5 famous ballet dance forms

            5 FAMOUS BALLET DANCE FORM 

There have been a number of famous ballets over the years that have lent themselves to legendary performances. Some popular ballets include:

1. 1. Swan Lake: Swan Lake is one of the most famous classical ballets of all time, and features music by Tchaikovsky. It has been performed by countless ballet companies around the world, though the first production at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia in 1877 was considered a flop. The ballet tells the story of a prince who goes out hunting one night and discovers a swan who turns into a beautiful young woman.

1. 2. The Nutcracker: This Tchaikovsky-scored classical ballet debuted in 1892 at the Mariinsky theater in St. Petersburg, Russia. Set on Christmas Eve, The Nutcracker follows a young girl who shrinks down to the size of a mouse and becomes embroiled in a battle between her toy nutcracker and an army of mice. The original ballet was choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, but American choreographer and founder of the New York City Ballet George Balanchine made his own version in 1954, bringing the ballet into the American consciousness. Since then, The Nutcracker has been staged in New York every year.

1. 3. The Sleeping Beauty: First performed in 1890 at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, The Sleeping Beauty is based on the Charles Perreault tale of a cursed princess who falls into an unbroken slumber after pricking her finger on her sixteenth birthday. This romantic ballet also features Tchaikovsky’s music.

1. 4. Don Quixote: Don Quixote premiered in 1869 at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, with music composed by Ludwig Minkus. Based on the famous novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes, this ballet features select episodes from the book and turns the narrative into a performative, fantastical romantic comedy.

1. 5. Romeo and Juliet: Romeo and Juliet first debuted at the Mahen Theater in Czechoslovakia in 1938, with initial choreography by Ivo Váña-Psota. This ballet tells the famously tragic Shakespearean romance of two star-crossed young lovers from rival families. Romeo and Juliet is one of the most choreographed performances of the last half-century, second only to The Nutcracker.