Ballet

One of the first dance classes that children (especially girls) attend is ballet class. There's a reason. Ballet is all about disciplined movements. It's about full control of the body. Children who first attend ballet are more ready to move on to tap, jazz, acrobatics, etc.

Ballet was first seen during the late 15th century in Italy. Ballet was based upon a dance interpretation of fencing. Although ballet started in Italy, the language of ballet is most definitely French. The ballet spread from France throughout Europe, and by the mid 1800s ballet was well established in Denmark and Russia.

Ballet continues to evolve. Classical ballet is the most formal ballet technique, but there are variations of ballet according to the region of the world that the dancers come from.

The five best known styles of ballet are:

Russian Method Italian Method Danish Method New York City Ballet Method (American) Royal Academy of Dance Method (English)

Costuming is an essential part of most ballets. In general the "good" characters wear lighter colors and dance more smoothly and with more graceful movements. The "bad" characters usually wear darker colors and dance more aggressively.

Ballet tells a story without using words. The music (classical) and the movements of the ballet dancers are meant to convey the story line. Ballets often tell stories of intrigue, betrayal, heartbreak, and loss. They've even been known to subtlety make political statements.

The ballet season usually runs between September and March. Many ballet companies sell "season tickets" to ballets in much the same way sports teams sell season tickets to their events.

Ballet dancers are as strong and fit as athletes. It takes years and years of study to develop ballet techniques. Ballet is beautiful. It tells a story. Ballet is entertainment at its best.