ballet Theatrical dance form set to music. The first formal ballet, Ballet comique de la Reine, was performed at the court of Catherine de' Medici (1581). In 1661 Louis XIV founded the Royal Academy of Dance. Exclusively performed by male dancers, ballet was confined to the French court. The Triumph of Love (1681) was the first ballet to use trained female dancers. The first public performance of a ballet was in 1708. Choreographic notation developed, and Pierre Beauchamp (1631–1719) established the five classical positions. Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810), the most influential choreographer of the 18th century, argued for a greater naturalism. In 1820 Carlo Blasis (1797–1878) codified the turn out technique, which facilitated the freer movement of the dancer. The 1832 performance of Les Sylphides set the choreographic model for 19th-century Romantic ballets, stressing the role of the prima ballerina. Dancing on the toes (sur les pointes) was introduced. At the end of the 19th century, Russian ballet emphasized technique and virtuosity. Subsequently, Sergei Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes revolutionized ballet with dynamic choreography and dancing. Today, the preeminence of Russian ballet is maintained by the Kirov and Bolshoi companies. In 1930 Dame Marie Rambert founded the first English ballet school, and in 1931 Dame Ninette de Valois established the Sadler's Wells Ballet (now the Royal Ballet). Rudolf Nureyev influential work for the Royal Ballet enlarged the role and dramatic range of the male dancer. In 1934 the first major US ballet school was instituted under the direction of George Balanchine. The New York City Ballet was established in 1948, and is now one of the world's principal ballet companies. American ballet introduced a more abstract style and eclectic approach, fusing elements of classical ballet, jazz, popular and modern dance. See also Fokine, Michel; Massine, Léonide; masque; Nijinsky, Vaslav