Ballet Style Over the Ages: early 1800s- mid 1900s

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to our third post this month! 🎃 October’s in full swing, and with it come festivals from all around the world like Día de los Muertos, Samhain, and Japan’s Kawasaki Halloween Parade, all bursting with wild, creative costumes and super unique styles.

And what do they all have in common (besides being perfectly timed with one of our author’s birthdays, but that’s not important right now 😜)?

Costumes! Spooky, stylish, sometimes themed, but always statement-making.

And honestly… is it really balletcore without the iconic ballet aesthetic and costumes?

So this October, as an ode to all things festive and costumed, we’re continuing our new series that dives deep into how ballet style and costumes have evolved over the centuries.

Last week, we glided into the tragical-magical, 19th century world of Romantic Era ballet, so today, we're diving head-first into the Classical Era of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

If you've ever watched The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Don Quixote or Sleeping Beauty, you probably know that classical ballet is elegant, powerful, and technically jaw-dropping.

It's quite similar to Romantic Era ballet, with the stories, pointe shoes, female leads and classic ballet technique, but Classical Era ballet is kinda like a return to how ballet was at the start: extravagant, technical and powerful, unlike the soft and emotional style of romantic ballets.

Alright, let's begin! Power-up that Time Machine and let's dive alllllll the way back into the 1800s and 1900s where the drama began.

But, wait!!

Refresh your memory with this short ballet history lesson: https://theballerinaprojectindia.blogspot.com/2024/05/exploring-ballet-its-meaning-and-history.html

Ok, NOW we really can go back in time to... the Classical Era.

Pancakes are so trendy

No, we're not talking about pancakes the breakfast food (although that does sound delicious right now). 🥞

We're talking about pancake tutus, the iconic flat tutus that are practically a symbol of ballet. These had their start in the Classical Era when ballerinas began performing very demanding technical steps which were barely visible in the ballet tutus of the past. 

That's why a new one was invented: the pancake tutu. This was perfectly engineered to show off the dancer’s technique. Every développé, arabesque, and pirouette was now on full display. 🩰

And yes, it caused quite the scandal at first. The tutus were shorter, the legs were visible, and the ballet world clutched its pearls for a minute. But soon enough, everyone realized this wasn’t about shock value but about celebrating technique.

This new pancake form gave designers and ballerinas the versatility to create a beautiful piece of work. Designers were able to add more details to the tutu, adding frills, jewels and more that just weren't possible in the past. 👑

Russia takes over

By the late 1800s, ballet was becoming much less popular in France and the rest of Europe. But in Russia? Ballet was just getting started.

The Tsars loved grand, show-stopping performances, and ballet was the perfect way to flaunt that royal extravagance. So they poured money into it, setting up theatres, schools, costumes, orchestras, you name it. 🎻

And the investment paid off. Ballet in Russia exploded into a cultural phenomenon. Legendary choreographers like Marius Petipa created some of the most iconic ballets ever over here. Take Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, and so many others were created over here.

Russia even began creating their own style of ballet and the ballerinas that emerged from their school were renowned worldwide. They were disciplined, dramatic, powerful and precise... the epitomes of the era. 📏

Starring... technique

The Classical Era was when ballet became a technical flex. Gone were the slow, floaty movements of the Romantic Era, because passion and precision were in.

Dancers stopped gliding... they were floating! Multiple pirouettes, soaring grand jetes, fast footwork, intricate formations and whimsical/breathtaking displays of dance became the new normal. Every step, every arm movement, every turn had to be perfect and precise. The stage became a living painting with clean lines, perfect formations, and harmonious motion. 🎨

This was the age of balance and geometry. Pas de deuxs, variations, and grand codas took center stage, showcasing the dancer’s skill within the strict structure of the choreography.

Spectacles galore

If there’s one thing the Classical Era said loud and clear, it was: “Bigger. Better. Grander.”

Theatres got larger, stages got deeper, and audiences got… well, harder to impress. So naturally, ballet went full spectacle mode. ✨

Gone were the tiny court performances and the simplistic Romantic Era ballet productions. This was the age of massive productions with lavish sets, glittering costumes, and full orchestras. Think shimmering palaces, enchanted forests, and magical kingdoms built right on stage. 

With composers like Tchaikovsky in the mix, ballet music got an upgrade too! It became emotional, sweeping, and iconic. Every jump, twirl, and dramatic pause had the perfect musical cue behind it. One technique used was leitmotif where every main character had an instrument that kinda acted as their voice in the ballet. (a great example of this is Peter and the Wolf) 🎵

And because no grand story is complete without a few visual effects, so dry ice, trapdoors, and even flying rigs started appearing. The audience wasn’t just watching ballet anymore. They were experiencing it.

Costumes became more creative too. Unlike previous costumes that were pretty close to what real-life people wore, the costumes of this era were more fantastical, with many costumes having lots of embroidery and jewels that made the dancers wearing them seem a lot more in character. 🎭

Ballet was now a spectacle, an event celebrating the art of ballet and the athleticism of it too. 

And that's our cue to sauté back to the present! 💃🏻

What just read is just the slightest glimpse into the world of Classical Era ballet. If this fascinated you, go down an Internet rabbit hole and learn more about how epic this era was and its effect on modern ballet. 🕳️🐇

If you want to watch this IRL, head over to YouTube and have a look at these ballets:

• Don Quixote
• Swan Lake
• The Nutcracker
• Sleeping Beauty

Next week, we won't be doing a lot of time-traveling. Why?

Because this time we'll be exploring neoclassical, contemporary and modern ballet, plus a bonus glimpse into the future.

Stay tuned... because ballet is about to get a lot more interesting and unexpected. 

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Any questions about the Classical Era of ballet? Maybe some stuff you'd like us to talk about next week? 

Let us know in the comments below. We'll be happy to respond!