We can trace the term “ballerino” back to a 1934 edition of Musical Times, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. And before that, the word “danseur” appeared in John Ebers’ 1828 Seven Years of King’s Theatre. But the history of male ballet dancers predates these terms by several centuries.

Male ballet dancers are not a modern phenomenon. But today, some audiences, and even some dancers, seem to forget that fact. Talented male ballet dancers are in demand at many schools. Young boys face criticism from classmates who don’t understand that ballet isn’t just for girls. So, we think it’s important to revisit ballet’s masculine beginnings. And, we want to thank all of the men who continue dancing.

The First Ballet

To understand how important men were in the development of ballet, we need to look at the birth of ballet itself. As early as the 13th century, a distinction had been made between “dancing”, which might be any movement to music, and a “bal,” which was special choreography set to specific music. In 1581, the first official ballet was staged in the court of Catherine de Medici of France. This was Le Ballet Comique de la Reine (The Queen’s Ballet Comedy), by violinist and dancing master Balthazar de Beaujoyeux.

Ballet History and King Louis XIV of France

Men dominated ballet at first. King Louis XIV of France had begun studying dance during his childhood in the late 1630s and early 1640s. Louis XIV performed throughout his life, and he made ballet an important element of court. In 1661, Louis XIV opened the first school of dance, the Académie Royale de Danse. Louis XIV’s dancers studied with Pierre Beauchamp, who is credited with defining the five foot positions of ballet, and Italian ballet master Giovanni Baptista Lulli. Louis XIV also enlisted French dramatist Jean Baptiste Poquelin, more famously known as Molière, and the three masters created what is today known as comédie-ballet.

Women Begin Ballet

Until 1681, all professional ballet dancers were men. The first professional female dancers did not appear until 1681, two decades after Louis XIV established the Académie Royale de Danse. Le Triomphe de l’amour (The Triumph of Love) was the first ballet to include female dancers. Before 1681, costumed male dancers performed all roles in a ballet. And even after Le Triomphe de l’amour, female dancers were often restricted by their masters. Women wore heavy costumes, and conventions of female modesty allowed male dancers to perform a wider variety of dance movements.

Ballet Schools are Created

Organized ballet instruction truly began with the Paris Opera. For that, we have Louis XIV and Giovanni Baptista Lulli to thank.

As with court ballet, men overshadowed women at the Paris Opera. Dancers like Antoine Paul, Louis Duport, Gaetan Vestris, and Auguste Vestris shone as Europe’s premier performers.

With such strong male performers in the spotlight throughout Europe, female dancers battled to make names for themselves. Ballerinas like Marie Camargo and her rival Marie Sallé had to boldly challenge the limitations of both costume and performance styles that ballet masters had placed on female dancers.

Decline in Male Ballet Dancers

For years, the Paris Opera had a healthy population of male ballet students. But in 1818, ballet masters noted an imbalance in their student body,with 22 boys and 39 girls. This difference continued to grow, and by 1858 only one-fifth of the Paris Opera ballet students were boys.

The decline in male dancers at the Paris Opera is traced to several causes. Some historians blame the French Revolution for reducing the number of male dancers. With the French Revolution, popular attention shifted from the aristocratic refinement of court to the interests of common people. Ballet, as a form of high art, suffered.

Ballet also suffered during the French Revolution because the common people had to rely on themselves for support and safety. Men abandoned their leisure activites and devoted themselves to tasks that would provide food and protect the people. An overall increase in desertions during the French Revolution may have also reduced the number of male dancers in the Paris Opera.

The population of male dancers in the Paris Opera ballet decreased throughout the Romantic Era (1850 - 1920). As male dancers disappeared, ballerinas took their places. During this period, Marie Taglioni began popularizing pointe as a discipline for female ballet dancers.

Renewing Europe’s Supply of Male Ballet Dancers

Antoine Bournonville and his son August Bournonville are credited for work that helped boost Europe’s population of male dancers. Because of the turbulence in France, Bournonville’s influence shifted some of Europe’s attention to the Royal Danish Ballet.

Bournonville trained in Vienna and Paris before returning home to Denmark. His work directly promoted ballet in Denmark. And then, Antoine gave his son August to the world of ballet.

August Bournonville, who trained in Copenhagen and then in Paris with Auguste Vestris, became a full-time choreographer in 1840. August staged performances that emphasized all of a male dancer’s qualities. He highlighted not only the power and athleticism of a male dancer but also the refinement and complexity of ballet.

Masculine Influence in Russian Ballet

Marius Petipa was another male dancer and choreographer who helped transplant French ballet to other parts

Petipa

Petipa, who was born in France, began his training in Marseille. His career continued in Brussels, and he choreographed his first ballet, Un mariage sous régence, in Russia in 1858. Several years later, Petipa was appointed Choreographer-in-Chief of the Imperial Theatre for his work on La fille du pharon.

Petipa choreographed some of the world’s most famous ballets. These include The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, Giselle, Don Quixote, La Bayadère, and Le Corsaire.

The Evolving Image of Male Ballet Dancers

Vaslav Nijinsky, born in Russia in 1890, experienced fame that helped boost the image of male ballet dancers during the 20th century. He was a ballet sensation. Not only did he have adoring fans, but Nijinsky was also the first ballet dancer to be featured on a poster. Nijinsky’s reputation helped rework the public perception of male dancers.

At the same time, George Balanchine’s work helped create roles for 20th century male dancers. Balanchine trained at the Imperial School of Ballet in St. Petersburg. In 1920, he left the Soviet Union, and in 1933 he went to America. There, Balanchine founded the School of American Ballet and the American Ballet Company. After making his name as a successful choreographer, Balanchine founded the Ballet Society in 1947. Several years later, the Ballet Society would become New York City Ballet.

Male Dancers in America

Perhaps our knowledge of American ballet is partly responsible for the popular, contemporary assumption that ballet is for women.

American ballet officially began in 1791 with a performance in Charleston, South Carolina by Alexander Placide and his wife. Paris Opera members Paul H. Hazard and his wife opened the first American ballet school in 1835 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. American ballet quickly embraced female dancers, and soon this school produced Mary Ann Lee and Augusta Maywood, who would become famous American ballerinas.

Contemporary Views of Male Dancers

Today, men are still active in ballet–they just aren’t always dancers. In areas of performance and education, women are the majority. But studies show that throughout the ballet world, men overwhelmingly fill the roles of managers and choreographers. With this split, many schools and companies are in need of male ballet dancers. And at the same time many women are fighting to break into choreography and management.

Today, we know that boys and young men who enter ballet can be affected by popular society’s assumptions about male dancers. Although there are still plenty of outstanding male ballet performers, history does show that they make up a slowly disappearing group.

Helping Boys Become Dancers

We know that young male dancers often quit ballet because they’re criticized and discouraged by their friends and classmates. To make sure that boys start practicing ballet at an early age, and to make sure they stick with it, instructors may need to give boys extra encouragement. In towns with small companies, where support for fine arts may be lacking, a dance instructor may be a boy’s only advocate. Maybe, learning a bit about dance history will help boys be proud as they continue the work of male ballet dancers.

To learn more about the history of men in ballet, read the comprehensive article in the online Goldrush Magazine.

For more in-depth information on Louis XIV’s imporance in the history of ballet, see The Ballet.com’s article Louis XIV and the French Influence.

Additional Sources:

-Chapman, John. “The Paris Opera Ballet School, 1798-1827.” Dance Chronicle. 12.2(1989): 196-220.
-Andros on Ballet . 2008. Gus Dick Andros and Michael Minn. 4 June 2008. <http://www.michaelminn.net/andros>