George Balanchine is considered to be the creator of the first neoclassical ballets.He also co-founded the New York City Ballet and its training program, the School of American Ballet. Because of the training provided at SAB, the NYCB is still considered the best place to see his neoclassical works. Balanchine specifically trained dancers to be versatile. Today it is standard for dancers in companies throughout the globe to be able to perform neoclassical and classical works. Some companies do purely neoclassical work, such as Alonzo King's Lines Ballet in San Francisco, though these works are usually referred to as "contemporary ballet."
Unlike traditional "story ballets," many neoclassical works do not have a narrative. These are called "plotless ballets" and came about from the choreographer's desire to have the music and dance create a theme, or mood, to show off the individual dancers' individual abilities and let the dancing be the primary focus, rather than the story. Neoclassical works feature minimal acting, in favor of showcasing talented dancers. These ballets are generally shorter in duration than full-length classical ballets. During an evening's performance, the audience will see three or four neoclassical ballets, rather than one long ballet split into two or three acts, such as "The Nutcracker," "Sleeping Beauty" or "La Sylphide."
Neoclassical ballet can incorporate almost any idea of the choreographer. With an experimental and open-ended art form, the choreographer is only limited by his own imagination. Neoclassical dance is performed on pointe, barefoot or in soft slippers. Neoclassical choreography incorporates classical lines and elements, but can divert from the balletic aesthetic to include flexed hands and feet, contractions, bent elbows, unconventional formations of dancers, and groups of many dancers performing different choreography at the same time.
Neoclassical dance and neoclassical music inspired one another. While Tchaikovsky and other classical composers are famous for their work with creating scores for ballets, in the 20th century, Igor Stravinsky scandalized the dance and music world with his "Rite of Spring." Though his work was controversial at the time, he went on to create and be commissioned to compose many pieces that became standard fare for ballet audiences. George Balanchine and Stravinsky were often artistic collaborators.
Many times dancers still wear pointe shoes to maintain the line and aesthetic of classically-trained dancers. Sometimes the dancers wear the classic tutus, but many times dances are performed in practice leotards or minimalist costuming to show off the choreography and the dancers' bodies. Neoclassical ballets often will include characters even if there is not a narrative. In this case, the costume may evoke a character. Many costumes divert from the standard ballet costume and create a unique artistic rendering of a tutu in order to experiment with body dimensions, proportion and line.