There were settings in the 19th century called "Tableau Vivants"...living scenes. On the Steppes of Central Asia by Borodin is a famous one. Simply they were sets with living actors, animals, etc. with music that went with them....ballet without movement - a freeze frame if you will. Ballet, in a simple comparison, when it went past the unstoried to the storied (from just a bunch dancing to a bunch dancing in the context of a story - think of the Nutcracker ballet and you'll get the idea of what is a storied ballet.....anyway these were motion pictures of a sort..the tableau vivant brought to the next scene.
Here is the opening to Stravinsky's Petrushka ballet "brought to life".... enjoy (ps I posted the closing scene here)
Here is the opening to Stravinsky's Petrushka ballet "brought to life".... enjoy (ps I posted the closing scene here)