History of ballet
Ballet originated in the Renaissance court as an outgrowth of court pageantry in Italy, where aristocratic weddings were lavish celebrations. Tutus, ballet slippers and pointe work were not yet used. The choreography was adapted from court dance steps. Performers dressed in fashions of the times. For women that meant formal gowns that covered their legs to the ankle. Early ballet was participatory, with the audience joining the dance towards the end.
Ninette de Valois
In 1965, de Valois produced and choreographed the first full-length work created for the new Turkish State Ballet. Titled "Çeşmebaşı" ("At the Fountain"), the ballet was the first to feature music composed by a Turkish Composer, Ferit Tuzun, and its choreography incorporated elements of Turkish folk dance. Further ballets followed, and the ballet company continued to develop. Today, ballet continues to be a thriving art form in Turkey, with the ballet school that Valois established now forming part of the State Conservatory for Music and Drama at the Ankara State Conservatory.