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.
Ballet in Turkey
In 1965, the ballet season featured a ballet called “Çeşmebaşı”, referring to the fountain found in the centre of the village square of every Turkish village. It was the first attempt to create a ballet with music composed by a Turkish musician, which had elements of Turkish folk dance music. It was truly the first Turkish ballet. The State Ballet company is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017. Until the year 2010, the State Ballet had staged almost all of the great creations of the Classical Ballet Repertoire.