A ballet company is a type of
dance troupe
A dance troupe or dance company is a group of dancers and associated personnel who work together to perform dances as a sport, spectacle or entertainment. There are many different types of dance companies, often working in different styles of da ...
which performs
classical ballet
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 (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), its ...
,
neoclassical ballet, and/or
contemporary ballet
Contemporary ballet is a genre of dance that incorporates elements of classical ballet and modern dance. It employs classical ballet technique and in many cases classical pointe technique as well, but allows greater range of movement of the up ...
in the European tradition, plus managerial and support staff. Most major ballet companies employ dancers on a year-round basis, except in the United States, where contracts for part of the year (typically thirty or forty weeks) are the norm. A company generally has a home theatre where it stages the majority of its performances, but many companies also tour in their home country or internationally.
Ballet companies routinely make a loss at the box office, and depend on external financial support of one kind or another. In Europe most of this support comes in the form of government subsidies, though private donations are usually solicited as well. In North America private donations are the main source of external funding.
Many ballet companies have an associated school which trains dancers. Traditionally the school would provide almost all of the company's dancers, something which helped to create clear distinctions in style between companies, but 21st century ballet has open hiring practices, and many ballet companies have a very international staff.
Staff
The head of a ballet company is called the
artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since th ...
. He or she is usually a retired dancer, and often they choreograph some of the company's productions themselves. In a large company they will have one or more assistants. Day to day coaching of the dancers is the responsibility of one or more
ballet masters and
ballet mistresses. Some companies also employ
répétiteurs and
dance notators. There is often a resident
choreographer
Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who c ...
.
All but the smallest companies divide their dancers into at least three grades. The most common names for the two higher grades in English are
principal and soloist, and the junior dancers form the
corps de ballet
In ballet, the ''corps de ballet'' (; French for "body of the ballet") is the group of dancers who are not principal dancers or soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers. ...
. Some companies (especially in North America) have trainees or apprentices, who rank below the corps de ballet, and may be unpaid. Some companies further subdivide these grades, and the terminology used varies from company to company. In the 19th century and early to mid 20th century the top female dancer was often recognised as the
prima ballerina, but this practice has ceased. Male and female dancers were historically split into separate hierarchies (for more information see
ballerina
A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on ye ...
). Today, many companies choose to use a gender-neutral hierarchy. Some companies (mainly in Russia and countries strongly influenced by
Russian ballet) employ specialist
character dance
Character dance is a specific subdivision of classical dance. It is the stylized representation of a traditional folk or national dance, mostly from European countries, and uses movements and music which have been adapted for the theater.
Char ...
rs: unlike ballerinas female character dancers do not dance
en pointe. The largest ballet company in the world is the
Bolshoi Ballet
The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it came to internat ...
of Moscow, which employs over 240 dancers, as of 2010. The largest companies in Western Europe and North America employ around one hundred.
Many companies have a
music director
A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the di ...
, generally a conductor by profession, though this is often a part-time position. The music director has a lower status in ballet than they have in opera, where they are the head of the company. Freelance conductors are hired to conduct specific productions as and when required. Large companies have their own
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
, which is often shared with an
opera company resident in the same theatre or opera house. Smaller companies hire a local orchestra on a contract basis for each season of performances, or hire a
scratch orchestra for specific performances, e.g. when they are on tour. During company classes and rehearsals music is provided by one or more staff or freelance pianists.
All but the smallest companies have a separate administrative staff that deals with marketing, accounts, personnel issues, logistics and so on. Larger companies employ a permanent staff of craftsmen and craftswomen such as prop makers and costume makers, and technical staff such as lighting technicians and stage managers. Smaller companies hire freelancers for these roles as and when required. Some companies also have
physiotherapist
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patien ...
s,
masseurs, and
physical trainers on the staff.
Asian classical ballet traditions
The term "
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...
" is sometimes used to refer to dance styles in any culture's classical tradition, mainly in reference to classical styles of dance performed in parts of Asia. Classical
Ramayana Hindu ballet is often performed in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
. The
Royal Ballet of Cambodia
The Royal Ballet of Cambodia ( km, របាំព្រះរាជទ្រព្យ) is a dance company of Cambodia, famous for its luxury of costumes, accessories, gold and silver, accompanied by a beautiful soft dance.
It is a dance th ...
is an example of a ballet company in the Eastern tradition.
The companies listed below are ballet companies that perform according to the European tradition, although some international companies also perform contemporary ballets that merge Western and Eastern themes and dance techniques.
Africa
Algeria
*
Algerian National Ballet
Egypt
*
Cairo Opera Ballet Company
Tunisia
*
Tunisian National Ballet
South Africa
*
Ballet Theatre Afrikan
*
Bovim Ballet
*
Cape Town City Ballet
The Cape Town City Ballet Company, formerly known as the CAPAB Ballet Company, is a dance company based in Cape Town, South Africa.
History
The Cape Town City Ballet originated from the UCT Ballet Company, which was established by Dulcie How ...
*
South African Ballet Theatre
Asia
Armenia
*
Armenian National Opera and Ballet Theater
Azerbaijan
*
China
*
Guangzhou Ballet
*
Liaoning Ballet
*
National Ballet of China
*
Shanghai Ballet
The Shanghai Ballet Company is the state ballet company for Shanghai. This regional dance troupe organized in 1966 (though they did not settle on the name "Shanghai Ballet" until 1979). They perform a blend of traditional and Western dance style ...
*
Suzhou Ballet
*
Tianjin Ballet
Hong Kong
*
Hong Kong Ballet
The Hong Kong Ballet () is a classical ballet company founded in 1979.
History
The company was created in 1979.
Since 1997, The Hong Kong Ballet has concluded more than 30 tours to 10 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia.
I ...
Indonesia
Namarina
Iran
*
Les Ballets Persans (Iranian National Ballet re-established in Sweden)
Israel
*
Israel Ballet
The Israel Ballet is a dance company that performs works of classical ballet and neoclassical ballet. The company often stages newly choreographed works, and in addition, it is the only professional ballet company within Israel that stages works ...
Japan
*
Asami Maki Ballet Tokyo
is a feminine Japanese given name which can also be used as a surname.
Possible writings
Asami can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
;as a given name
*麻美, "hemp, beauty"
*朝美, "morning, beauty"
*朝海, "morning, ...
*
Ballet Chambre Ouest
*
Higaki Ballet Company
*
Houmura Tomoi Ballet
*
Iwaki Ballet Company
*
Jinushi Kaoru Ballet Company
*
K-ballet
K-ballet is a Japanese ballet company. The company started in 1999 and has since held approximately 50 annual performances. K-Ballet's activity was first recognised internationally in July 2004, when the ballet group was invited to New York's Metr ...
*
Matsuoka Reiko ballet
*
Matsuyama Ballet
*
NBA Ballet Company
*
Noism
*
Noma Ballet Company
*
Noriko Kobayashi Ballet Theatre
*
Ochi International Ballet
*
Osaka Ballet Academy
*
Sadamatsu Hamada Ballet
*
Sasaki Michiko Ballet Studio
*
Star Dancers Ballet
*
Tani Momoko Ballet
*
The Inoue Ballet Foundation
*
The Matsuyama Ballet
*
New National Theatre Tokyo
*
Tokyo Ballet
The Tokyo Ballet is a classical ballet company, based in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1964. Since its foundation, The Tokyo Ballet has developed a wide range of repertoire from classical full-length ballets to masterpieces of contemporary choreograph ...
*
Tokyo City Ballet
Kazakhstan
*
Aukhan Kazakh National Ballet Theatre
Mongolia
*
Mongolian State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet
Philippines
*
Ballet Manila
Ballet Manila is a classical ballet institution and dance company in the Philippines. It currently highlights more than fifty highly trained dancers in the highly rigorous Russian (Vaganova) method of classical ballet. Locally the company has per ...
*
Ballet Philippines
*
Philippine Ballet Theatre
Singapore
*
Singapore Dance Theatre
South Korea
*
Busan Ballet Theatre
*
Busan City Ballet
*
Daegu City Ballet Company
*
Etoile Ballet
*
Gwangju City Ballet
*
Hwaseong City Ballet
*
Incheon City Ballet
*
Jeonbuk Ballet Theatre
*
KOR Ballet Company
*
Korea National Ballet
*
Lee Won Kook Ballet
*
SEO Ballet
*
Seongnam City Ballet
*
Seoul Ballet
*
Seoul Ballet Theatre
*
Seoul City Ballet
*
Suwon City Ballet
*
Universal Ballet
The Universal Ballet was founded in Seoul, South Korea in 1984. One of only five professional ballet companies in South Korea, the company performs a repertory that includes many full length classical story ballets, together with shorter contempora ...
*
Wise Ballet
Taiwan
*
Taiwan Ballet Company
*
Capital Ballet Taipei
*
Formosa Ballet
*
Kaohsiung City Ballet
Thailand
*
Royal Thai Ballet
Uzbekistan
*
Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre
Europe
Austria
*
Vienna State Ballet
Vienna State Ballet, ''Wiener Staatsballett'', is considered one of the world's top ballet companies. It was formerly named the Vienna State Opera Ballet as it is based at the Vienna State Opera building. In 2005 the ballets of the Vienna State ...
*
Graz Opera Ballet
*
Salzburg Ballet
Belarus
*
National Ballet Theatre of Belarus
Belgium
*
Charleroi Danses
Charleroi Danses (Le Centre Chorégraphique de la Communauté Française Wallonie-Bruxelles) is the choreography center of the French Community of Belgium.
History
The company originated with the Royal Ballet of Wallonia, (Ballet Royale de Wallon ...
*
Royal Ballet of Flanders
The Royal Ballet of Flanders is a dance company based in Antwerp, Belgium, specializing in classical, neoclassical and contemporary ballet. In its current incarnation, the company was established in 1969. It tours internationally.
History
The ...
Bulgaria
*
National Opera and Ballet
The National Opera and Ballet ( bg, Национална опера и балет) is a national cultural institution in Bulgaria that covers opera and ballet. It is based in an imposing building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
The first opera ...
Croatia
*
Croatian National Theatre Ballet
Czech Republic
*
National Theatre Ballet (Prague)
*
Prague State Opera Ballet
Denmark
*
Royal Danish Ballet
Estonia
*
Estonian National Opera Ballet
*
Vanemuine Theatre
Vanemuine () is a theatre in Tartu, Estonia. It was the first Estonian language theatre.
History ''1870–1906 The Beginning of the Beginning. Koidula’s Theatre, Wiera’s Theatre.''
On June 24, 1870 was the first day in Estonian theatre ...
Finland
*
Finnish National Ballet
France
*
Paris Opera Ballet
*
Ballet du Capitole (Toulouse)
*
Ballet de Lorraine
*
Ballet de l'Opéra national du Rhin
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
(Mulhouse)
*
Ballet de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux
*
Ballet National de Marseille
The Ballet National de Marseille is a dance company based in Marseille, France. The company combines modern dance and classical ballet.
Overview
The Ballet National de Marseille was founded by the dancer and choreographer Roland Petit in 1972. ...
*
Lyon Opera Ballet
*
Marseille Opera Ballet
*
Malandain Ballet Biarritz
Greece
*
Greek National Opera
The Greek National Opera ( el, Εθνική Λυρική Σκηνή, ''Ethniki Lyriki Skini'') is the country's state lyric opera company, located in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center at the south suburb of Athens, Kallithea. It is a ...
Germany
*
Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe
The Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe is a theatre and opera house in Karlsruhe, Germany. It has existed in its present form and place at Ettlinger Tor since 1975. Achim Thorwald became the Intendant in summer 2002 and held that post until the e ...
*
Ballet am Rhein (Düsseldorf & Duisburg)
*
Bavarian State Ballet
The Bavarian State Ballet (german: Bayerisches Staatsballett) is a professional ballet company in Munich, Germany. It was founded in 1988 by Konstanze Vernon as an independent company. The ballet had previously been part of the ''Bayerische Staa ...
, from 1988:
Bayerisches Staatsballett
*
Berlin State Ballet
*
Dresden Semperoper Ballet
*
Frankfurt Ballet
*
Hamburg Ballet
The Hamburg Ballet is a ballet company based in Hamburg, Germany. Since 1973, it has been directed by the American dancer and choreographer John Neumeier. In addition there is a ballet school, , established in 1978. The performances of the Hamb ...
*
Leipzig Ballet
*
Stuttgart Ballet
Hungary
*
Hungarian National Ballet
*
Pécsi Ballet
*
Győri Ballet
*
Sopron Ballet
Ireland
*
Monica Loughman Ballet
*
Ballet Ireland
Ballet Ireland is an Irish ballet company, established in 1998 by Günther Falusy and Anne Maher. Presenting a broad repertoire, it has been funded by the Arts Council of Ireland since 1999 and is under the sole patronage of Irish President Mic ...
Italy
*
Aterballetto (Reggio-Emilia, Emilia-Romagna)
*
La Scala Theatre Ballet
*
Rome Ballet
*
Teatro Nuovo Torino
*
Tuscany Ballet (Florence)
*
Compagnia di Balletto del Teatro San Carlo
Kosovo
*
Kosovo Ballet
Latvia
*
Latvian National Opera Ballet
Lithuania
*
Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet
Moldova
*
Moldova National Opera Ballet
Monaco
*
Les Ballets de Monte Carlo
Netherlands
*
Dutch National Ballet
Norway
*
Norwegian National Ballet
Poland
*
Krakow Opera Ballet
*
Polish National Ballet
The Polish National Ballet (PNB) is the largest and the most important ballet company in Poland. It continues a national ballet heritage, which dates to the 17th century.
Modernly it was known until 2008 as the ballet of the Teatr Wielki - Poli ...
*
Poznan Opera Ballet
*
Wroclaw Opera Ballet
Portugal
*
Centro de Dança do Porto
*
National Ballet of Portugal - CNB
*
Quorum Ballet
Romania
*
Romanian National Opera Ballet
*
Cluj-Napoca Romanian Opera Ballet
Russia
*Kremlin Ballet Theatre
*
Ballets Russes
The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. ...
*
Bolshoi Ballet
The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it came to internat ...
*
Eifman Ballet
*
Kirov Ballet /
Mariinsky Ballet
The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Rus ...
*
Moscow Ballet, various companies
*
Mikhaylovsky Theatre
The Mikhailovsky Theatre (russian: Миха́йловский теа́тр) is one of Russia's oldest opera and ballet houses. It was founded in 1833 and is situated in a historical building on 1, Arts Square in Saint Petersburg. It is named ...
*
Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre
*
St Petersburg Ballet Theatre - Konstantin Tashkin
Serbia
*
Serbian National Ballet
Slovak
*
Slovak National Theatre Ballet
Slovenia
*
Slovenian National Ballet
Spain
*
Ballet Nacional de España
*
Barcelona Ballet
*
Compañía Nacional de Danza
*
Madrid Ballet
Sweden
*
Gothenburg Opera Ballet
*
Royal Swedish Ballet
Switzerland
*
Basel Ballet
*
Geneva Ballet
*
Lucerne Dance Theatre
*
Zurich Ballet
Turkey
*
Istanbul State Ballet
United Kingdom
*
Birmingham Royal Ballet
Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is one of the five major ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside The Royal Ballet, the English National Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish Ballet. Founded as the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, the company ...
*
English National Ballet
English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scot ...
*
Northern Ballet
Northern Ballet, formerly Northern Ballet Theatre, is a dance company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a strong repertoire in theatrical dance productions where the emphasis is on story telling as well as classical ballet. The compa ...
*
The Royal Ballet
*
Scottish Ballet
*
International London City Ballet
Ukraine
*
Donetsk Ballet
*
Kiev Ballet
Oceania
Australia
*
The Australian Ballet
The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and direc ...
*
Ballet Theatre of Queensland
*
Melbourne Ballet Company
*
Melbourne City Ballet
*
Queensland Ballet
*
West Australian Ballet
New Zealand
*
The Royal New Zealand Ballet
North America
Canada
*
Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal
*
Alberta Ballet
Alberta Ballet (also known as the Alberta Ballet Company) was founded by Muriel Taylor and Dr. Ruth Carse in 1958 and became a professional company in 1966. The company is a resident company of both the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edm ...
*
Ballet BC
Ballet BC is a contemporary ballet company located in Vancouver, British Columbia.
History
Ballet BC is a professional contemporary ballet company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company was founded as Ballet British Columbia ...
*
National Ballet of Canada
*
Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Cuba
*
Cuban National Ballet
The Cuban National Ballet ( es, Ballet Nacional de Cuba) is a classical ballet company based at Great Theatre of Havana in Havana, Cuba, founded by the Cuban prima ballerina assoluta, Alicia Alonso in 1948. The official school of the company ...
Dominican Republic
*
Ballet Clasico Nacional de Santo Domingo
Mexico
*
Ballet de Monterrey
*
National Company of Ballet
Puerto Rico
*
National Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico
*
Western Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico
United States
South America
Argentina
*
Ballet Argentino
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
*
Colon Theater Ballet
Colon Theater Ballet is a ballet company based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The company is attached to the Colon Theater, which is also home to the Buenos Aires Philharmonic orchestra and the Colon Theater Opera company. It was established in 192 ...
Brazil
*
São Paulo Companhia de Dança
*
Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
The Theatro Municipal ("Municipal Theater") is an opera house in the Centro district of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Built in the early twentieth century, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful and important theaters in the country.
The ...
Chile
*
Chilean National Ballet
The Chilean National Ballet, founded in 1945, is Chile's oldest professional contemporary dance company. It is based at the University of Chile in Santiago, Chile.
History
Germany's Kurt Jooss Ballet company toured South America in 1941, includin ...
Colombia
*
Incolballet
Peru
*
Ballet Municipal de Lima
Uruguay
*
National Ballet of Uruguay The National Ballet of Uruguay is a Uruguayan ballet company that was founded in 1935 in Montevideo. It is the public body in charge of developing the professional classical ballet in Uruguay, it is under the administration of the Official Service ...
See also
*
List of dance companies
References
{{Authority control
*
Company, Ballet