

1870

Sergei Diaghilev founds the Ballet Russes Company

1900

The Ballet Russes travel around the world to introduce ballet to other countries

Toe Dancing becomes popular in the United States

1920

Toe dancing is a combination of acrobatics and stunts. This style includes tap dancing. Ballet was not popular yet in the United States.

Adolph Bolm opens the San Francisco Opera Ballet

1933

This is the first professional ballet company in the United States

From the Ballet Russes, George Balanchine founds the School of American Ballet in New York City

1934

Balanchine's Jewels Debut broke traditional ballet standards

1967

Mikhail Baryshnikov joins the American Ballet Theater

1974

Mikhail Baryshnikov and Twyla Tharp work together to create Contemporary Ballet

1976

Ballet continues to be a dedicated dance form across the country

Period: 1980 to 2020

Traditions like the Nutcracker every Christmas season began during the time of Balanchine and continues as his legacy