Who Coined the Term Ballet?

Ballet

The term “ballet” is a French word which has been derived from the Italian word “ballare” which means “to dance.” The term was first used in the 15th century to describe the dance style of Italy, known as the Court Ballet of Italy. This dance form was popularized by the French King Louis XIV who was a great admirer of dance. It gained immense popularity at the court of France and soon spread across Europe and beyond.

Ballet is one of the oldest forms of performing arts in Europe and is believed to have originated from Italian Renaissance court celebrations. During this period, ballet dancers were considered as artists who were able to create a graceful and beautiful form through their movements.

Ballet was made popular in France by Catherine de Medici, who brought Italian ballet styles to France when she wed Henry II in 1547. During her reign, she encouraged more ballet performances in court, making it an integral part of royal entertainment.

During this period, ballet had a more formal structure with codified steps that were divided into five categories such as passementeries (ornamental steps), entrechats (jumping steps), petits sauts (small jumps), grandes sauts (large jumps) and jetés (leaps). This helped ballet dancers to learn specific steps and patterns that could be repeated with ease.

Who Coined the Term Ballet?

The term “ballet” was first coined by Jean-Baptiste Lully, an important figure in French Baroque music and dance during Louis XIV’s reign. He created many ballets for the court including “Le Triomphe de l’Amour,” which featured a formal structure with codified steps. Lully’s influence on French ballet was so great that he became known as “The Father of Ballet”.

Conclusion:

The term ‘ballet’ was first used in the 15th century to describe the Italian Court Ballet but it wasn’t until Jean-Baptiste Lully coined it for his own works during Louis XIV’s reign that it became widely known throughout Europe and beyond. He is credited for creating a formal structure for ballets with codified steps which helped shape modern day classical ballet.