What is the difference between classical and modern ballet?
Think of classical ballet as keeping your body like a box. You have a range of motion, but there is a line of what is acceptable, and what is not in classical ballet. There is a set technique such as Vaganova, Cechetti, R.A.D., and some people will consider Balanchine in there (but I don’t agree. I think of him more as neoclassical) In addition, classical ballet usually conjures up images of Petipa ballets and the romantic ballet. For modern ballet, you still have that box, but now you’re allowed to go out of it. You still return to the box, but the traditional ballet lines can be distorted and stretched in different ways. The hips do no always have to be directly under the shoulders and the arms can differ.
