How did pointework change the prominence of ballerinas in Romantic ballet?

During the Romantic era of the 1830s and 1840s, the development of pointe work—dancing on the tips of the toes—was a pivotal technical advancement that fundamentally shifted the focus of ballet toward the ballerina.123

This innovation allowed female dancers to embody the ethereal, otherworldly characters central to Romantic narratives, such as sylphs, fairies, and ghosts. By creating an illusion of weightlessness and spiritual transcendence, pointe work perfectly complemented the era's aesthetic, which emphasized the dichotomy between the real and supernatural worlds.123

As female technique became increasingly virtuosic, the "cult of the ballerina" emerged, effectively eclipsing the prominence of the male dancer. Ballerinas like Marie Taglioni, who became one of the first to dance on her points in La Sylphide, achieved international renown and became the primary focus of choreographers and audiences alike. This shift solidified the ballerina as the dominant figure of the Romantic stage, a status that persisted throughout the golden age of the period.134