Invention of the ballet

The majority of general public does not really know that ballet was not the invention of the French or Russian dancers but appeared much earlier. In fact, all ballet specialists conclude, that first ballet originated in Italy in the times of Renaissance. Naturally, ballet slippers, tutus or complex ballet positions and moves had not been invented yet.

First ballet or “ballo” as it was called in Italy, was the dancing performance designated for special occasions. It was not the entertainment of poor people, of course, it was the privilege of aristocrats. Only the highest nobility could organize ballo for lavish court pageantry, big weddings, or festivals.

All Renaissance ballet dancers - ballerinas - dressed according to the fashions of the times. But the choreography gradually was getting more complex - from simple dances to all kind of adaptations of court dance steps. This probably allowed the evolution of the ballo into more sophisticated type of dance in the end.

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