Ballet performances began in Hungary during the 18th century, when they were held in private theatres at aristocratic castles.
The opening Opera House had only female artists except for one single male dancer coming from Milan.
Consciousness of Hungarian national culture was soon brought to the stage, however, driven in large part by the work of Gyula Harangozó (1908-1974).
The Hungarian National Ballet staged works by George Balanchine, Maurice Béjart, Frederick Ashton, Hans van Manen, Alvin Ailey, Jiří Kylián and Robert North.
Seregi’s choreographies, such as Spartacus, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Taming of the Shrew, have been central to the reputation of Hungarian ballet both at home and abroad since the late 1960s.
Keveházi has maintained a balance of classical repertoire pieces such as Swan Lake and Giselle, and newer works.