Neoclassical ballet is the style of 20th-century classical ballet exemplified by the works of George Balanchine. The term "neoclassical ballet" appears in the 1920s with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, in response to the excesses of romanticism and post-romantic modernism. It draws on the advanced technique of 19th-century Russian Imperial dance, but strips it of its detailed narrative and heavy theatrical setting while retaining many key techniques, such as pointe technique.
Alexandra Danilova and Serge Lifar, Apollon Musagète, 1928
Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique, its flowing, precise movements, and its ethereal qualities.
Painting of ballet dancers by Edgar Degas, 1872
Marius Ivanovich Petipa, February 14, 1898
Dancers performing Swan Lake
Marie Taglioni, a pioneer of pointe work