Ballet is a classical dance form that has been around for centuries. It originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century and has since spread to many other countries around the world. The earliest known ballet was performed in 1489 by a group of dancers in Florence, Italy.
Ballet was first developed as an Italian court entertainment, with the aim of entertaining the king and his courtiers. The original ballets were quite different from what we know today.
They tended to be more lighthearted, featuring elements such as acrobatics and comedic interludes. As time passed, ballets began to become more serious and structured, incorporating elements such as mime and allegory.
The first ballet that followed a structured story was ‘Le Ballet Comique de la Reine’ (1581). This ballet was created by Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx for Queen Catherine de Medici of France.
It featured several characters from Greek mythology, including Diana, Apollo, Mercury, Venus and Juno. This ballet set an important precedent for future ballets by introducing structured stories with characters.
In 1661, Louis XIV founded the Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse (Royal Academy of Music and Dance) in Paris. This academy developed the five fundamental positions of classical ballet which we still use today: arabesque, attitude, plié, pas de bourrée and jeté. It also formalised many other aspects of ballet technique such as pointe work.
In conclusion, it can be said that ballet was first performed in 1489 by a group of dancers in Florence, Italy. After being developed as an Italian court entertainment during the Renaissance period it slowly evolved into what we recognise today as classical ballet with the help of Louis XIV’s Royal Academy of Music and Dance in Paris.