Famous Ballets

Anna Pavlova, Alicia Alonso were blessed to have these ballets to act upon. Thanks to these ballets, the ballet companies were able to rake in the moolah and the actors got instant stardom. These ballets were what have helped immensely towards retaining the ballet as a dance form. No guesses here, folks, I am talking about the most famous ballets ever and ballet dancing.

List of Famous Ballets

Cinderella
Composed by Sergei Prokofiev, this is one of the masterpieces when it comes to ballet. This was completed in 1945 and since then, almost all the famous ballet companies perform this timeless, rags to riches story. Need I tell you the story of Cinderella?

Coppelia
This ballet has a sentimental as well as a comic touch to it. It was originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Leon and is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's "Der Sandmann" ("The Sandman"). This ballet has a funny premise of a doll being misunderstood as a young woman (Coppelia) who is then wooed by a man already engaged. What passes as a result of this culminates into a comedy of error and a complex interplay of emotions. Interestingly enough, this 2 act 3 scene ballet introduced automatons, dolls, and marionettes to the art of ballet. Something which in contemporary dance is called prop.

Don Quixote
Love, adventure, loss, this is what Don Quixote has given to ballet. Based on the epic masterpiece by Miguel de Cervantes, it was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa. It was presented in Moscow as early as December 1869. This ballet has 4 acts and 8 scenes and is a delightful watch.

Giselle
Ah... Here comes the classic amongst the classics. Gisele is the ballet which made overnight stars from talented dancers like Alicia Alonso and Anna Pavlova. First presented, rather performed in Paris in 1841, this is one of the legendary and romantic ballets. Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot had choreographed it originally but again, the version which is most common today is by Marius Petipa. Giselle is a complicated love story portrayed extremely beautifully. It tells of an already betrothed man who falls in love with a girl pretending to be someone else, and how the girl dies due to the deception. Giselle has to be in the list of famous ballets for its sheer choreography and visual impact.

La Bayadere
A ballet comprising 4 acts and 7 scenes, La Bayadere was choreographed by Marius Petipa. It was first performed in 1877 in Russia. It has the background of royal India and the most startling and awesome feature of this ballet is the white act. This refers to the beginning of the ballet, where there are 32 women in white, making their way together down a ramp. It is absolutely breathtaking.

Paquita
Edouard Deldevez composed music for Paquita and Joseph Mazilier choreographed it. Paquita was presented in Paris for the very first time in 1846. It has 2 acts and 3 scenes. Paquita is set in Napoleon occupied Spain and is a story of a girl of a noble birth stolen by gypsies. The girl is not aware of that fact and what happens in her life is how the ballet goes.

The Nutcracker
A major part of the annual holiday tradition, this ballet apparently was a damp squib to start off. It was bashed by critics and the audiences too. It was performed again in Russia in the peak time for ballets in 1892. The American production of ballet was presented in 1944 by San Francisco Ballet. From the insipid beginning, this ballet has gone on to become one of the most famous ballets.

Romeo and Juliet
Need I say about one of the greatest of love stories by William Shakespeare? The literature also paved way for dance. It is a ballet by Sergei Prokofiev and has an incredible music score. A whopping 4 acts and 10 scenes and 52 separate dance numbers make it one of the greatest ballets ever.

Swan Lake
Another extremely important name amongst the names of famous ballets is Swan Lake. An epitome of classical ballets, Swan Lake is Tchaikovsky's first ballet. It has been enthralling and mesmerizing audiences since more than a century. Traditionally, this is a four act ballet depicting the story of Sigfried and Odette and deserves every bit to be in this list.

Sleeping Beauty and La Sylphide, are also worthy mentions. Famous ballets have it all - great choreography, amazing story telling, and brilliant performances!

Kudos to these awesome artists who have given us such a treasure trove of fantastic ballets!