An incredibly difficult SPORT that most people do not believe is a sport. Ballet requires a great level of dedication and discipline. When ballet dancers reach a certain level of advancement, the begin to dance en pointe, or on pointe shoes, which are shoes with a very stiff toe so the dancer can be supported when standing on her/his toes. Ballet is known to the majority of people as a "sissy" thing, something that only girly-girls and gay men do. Lots of rude and misinformed people mock ballet dancers by prancing around and pretending to wear a tutu. In fact, it has been proven that ballet boosts coordination and even IQ. It is actually much harder that football. There are a great many steps and technicalities to each move; you have to maintain a turnout and pointed feet. Boys/men often do lots of lifting, but they also dance, too. In very professional companies there is the corphee who is the leader of the corps de ballet (they ensemble dancers) and there is the prima ballerina who is the highest dancer there is in a company. All professional dancers must have huge amounts of strength, flexibility, and poise. The key to being a successful ballerina (in addition to have memorized all the steps, being flexible and strong, being dedicated, etc.) is to be able to mask your HUGE effort and make it look easy.

A form of dance that takes every ounce of your time and money. Causes extreme fusturation and anger. The evil slave driver, also called your ballet instructor, takes all of your money and still gives you crappy parts. High ammounts of stage make-up are required.

uneducated people beleive ballet is simply prancing around in tutu's and ballet slippers, but a real ballerina works harder than any perfessional athlete usually about 25 hours aweek, she strives to become the best and never gives in!

The highest sense of dancing. The highest sense of art in general. Movements made by beautiful dancers with elegance and poise.

an extremely rigorious but fun and rewarding SPORT. generaly stereotyped by dancing on toes, the color pink, tutus, spinning around, and being graceful. i say it is characterized by bloody feet, sore muscles, hard work, lots of sweat, falling on you butt(by mistake of course), fond memories of performing, excitement of sharing something you love with an audience.

A form of dance that requires thorough use of technique. Ballet dancers must have this technique and a great deal of strength to be able to do the steps, but also must look graceful and expressive at the same time. Ignorant people do not appreciate the strength and beauty of this high art.

a very fun but yet VERY time taking form of dance. you have to work your ass off to get anywhere with it!!! you always hope for good parts from your dance teacher.

The earliest known origins of ballets were lavish entertainments given in the courts of Renaissance Italy. The Italian court ballets were further developed in France. Le Ballet Comique de la Reine (The Queen's Ballet Comedy), the first ballet for which a complete score survived, was performed in Paris in 1581. Most French court ballets consisted of dance scenes linked by a minimum of plot. Because they were designed principally for the entertainment of the aristocracy, rich costumes, scenery, and elaborate stage effects were emphasized. In 1661 Louis XIV established the Acad‚mie Royale de Danse, a professional organization for dancing masters. He himself stopped dancing in 1670, and his courtiers followed his example. By then the court was already giving way to professional dancing. At first all the dancers were men, and men in masks danced women's roles. The first female dancers to perform professionally in a theater production appeared (1681) in Le Triomphe de l'Amour (The Triumph of Love).Eighteenth-century dancers were encumbered by masks, wigs or large headdresses, and heeled shoes. Women wore panniers, hoopskirts draped at the sides for fullness. Men often wore the tonnelet, a knee-length hoopskirt. Despite the brilliance of the French dancers, choreographers working outside Paris achieved more dramatic expression. In London the English choreographer John Weaver eliminated words and tried to convey dramatic action through dance and pantomime. In Vienna the Austrian c...