Not all ballet art is created equal.
Some pieces capture the discipline's essence - the line, the light, the movement frozen in time. Others are merely decorative. The difference matters when you are choosing what to live with.
Here are twelve ballet-inspired art pieces that are actually worth framing. Some are iconic. Some are obscure. All of them carry something real about the form.
1. Degas, "Dancers Practicing at the Barre" (1877)
Category: Classic Print
Why it matters: This is the Degas. Pastel on paper, held at the Musée d'Orsay. Four dancers in pink tutus at the barre, caught in ordinary moments - adjusting a strap, stretching, waiting. It is not a performance shot. It is rehearsal, rendered luminous.
Where to find it: Museum reproductions from the Musée d'Orsay shop, Metropolitan Museum of Art, or high-quality art print retailers. Look for archival paper, not glossy poster stock.
Frame it: Thin gold or black frame. Cream mat. Let the pastel softness breathe.
2. Lois Greenfield, "Airborne" Series
Category: Contemporary Dance Photography
Why it matters: Greenfield photographs dancers in mid-air with a clarity that feels impossible. Her work is not documentary - it is collaboration. She directs, the dancer leaps, and the result is gravity defied.
Specific piece: "The Kiss" or any from her "Airborne" collection
Where to find it: Lois Greenfield's official website sells signed limited edition prints. Galleries in New York and London also carry her work.
Frame it: Clean black frame, no mat, or minimal white mat. Let the image dominate.
3. Paris Opera Ballet, 1947 Season Poster
Category: Vintage Poster
Why it matters: Post-war Paris Opera Ballet posters are some of the most beautiful graphic design ever created for dance. Bold typography, simplified dancer silhouettes, limited color palettes. They were meant for street corners - they belong in homes.
Specific piece: 1947-1952 era posters by artists like Cassandre or Georgette Leblanc
Where to find it: Vintage poster dealers, auction houses, specialized Etsy sellers. Original lithographs command premium prices; reproductions work beautifully.
Frame it: Large format, minimal matting. These were designed to be seen from a distance.
4. Johan Persson, Royal Ballet Rehearsal Photography
Category: Black-and-White Rehearsal Photography
Why it matters: Persson has been the Royal Opera House's photographer for over two decades. His black-and-white rehearsal images capture dancers in unguarded moments - concentration, exhaustion, the work behind the performance.
Specific piece: Any from his "Behind the Scenes" Royal Ballet series
Where to find it: Johan Persson's website, Royal Opera House shop, photography galleries.
Frame it: Black frame, white mat. Classic gallery treatment for black-and-white work.
5. Léon Bakst, Costume Sketch for "Scheherazade" (1910)
Category: Costume Sketch
Why it matters: Bakst designed for the Ballets Russes, and his costume sketches are works of art on their own. Watercolor, gouache, ink - vibrant, exotic, theatrical. The "Scheherazade" sketches are particularly stunning: jewel tones, flowing fabrics, Orientalist fantasy rendered with precision.
Where to find it: Museum archives (Victoria & Albert Museum, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts), high-end art print retailers, auction houses for originals.
Frame it: Museum-quality frame with UV glass. These are delicate works.
6. Benesh Movement Notation, "Swan Lake" Act II
Category: Dance Notation
Why it matters: Benesh notation is a system for recording ballet movement - a kind of musical score for dance. Original notation sheets from major productions are rare, beautiful, and deeply meaningful to anyone who has studied choreography.
Specific piece: Royal Ballet "Swan Lake" Act II notation sheets
Where to find it: Specialized dance archives, occasionally at auction. Some reproduction prints available through dance notation societies.
Frame it: Simple black or natural wood frame. White mat. Treat it like a musical score.
7. Martha Swope, New York City Ballet Archives
Category: Black-and-White Rehearsal Photography
Why it matters: Swope photographed NYCB during the Balanchine era - the 1950s through 1970s. Her images are the definitive visual record of that company at its peak. Dancers in rehearsal, in performance, in moments that feel intimate despite the formal setting.
Specific piece: Any Balanchine-era NYCB rehearsal photograph
Where to find it: New York Public Library for the Performing Arts sells reproduction prints. Some galleries carry vintage prints.
Frame it: Black frame, white mat. Honor the archival quality.
8. Alexander Benois, "Petrushka" Set Design (1911)
Category: Architectural/Set Study
Why it matters: Benois designed the sets for the original "Petrushka" - a Russian fairground rendered in watercolor and gouache. The sketches are architectural studies: buildings, crowds, atmosphere. They capture a place and time through the lens of ballet.
Where to find it: Museum collections (Victoria & Albert, Bibliothèque Nationale), art print retailers specializing in Ballets Russes.
Frame it: Ornate gold or natural wood frame. These are theatrical designs - they can handle more decorative framing.
9. Gene Schiavone, American Ballet Theatre Portraits
Category: Contemporary Dance Photography
Why it matters: Schiavone has been ABT's photographer since the 1970s. His work spans color and black-and-white, rehearsal and performance. He captures dancers as athletes and artists - both at once.
Specific piece: Any from his ABT principal dancer portrait series
Where to find it: Gene Schiavone's website, ABT shop, photography galleries.
Frame it: Contemporary black or natural wood frame. Minimal matting.
10. Natalia Goncharova, "Firebird" Costume Study (1926)
Category: Costume Sketch
Why it matters: Goncharova redesigned "The Firebird" for the Ballets Russes in 1926. Her costume studies are bold, modernist, deeply colored. The Firebird costume alone - all gold and scarlet and impossible plumage - is worth framing.
Where to find it: Museum archives (Victoria & Albert, Bibliothèque Nationale), Ballets Russes print collections.
Frame it: Gold or dark wood frame. These are rich, theatrical works.
11. Herbert List, "Ballerina" (1950s)
Category: Fine Art Photography
Why it matters: List was a German photographer who worked in the surrealist tradition. His ballet photographs are dreamlike - dancers in mist, in shadow, half-seen. They are not documentary. They are mood.
Specific piece: "Ballerina" or any from his 1950s dance series
Where to find it: Photography galleries, art auction houses, fine art print dealers.
Frame it: Minimal black frame. Let the atmosphere speak.
12. Rudolf Nureyev, Handwritten Choreography Notes
Category: Dance Notation / Manuscript
Why it matters: Nureyev not only danced - he choreographed and restaged productions. His handwritten notes, markings on scores, and choreography sketches are rare artifacts of his creative process.
Where to find it: Reproduction prints occasionally available through dance archives. Originals are in museum collections.
Frame it: Museum-quality frame with UV protection. Treat it like a historical document.
How to Choose
Buy what moves you: You will live with this art. Choose pieces that speak to your own experience of ballet - the moments that stayed with you, the aesthetics you love.
Quality over quantity: One good print is better than ten cheap posters. Museum reproductions on archival paper cost more but last longer and look better.
Frame properly: A good frame elevates art. A bad frame ruins it. Invest in proper matting and glass. UV protection matters for valuable prints.
Know the categories:
- Prints: Degas, museum collections, archival reproductions
- Photography: Contemporary dance photographers, rehearsal shots, performance images
- Vintage posters: Ballets Russes, Paris Opera, Royal Ballet season posters
- Dance notation: Benesh or Labanotation scores from major productions
- Costume sketches: Bakst, Benois, Goncharova, Ballets Russes designers
- Architectural studies: Set designs, stage layouts, production drawings
The Real Point
Ballet art is not decoration.
It is a way of remembering why you dance. Why you watch. Why this form matters.
Hang it where you will see it. Let it remind you of the line, the light, the work. Let it remind you of what you are reaching for.
And when you pass it in the hallway, when the light catches it just so, when the dancer seems almost to move - you will remember.
This is why we collect. This is why we frame. This is why we live with it.
The Edit's Selection
Capezio
Hanami Canvas Split-Sole
A perennial favourite among adult beginners and intermediate dancers for its lightness and beautiful arch profile.
- Lightweight
- Flattering line
- Breathable
Bloch
Dansoft Full-Sole Ballet Slipper
The go-to recommendation for first-time ballet shoe buyers: forgiving, classic, and built to last a solid first year of classes.
- Supportive full sole
- Molds to the foot
- Classic leather
Sansha
Pro 1 Canvas Split-Sole
Quality at an honest price. Sansha's Pro 1 is a reliable first slipper that won't punish you for not yet knowing your preferences.
- Excellent value
- Durable
- Wide size range
Ad Space
About
The Ballet Edit
The Ballet Edit is a publication dedicated to ballet culture, adult beginner dance education, movement, alignment, and the enduring style of the ballet world.
Written and edited by practitioners with professional dance experience on stage, film, and television, The Ballet Edit exists to inform, inspire, and welcome adults into the art form at every stage of their journey.
