In the 1800s, Marie Taglioni went en pointe-forever marking the artform as feminine. During this time, women started to claim more agency in ballet. It wasn’t until events like the French Revolution and the unstable reign of Napoleon Bonaparte in the 1700s that social barriers started to weaken. Instead of a stage, the ballet was mainly performed in the French court and very unlike today, it was only performed by men. During the ornate era of the Sun King, ballet looked very different. In 1669, Louis XIV founded the Paris Opera ballet, then called the Académie Royale de Danse. King Louis XIV himself was one of the most prominent patrons of ballet-so much so that he institutionalized it. Afterward, ballet became a hallmark artform of French royalty. Even after Russia became the global ballet center in the 1900s, the Paris Opera Ballet still enjoyed a crucial position in the entire dance industry.Īlthough ballet originated in Italy, it became uniquely French after Catherine de Medici brought it to the French court.
From the 1500s to the early 1900s, the Paris Opera Ballet was the center of the ballet world. The Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest national ballet and arguably the most celebrated. Le Grand Foyer by Eric Pouhier, via Luther College, Iowa In many ways, the decisions and practices of The Paris Opera Ballet ripple throughout ballet history to today consequently, it is important to understand the historical context around such exploitation. Please check your inbox to activate your subscription Thank you! While his work is often viewed as fantastical to a modern audience, a 19th-century audience would have picked up the dark figures looming among the ballerinas. Edgar Degas, for example, created artworks that centered on the Paris Opera ballerina. Paris was an art hub during this era, and ballerinas were often the centerpieces of Impressionist artwork. While other international ballets at the time had similar practices, the 19th century Paris Opera Ballet is one of the most noted cases of sexual exploitation in ballet history.
The foyer de la danse was a backstage room that essentially served as a brothel. Unequal power dynamics between men and women can be found throughout ballet’s global history-but most notably, in the Paris Opera Ballet’s foyer de la danse. Why? While this dynamic might feel new, surveying ballet history can provide an explanation for modern day power imbalances. While women vastly outnumber men in ballet, men still hold the majority of positions of power within the field. As of 2018, 72% of ballet dancers identified as women, yet 72% of artistic directors identified as men.
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