The word "ballet" comes from the Italian word "ballare," meaning "to dance." Ballet first developed during the 15th century as a form of entertainment for Italian royalty. Male dancers first ruled the stage, and it took a Mademoiselle de Lafontaine dancing in Le Triomphe de l'Amour to lead the way for female dancers.

Formal ballet training began in the 1661, when the French king Louis XIV established the Royal Academy of Dance.  Official ballet vocabulary and terminology is rooted in the French language, and many original steps and positions that were taught at the Royal Academy of Dance remain the same today.

From ballet's beginnings during the Italian Renaissance, it evolved and spread to France, Russia, and beyond, developing its own stylistic character. During the 1920s, Russian-born George Balanchine brought the art of ballet to America, establishing the School of American Ballet. It was in 1963 that Balanchine helped E. Virginia Williams establish New England's first professional repertory ballet company, Boston Ballet.

Ballet has become increasingly stylized and challenging over time, evolving into the intricate and highly choreographed art form that is known today.