Febuary 2024

Tradition Trumps Innovation: Exploring Ballet's Resistance to Modernizing Trends

By Colette Walsh

Beginning in 16th century Italy, ballet has stayed firm in its traditions and gender roles. Unlike other forms of dance, ballet has been reluctant to evolve into the norms of the 21st century as many are unsure of how we can modernize this art form without changing its integrity.

Ballet companies all over the world are founded in  their performances of different historical ballets, such as Swan Lake, Giselle, La Bayadère, and many more. The first ever ballet was created 1581, with many similar works created soon after. These ballets are still performed today and because of that, many are finding it difficult to navigate progressing and becoming equal for all dancers without completely reinventing the art form. Most ballet companies have made little to no improvements which is providing a path for ballet to become less and less prominent in our culture. 

One reason it is so difficult to make any changes to the old fashioned tendencies of ballet is the use of pointe shoes. Pointe shoes came into use beginning in the late 1700s and were made specifically for women. To this day, women are still the primary users of these shoes, and while we see other dancers using pointe shoes for strengthening or for fun on social media, there has been no actual use of pointe shoes for other genders in performance and in ballet companies in general. The use of pointe shoes also makes a dance with one female and one male, known as a “pas de deux”, the most common pair for a duet. This is because the pointe shoes make certain movements easier for both partners to manipulate.

Although there is a lot of work to do to bring ballet into the 21st century, there are a few steps that have to be taken. Many choreographers are featuring LGBTQ+ romances in their pieces. We are also making progress with body image in ballet as companies are becoming less strict in that area and are beginning to look for more of a variety thus creating a more well rounded look. With the current popularity ballet has on social media at the moment, there is a demand for the ballet world to take a step forward.🐾