The La Scala Theatre Ballet is the resident classical ballet company at La cala in Milan, Italy. It is one of the oldest and most renowned ballet companies in the world, the company predates the theatre, but was officially founded at the inauguration of La Scala in 1778.Although the company was only founded officially after the inauguration of the Teatro alla Scala in 1778, its history can be traced back to Renaissance courts of Italy, notably in the Sforza family’s splendid palace in Milan, where the classical ballet itself was born as an art form to be later refined at the French court of Louis XIV. – Photos by AFP