At the Barre: How Ballet Translates Movement into Style

Ballet first began as an art form reserved for grand theatres, an act of precision and grace. Today, its dress codes have slipped into the everyday, onto the streets of SoHo, the moodboards of Pinterest, the high-class runways, and the quiet corners of corporate offices. Ballet core has re-emerged as the new symbol of chic, but its rise is part of a bigger story: how an art once built on rigor became a style language of ease and subtle rebellion.

Joan Myers Brown. Photo via Gaston / Image courtesy of MOBBallet.

The Language of Balletcore

At its heart, ballet is about storytelling through movement and its wardrobe. The wrap sweaters, tulle skirts, and satin slippers have always been part of a strict narrative. The 20th century made these pieces iconic, whether it was the soft pink or the ribboned shoe. Ballet artists carried the romance of rehearsal rooms and the quiet intensity of the barre in every space they entered.

When ballet attire began popping into streetwear, it instantly brought that sense of discipline and dream with it. What started as functional rehearsal gear became an aesthetic for delicate poise and effortless cool. By the early 2000s, “balletcore” took hold: pastel knits layered over camisoles, off-duty ballerina flats paired with denim, and the nonchalant bun that echoed both practice and performance.

Julie Kent for “Dancers”, 1987. Photo via Arthur Elgort.

Redefining the Barre

For centuries, ballet’s aesthetic was rooted in a narrow, Eurocentric vision. Yet Black dancers and choreographers have continuously expanded the language of movement and style, redefining what ballet can look like and how it can be worn.

Arthur Mitchell in George Balanchine’s “Agon”, 1957.

Joan Myers Brown and Arthur Mitchell exemplify this evolution. Brown, founder of the Philadelphia Dance Company, brought unmatched poise and precision to the stage, while Mitchell, himself a former New York City Ballet star and the visionary founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem, introduced bold colors, contemporary cuts, and modern silhouettes that reimagined what ballet attire could be. 

Together, their artistry reframed ballet’s aesthetic, influencing generations of dancers and designers and showing that its elegance and style extend far beyond the classical stage into fashion, streetwear, and contemporary visual culture.

Arthur Mitchell of the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Flats as a New Uniform

Ballet’s vocabulary of satin, softness, and precision began moving beyond the stage through a series of cultural crossovers. In 1981, Diana Ross brought the art form to primetime television when she performed alongside the Joffrey Ballet, translating its elegance into the world of pop. Julie Kent, during her years at American Ballet Theatre, embodied the quiet discipline and style that would become the blueprint for “ballet core.” And in 2022, Solange Knowles—becoming the first Black woman to compose a score for the New York City Ballet—merged free-jazz experimentation with classical movement, styling her own sculptural flats as part of a ballet-inspired visual world.

Each, in a different arena, helped ballet’s aesthetic escape the rehearsal studio and grand theatre, turning its silhouettes and symbols into a new visual language. This later crystallized in fashion’s fixation on the dainty, effortless ballet flat. The fashion language of grace and quiet power soon gained a new emblem.

Solange wearing Ferragamo. Photo via Kobe Wagstaff.

Heritage Reimagined: Designers on Pointe

No longer just a dainty accent, ballet carries layers of meaning, experimentation, and a quiet kind of power. Designers have picked up on that shift, Miu Miu being today’s hottest commodity, which sends satin versions down runways with frayed hems and micro-minis. Even their slippers have been recast: remixed versions walk the runway with leather jackets and baggy pants, a study in contrast. These pieces don’t merely imitate an art costume; they translate the discipline of dance into a new kind of urban grace.

Miu Miu Womenswear Fall/Winter 23. Photo via Estrop/Getty Images.

But high fashion has long borrowed from ballet’s visual language. Coco Chanel famously softened women’s wardrobes with jersey knits inspired by dancers’ rehearsal gear. Today, that lineage continues as designers reinterpret ballet for contemporary audiences, layering nostalgia, craftsmanship, and cultural commentary into every stitch.

The result is a shoe that slips easily between worlds, whether corporate offices or late nights in the city, gallery openings or  subway commutes—its lineage remains visible. To wear a ballet flat today is to nod to centuries of discipline and artistry, but also to claim a certain autonomy: movement without restriction, elegance without performance. It’s ballet not as a costume, but as a living that evolves the language of style

Ferragamo SS25 Photo via Ferragamo.

Cultural Craft: Brother Vellies

Brother Vellies, founded by Aurora James, reinterprets the ballet flat through a lens of cultural heritage and craftsmanship. Each pair is hand-made, often using traditional African artisanal techniques, from weaving to beadwork, that infuse the soft, familiar silhouette of the ballet flat with texture, color, and story. James’s approach honors the discipline and elegance of ballet while celebrating the histories and skills of African artisans, transforming a simple shoe into a wearable piece of cultural expression.

The Lali Ballet Flat. Photo via Brother Vellies.

By merging ballet’s refined aesthetic with heritage craftsmanship, Brother Vellies challenges the boundaries of luxury fashion. The flats are at once functional, artistic, and socially conscious, demonstrating that ballet-inspired style can carry both elegance and meaning, connecting global histories to contemporary streets.

The Walk Forward

Ballet’s journey from the stage to the streets and runways shows how art can evolve into a living, flexible language of style. From Arthur Mitchell to Solange Knowles, the influence of ballet extends far beyond the barre. Designers like Miu Miu and Aurora James continue to translate their discipline, poise, and elegance into everyday fashion, proving that ballet is no longer just a performance; it’s an aesthetic that lives, moves, and breathes across generations, cultures, and mediums.

In this way, balletcore is not just a trend; it is a testament to movement, craft, and cultural reinvention. It’s a style that honors history while embracing the future.