Ballet is an artform that has been around for centuries. It began during the Italian Renaissance, and with funding from Catherine de Medici, an Italian noblewoman, and King Henry II, ballet became a widely practiced art form in France. In fact, many of the words utilized in ballet— jete, plie and pirouette, for example—are derived from the French language, further showcasing the European roots of this popular dance. Despite ballet’s European origins, the dance has evolved into a vibrant expression of culture and creativity for much of the world. Its diffusion across continents caused a sort of syncretism, the mixing with local traditions to create unique performances that reflect diverse cultural identities while still preserving the heart of the dance. 

According to Nicole Dean, dance teacher at the Metropolitan Youth Ballet, ballet is about expression and storytelling. 

“Storytelling in ballet is key because it allows dancers to express emotions and narratives through movement,” Dean said. “Different cultures shape ballet’s stories based on local myths, history and values.” 

In India, classical ballet has merged with elements of Bharatnatyam, a traditional Indian dance form. Performances like Sacred Earth by the Ragamala Dance Company blend ballet’s fluidity with Bharatnatyam’s structure. Similarly, in China, the Beijing Dance Company blends classical Asian dance forms with ballet creating performances that celebrate both Eastern and Western aesthetics. 

According to Anya Stephenson, a ballet dancer and junior, many cultures impact ballet especially due to its storied roots. 

“Traditional Russian folk dancing has been a part of a lot of choreography, especially since a lot of major ballet companies have stemmed from Russia,” Stephenson said. “A lot of Russian culture is incorporated in ballet and I think there are three main technique styles that you can train under. One of which is American, one is mainly Italian and the other is English and French ballet. So I think that all of those cultures also impact ballet as it is practiced today.”

Aside from the traditional influences present in ballet, modern performances often incorporate elements from various cultures, enriching the art form itself and allowing it to resonate with diverse audiences. Haley Corsaro, a dancer in the Metropolitan Youth Ballet and freshman, said she sees this as an essential part of ballet’s evolution on the global scale. 

“Ballet is always being spread and taught all around the world, allowing a lot of different cultures to learn and adapt the art form to represent themselves,” Corsaro said. “It is a form of cultural exchange, just as technology or even ideas would be spread, art did too or in this case ballet.” 

She added that this cultural exchange is especially evident in an Indian ballet known as La Bayadere, which includes traditional Indian costumes and dances. According to Corsaro, many of these performances tend to collaborate with Indian dancers in order to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of cultural representation within the dance. 

“There is definitely a challenge as well as an opportunity to be able to represent cultures that influenced a ballet,” Corsaro said. “But I feel it absolutely enhances the art form as the different influences only allow ballet to grow and spread.”

Stephenson echoed this sentiment, emphasizing how she believes ballet and other dance forms transcend cultural or ethnic boundaries. 

“Especially in ballet, since we don’t use our words, pantomime is our main form of communication and using expressions and gestures,” Stephenson said. “The universal idea is that pantomime and the same set of steps represent the same language no matter where you’re seeing ballet or where it’s being performed.” 

This universality makes ballet a powerful medium for cultural fusion. 

“Ballet is often described as the universal language because its physical expressions and movements communicate emotion and story without the need for words,” Dean said. “Despite the variation in styles and cultural nuances ballet’s foundation in movement remains consistent across the globe. This allows dancers to collaborate internationally, exchange ideas and perform on global stages without language barriers.” 

Like Dean, Corsaro said the movements within ballet can be understood by audiences of all nationalities and backgrounds.

“In ballet, spoken language is not a barrier and no one talks,” Corsaro said. “The emotions and body language are able to tell a story with movement and music.” 

Corsaro pointed to The Nutcracker, a popular ballet, to exemplify the fusion of multiple cultures in a European dance form. 

“In The Nutcracker that I perform in at the Metropolitan Youth Ballet, there is a Chinese dance,” Corsaro said. “My dance studio has also incorporated a dragon into the dance, which shows Chinese culture.”

Stephenson said one of her favorite memories from ballet comes from performing the Arabian dance in The Nutcracker with her group.

“There was no sole principal dancer so we were all on an equal level and it was a great opportunity to collaborate and look at a bunch of different versions that other companies had performed,” Stephenson said. “So just looking at all of those different options and all of those different stylistic choices was one of my favorite memories.”

The Nutcracker’s second act contains many dances honoring many different cultures including Chinese and Spanish influences. However, Stephenson said she acknowledges that some of these portrayals can sometimes lack accuracy and authenticity. 

“A lot of the representation of characters is not totally accurate, and it’s not very modernized,” Stephenson said. “Learning how to interpret a different style of dance and learning different ways a culture may interpret movement is very interesting and can vary from production to production.”

Stephenson said although the pieces she’s performed are mainly from Europe, she hopes to perform a ballet which originated in a different part of the globe. Stephenson said there has been a recent uptick in cultural diversity within ballet pieces.

“I have personally not participated in any productions that are not originally European, but I know a lot of more modern choreographers that are from other countries (across the globe),” Stephenson said. “They have such a different style and technique of how they teach choreography and how they want their dancers to interpret that. So that’s something I really want to do in the future; learn from different people and see how they teach.”

Corsaro said she had also seen an uptick in ballets from all around the world, instead of just Europe and the United States.

“While ballet originated in Europe and many classic ballets were mostly European influenced, it had evolved to include and had been associated with diversity as it is performed and taught worldwide,” Corsaro said.

Dean said even in traditional European ballets, she’s seen elements added from different cultures to enhance the performances.

“Ballet has increasingly become more inclusive and adaptive to the diverse cultures of today’s world. Traditional European ballet has evolved with the incorporation of dancers from different cultural backgrounds and the fusion of new styles,” Dean said. “Choreographers from non-western countries are introducing ballet that reflects their cultural heritage blending classical technique with indigenous dance forms, folklore or local music. Also, ballet companies worldwide are becoming more diverse in their hiring practices showcasing dancers of various ethnicities and backgrounds.”

Dean also said the increasing diversity of ballet brings in new viewers while creating modern and unique performances.

“Cultural fusion in ballet can broaden the appeal of the art form by introducing audiences to new rhythms, aesthetics and narratives. It challenges traditional norms and creates fresh, innovative performances,” Dean said. “Cultural fusion can also encourage audiences to think more inclusively celebrating the fusion of various cultures.”

Corsaro said cultural exchange in ballet has led to positive changes.

“Cultural exchanges teach others culture and allow it to spread and kind of fuse with other traditions. From there different people adapt the art form for better representation and storytelling,” Corsaro said.

Corsaro added that cultural exchanges have enhanced the storytelling nature of ballet and has increased the artform’s accessibility. 

“Storytelling is a big part of ballet as it shows emotion and themes across the movements,” Corsaro said. “A lot of ballet also comes from old folk tales from many, many different cultures with cultural fusion many different audiences appreciate and learn from the story telling.” 

Stephenson said one of the best things about ballet is its accessibility for all, and how everyone can learn from and appreciate the genre of dance.

“Ballet is something where no matter how experienced you are in watching ballet, or how much you know about it, anyone can interpret it, anyone can understand or take something away from a performance,” Stephenson said. “So I think that’s a really valuable aspect of (ballet) as an artform.”