What is ballet?

Ballet is a performing art, typically performed on stage to music with scenic design and lighting. Ballet has been around since 1500. There are several different styles of ballet technique including Vaganova, French, Cecchetti, Royal Academy of Dance, Balanchine and Bournonville.

Types of Ballet

Ballet performances generally come in two varieties. Story Ballets which include classics like The Nutcracker and Swan Lake as well as originals like Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. And there are Plotless Ballets that simply feature the movement in ways that evoke emotion. George Balanchine is famous for creating plotless ballets.

Ordway Conservatory of Classical Ballet’s Story Ballet Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Styles of Ballet

Ballet also comes in a variety of styles. Classical Ballet is what people imagine when they think of ballet. Classical Ballet includes story ballets and is best described through the choreography of Marius Petipa. Petipa created ballets in the 19th century and we still dance his choreography today. Classical Ballets have grand sets and costuming to help tell their stories. Romantic Ballets are very similar to Classical. The stories are more dramatic and the costuming is different, featuring long romantic tutus instead of platter tutus. The ballet La Sylphide is an example of a Romantic Ballet. Neo Classical Ballet came into fashion during the 20th century and features plotless ballets like those of George Balanchine. Neo Classical Ballets feature minimal sets and costuming. Contemporary Ballet is influenced by modern dance. Celebrated contemporary ballet choreographers include Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor and William Forsythe. Contemporary Ballets are often plotless with minimal sets and costuming.

Most ballet companies feature all styles of ballet throughout their performance seasons. Some companies exclusively perform one style type.

Learn More

You can learn even more about all the types, styles and terms of ballet by signing either your child or yourself up for our classes. We start our dancers at 6 months old with a mommy and me style class. Book a free trial today.