With the help of Russian experts, Beijing dance school was established in 1954, when the ballet teaching system begins to set up, and later became an important foundation for the development of Chinese ballet career. The school taught systematically ballet of Russian school, cultivating ballet dancer and other ballet related professionals. In 1983 Beijing Dance Academy began to organize ballet department, and officially enrolled in the first group of undergraduate the following year. In 1999 the Department enrolled the first group of graduate students, initiating discipline construction at higher level.

　　As a key discipline, the Department has tried to construct the mode of ballet education integrating teaching, choreographing and research in one system. At the same time, it has strived to cultivate ballet professionals in performance, education, creation and research with advanced skills, comprehensive quality and high purpose, who can meet the demands of new age. It has developed a working principle of teamwork, service first, scientific management and pursuit of excellent as well as teaching ideas of being student-oriented, virtuous and rigorous in scholarship.

　　The Department has a group of renowned ballet educators and professors. They are Qv Hao, Zhang Xu, Meng, a set of Guangcheng, Li Chunhua, Yang Yue, Zou Zhirui, Zhang Yuping, Hu Xiao, Sun Jie, Chen Yongtong, Qiu Shan and so on, but also has a group of experienced foreign experts, lecturer and an outstanding team of piano accompaniment. The current vice dean is Zou Zhirui In charge of the work of the Department, with the assistance of another vice dean Guan Yv.  

　　The Department has persisted in inviting foreign experts and scholars to teach ballet, exposing students and teachers training methods of different schools and different dance styles. In 2012, the Department has invited international ballet stars Nina Ananiashvili, Elizabeth O'Malley, Frank Anderson, Bai Shuxiang, Zhao Ruheng, Head of the Central Ballet Feng Ying, Xin Lili, Qu Zijiao, Zhang Dandan, Chen Chuan, Wang Yuanyuan as well as other domestic and foreign ballet masters as visiting professors. By participating in academic activities like international ballet competitions, arts festivals, program of visiting scholars and lectures abroad, the Department has shown achievements of ballet teaching and closely follows the new trends of ballet development around the world.