0:00:09.650,0:00:11.265 Can you imagine a party[br]where every movement , 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from the slightest gesture[br]to walking across the room, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and every visual detail, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from furniture to hemline length, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 were governed by a complex system[br]of rules and procedures? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 For centuries, such rituals[br]were commonplace for European Nobility. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And while they've gone out of fashion, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we recognize the components[br]under a fmailiar label: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 ballet. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Ballet, from Italian "balletto,"[br]or little dance, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 originated in Renaissance Italy[br]as a combination of social dance 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and choreographed display[br]at aristocratic gatherings. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In many aspects, it was a way[br]of controlling people in court 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with acceptable forms of behavior, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 such as the manner in which people[br]stepped, bowed, or took someone's hand. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It also involved rules governing[br]everything from attire 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to where one could walk or sit[br]in relation to the King. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Over time, the study of ballet became[br]a central element of court life. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 A proper grasp of the etiquette could[br]make or break one's success as a courtier. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Many of these court jesters can still[br]be seen in modern ballet techniques. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Ballet was brought to France[br]in the 16th century 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 by Catherine de'Medici,[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the Italian wife of King Henry II. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As celebrations became more lavish,[br]so did the dance, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with dancing masters teaching[br]elaborate steps to young nobles 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and story elements providing[br]a unifying theme. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The focus shifted from participation[br]to performance, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the form acquired [br]more theatrical trappings, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 such as professionally designed sets 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and a slightly raised platform or stage[br]with curtains and wings. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But it was in the 17th century court[br]of Louis XIV 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that ballet was refined into the art[br]we know today. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Louis himself had been trained[br]in ballet from childhood. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 His early role as the sun god, [br]Apollo, at age fifteen 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 cemented the central role ballet[br]would play during his reign. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It also earned him the title[br]of Sun King, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with his splendid golden costume[br]and choreography 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that promoted the idea of the King[br]as a divinely ordained ruler. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Louis would go on to perform[br]80 roles in 40 major ballets, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 either as a majestic lead, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or sometimes playing minor [br]or comedic parts 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 perform emerging in the lead role[br]as the ened. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He trained daily in ballet, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as well as fencing and riding, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and through his example, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 dancing became an essential skill[br]for all gentlemen of the era. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But Louis XIV's main contribution [br]to ballet was not as a performer. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 His founding of [br]the Royal Academy of Dance in 1661 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 shifted control of ballet[br]from local guilds to the royal court. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As director, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 he appointed his personal ballet master [br]and frequent performance partner 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Pierre Beauchamp, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who codified the five main positions [br]of the body still used today. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Through is collaborations[br]with Jean Baptiste Lully, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the director of the Royal Music Academy, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and famed playwright Molière, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Beauchamp helped establish ballet[br]as a grand spectacle. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And in 1669, a separate ballet academy[br]was founded. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The Paris Opera Ballet survives today[br]as the oldest ballet company in the world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Ballet moved away from the royal court[br]to the theater 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and survived the democratic revolutions[br]and reforms 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that followed over the next century. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 With the advent of the romantic movement, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 fantasy and folklore themes [br]became common motifs. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And though the influence of ballet[br]in France would decline, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 other countries, such as Russia, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 would play a major role [br]in its further development. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Fortunately, today most of us don't[br]have to learn a complicated set of steps 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 just to socialize at a wedding. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Instead, we can go to the theater[br]to see professionals 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who spend their lives training rigorously 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to perform feats that would have been[br]unimagineable in Louis XIV's day.