Classical ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles, as it adheres to to traditional ballet techniques. Various traditional styles of ballet in the world: Russian, Italian, French, Italian, Danish, English.
The most unique features of classical ballet are turn-out, extension of the feet, pointe work, pulled-up body posture and elegance. Students receive proper training on turn-out from the hips, and will achieve greater turn-out even 180 degree after years of training. Extensions of legs, ankles, spine, arms are repeatedly stressed in everyday class, students gain strong lean muscles and beautiful body posture since the day one of their training.
The structure of class is always : warm-up, barre work, stretching, center, turns, jumps, enchainments and body conditioning. However this is up to the styles of teaching/school accordingly.Pointe work is usually introduced to students who achieve a high standard of techniques, and have at least 3-5 years of serious ballet training. It is dangerous to put students who have unsatisfactory technical skills and poor strength, en pointe.
The most famous romantic/classical ballets are La Sylphide, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Bayadere etc. However, nowadays there are also many modern and contemporary ballets which mold classical ballet techniques into more modernized choreographies.
