One of its chief aims was to liberate the conveyance of a story via spoken or sung words, relying simply on quality of movement to communicate actions, motives, and emotions.
To become an embodiment of emotion or passion through free expression, movement, and realistic choreography was one chief aim of this dance.
Certainly, there may have been codified gestures; however, a main tenant of the ballet d'action was to free dance from unrealistic symbolism, so this remains an elusive question.
Programs for plays were also a place to explain the onstage action; however, overt clarifications were sometimes criticized for sullying the art of the ballet d'action.
[2] Although the French choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre is often credited with the original ideas and definitions of what he termed "ballet en action", there were various other influences that contributed to the development of the genre.