Before the opening of the Hungarian Royal Opera House, the National Theatre served as the home for various theatrical genres alongside prose, including opera and ballet. Although the opening of the new opera house in 1884 brought numerous advantages and conveniences, it did not solve the fundamental content-ideological problem for ballet, namely the delayed emergence of national dance. This study aims to outline the situation, role, and evolution of stage dance in the cultural and institutional context of the 1880s, focusing on three lesser-explored ballet productions (Rococo, Satanella, Renaissance) and their reception. The interpretative framework is provided by the cultural transfer along the Vienna-Budapest axis. The reception history inquiry relies on reports from Viennese and Budapest periodicals.