Like opera, ballet and contemporary dance has a short history in Norway. Ballet was first introduced in performance at the Christiania Theatre and Opera Comique in the 1890s by Swedish dancer and choreographer Augusta Johannesén. Tora Hals Olsen later choreographed for the same institutions and they both established ballet schools in Oslo, for the first time introducing ballet technique to people living in the capital. In 1910 Gyda Christensen (1872-1964) established a professional ballet academy at the National Theatre (National Academy of Ballet and Dance) which she directed until 1920. She engaged many prominent choreographers and dance teachers from abroad to teach at her school and acquainted her students with Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes when one member of the Russian company, Ivan Tarasov, was invited to teach at the academy between 1914 and 1917. He staged Coppélia featuring Lillebil Ibsen (1899-1989) and Margit Leraas in the leading roles. Other important dancers at the National Theatre Ballet Academy were Love Krohn and Alfhild Grimsgaard (1890-1974) who both established their own schools, thus continuing the tradition of the first institution for ballet education in Norway. Most of the dancers from the academy who did not travel abroad found work opportunities at playhouses and popular theatres in Oslo, principally at Chat Noir, which opened in 1912. During this period Lillebil Ibsen became Norway’s most celebrated dancer, acclaimed both at home and overseas.

In 1916 German-Norwegian choreographer and dance teacher Inga Jacobis, educated at the Jaques-Dalcrozes Institute, came to Oslo and found employment at Halling Girls School teaching rhythmics. She later started her own institute focusing on contemporary movement, which became Norway’s first centre for modern dance. Among her many talented students were Gerd Kjølaas (b1909) and Signe Hofgaard (b1901), both of whom were involved in dancing and choreography and later became important figures in the development of contemporary dance. Other important dance practitioners of this period were Elsa Lindenberg (1906-1990), who introduced the techniques of Rudolf Laban, and Rita Tori (1908-1967) who in 1937 opened the Ballet Academy, an institution which would train many future leading Norwegian ballet dancers.

After World War II Gerd Kjølaas and UK-based dancer Louise Brown opened the Norsk Dansestudio (Norwegian Dance Studio), teaching both classical ballet and contemporary dance. In 1948 this studio became the Ny Norsk Ballett (New Norwegian Ballet Company), which initially comprised 16 dancers, including Edith Roger (b1922) and Guri Ludt (b1916), and was expanded to 20 dancers the following season. Dancers in the company included Aloysius Valente, Hans Kjølaas (b1921), Bergliot Clausen (1931-1954), Fernanda Sparre Smith (b1921) and Henny Mürer (1925-1997). The company toured extensively in Norway in co-operation with the Norwegian Touring Theatre and also to the UK, where it became a regular visitor to Sadlers Wells. When Louise Brown left Norway in 1950, Ivo Cramér joined the company, and in 1953 Rita Tori was appointed Co-Director. In the same year the company changed its name to Den Norske ballett (Norwegian Ballet, now called Norwegian National Ballet) and thus became the predecessor to the first national ballet company in Norway. The ballet was affiliated with the national opera company in 1954 which was institutionalised as Norwegian Opera in 1958, inclusive of the ballet.

The first ballet director was Harcourt Algeranoff from Britain, who expanded the company’s repertoire with the ballets of Frederick Ashton and Walter Gore together with new works by Ivo Cramér and Birgit Cullberg. The latter staged her ballet Medea featuring Edith Rogers and Jorunn Kirkenær (b1926) in the leading roles. The next ballet director, Joan Harris, expanded the number of members which enabled them to perform Giselle in full. When Harris left to found the Opera Academy of Ballet in 1966 she was replaced as ballet director by Sonia Arova, who extended the repertoire to include more contemporary works and, through her extensive network of international contacts, organised guest performances by major ballet stars such as Rudolf Nureyev. Leading dancers of this period included Anne Borg, Ellen Kjeldberg (b1948), Marthe Sæther (b1944), Sissel Westnes (b1945), Hanne Skram (b1937), Palle Damm (1942-1997) and Terje Solberg (b1946). Other noteworthy ballet directors include Brenda Last (1977-1980), Jens Graff (1980-1983), Viveka Ljung (1988-1990) and Dinna Bjørn (1990-2001). The current ballet director is Espen Giljane (b1962.) Giljane made most of his dancing career in New York City where he started as a trainee at the School of American Ballet and from 1981 he was a dancer at the New York City Ballet at the invitation from George Balanchine.

The company was renamed Den Norske nasjonalballett (The Norwegian National Ballet) in 1992 and in recent years it has developed into a company of international standard with international guest performances. In 2000 the company visited the UK during the Visions of Norway Festival performing Romeo and Juliet at the Sadlers Wells in London.

Recruitment for the Norwegian National Ballet has consisted mainly of dancers of a non-Norwegian background due to the short history of classical dance in Norway and the lack of suitable training and education for classical dancers. In 2003 this issue was raised by the National Academy for dance and a bachelor degree in classical ballet was established

In 1999 the National Assembly of Norway approved the building of the new National Opera in Bjørvika, a harbour area downtown Oslo (see New Opera House). The renowned Norwegian group of architects Snøhetta received first prize in the international competition for the design of the building. The competition included 230 accepted entries from around the world including some well-known practices such as the offices of Mario Botta, Richard Rogers and Eric Moss among others. The new opera is scheduled to open in September 2008.

The new building, together with enhanced opportunities for classical ballet training, will most likely provide a good environment for the development of Norwegian classical ballet.