The Art of Dancing Ballet

Ballet is considered as one of the most amazing dances ever. It has even been considered as an art form which allows the dancer to express his or her emotions freely. Ballet is a particular style of dancing that sets the dancers apart from others because of the focus on grace and poise. Nowadays, there have been innovations when it comes to ballet, it is more than just a dance, it can be mixed in with various art forms such as singing, acting and even miming.

Back in the seventeenth century when ballet was just getting started, the dances were performed as an art. At that time the Academie Royale de Musique et de Danse was founded by King Louis XIV of France. Centuries later ballet is a worldwide dance form with ballet schools in many major capital cities. It has kept true to its French roots however and most of the ballet steps still performed today have retained their original French names.

What makes a talented ballet dancer?

There are many varied definitions of what a ballet dancer is. One of the main skills that they need is to possess great poise and grace. Their movements should flow effortlessly from one to another portraying elegance. They should be able to interact silently with the audience, telling a story with their movements and expressions the audience can feel.

In today's modern culture it's naturally assumed that a ballet dancer is female, although there are many male ballet dancers (also known as danseurs). During the beginning of the ballet popularity during the Renaissance all ballet dancers were men, some of them dressed as women. A couple of decades later, women were allowed to dance and the rest is ballet history! Although women ballet dancers are very much in the majority male ballet dancers do exist. These men are light and flexible, but have a lot of strength as they are required to lift the female dancers throughout the various ballet routines.

Ballet is a great way of keeping fit. Ballet dancers have structured training that begins with barre work to help develop poise and strengthen their muscles. The poise and flexibility from the ballet training will help keep their bodies in great shape as they age as well as help them to perform the more complex ballet steps.

Ballet is as popular now as it has been over the centuries. With world renowned ballet troupes playing to sell-out theatres, there's little doubt that ballet dancing is more than just a dance craze, it's a form of artistic expression that captures the hearts and imagination of anyone watching.