ballet

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 cr-ppy parts. high ammounts of stage make-up are required.
guy: “can you go to the movies on friday?”
girl: “no i’m so sorry i have ballet”
guy: “sat-rday?”
girl: “no i’m so sorry i have ballet”
guy: “sunday?”
girl: “no i’m so sorry i have ballet”

you get the point….
22 more definitions
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!
if she cannot do a double pirruette on pointe, she simply keeps trying until she can (even if her toes began to bleed with pain)
the highest sense of dancing. the highest sense of art in general. movements made by beautiful dancers with elegance and poise.
“if ballet were any easier it would be called football.” ~anonymous
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.
ballet teacher “i want to see you be more expressive with your face”
student “okay, yeah, i was just concentrating on everything else”
ballet teacher “when you’re more familiar with the steps it will be easier for you”
a very fun but yet very time taking form of dance. you have to work your -ss off to get anywhere with it!!! you always hope for good parts from your dance teacher.
a ballet students schedule….
mon.-ballet
tue.-ballet
wed.- ballet
thurs.- ballet
fri.-ballet
sat.-ballet
sun.-ballet
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 princ-p-lly 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 enc-mbered 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, ch-r-ographers working outside paris achieved more dramatic expression. in london the english ch-r-ographer john weaver eliminated words and tried to convey dramatic action through dance and pantomime. in vienna the austrian ch-r-ographer franz hilverding and his italian pupil gasparo angiolini experimented with dramatic themes and gestures. la sylphide, first performed in paris in 1832, introduced the period of the romantic ballet.women dominated this period. although good male dancers such as the frenchmen jules perrot and arthur saint-l‚on were performing, they were eclipsed by ballerinas such as taglioni, elssler, the italians carlotta grisi and f-nny cerrito, and others.in the 1920s and 1930s, modern dance began to be developed in the united states and germany. two great american companies were founded in new york city in the 1940s, american ballet theatre and the new york city ballet. the latter drew many of its dancers from the school of american ballet established by balanchine and kirstein in 1934. since the mid-20th century, companies have been founded in many cities throughout the united states and in canada, among them: the national ballet of canada, in toronto (1951); les grands ballets canadiens, in montreal (1952); the pennsylvania ballet, in philadelphia (1963); and the houston ballet (1963).beginning in 1956, russian companies such as the bolshoi and kirov performed in the west for the first time. the intense dramatic feeling and technical virtuosity of the russians made a great impact. russian influence continues today, both through visits from russian companies and the activities of defecting soviet dancers such as rudolf nureyev, artistic director of the paris opera ballet from 1983 to 1989; natalia makarova; and mikhail baryshnikov, director of the american ballet theatre, new york city, from 1980 to 1989.
dance in general underwent an enormous upsurge in popularity beginning in the mid-1960s. it began to show the influence of a younger audience, in both themes and style. the athleticism of dancing was enjoyed in much the same way as sports, and virtuosic steps were admired for their challenge and daring. popular music such as rock and roll and jazz was used to accompany many ballets.

today’s ballet repertoire offers great variety. new repertoire and reconstructions and restagings of older ballets coexist with new works created by modern-dance ch-r-ographers for companies. ch-r-ographers experiment with both new and traditional forms and styles, and dancers constantly seek to extend their technical and dramatic range. the frequent tours of companies allow audiences throughout the world to experience the full spectrum of today’s ballet activity.
swan lake…romeo and juliet…giselle…
the closest one can get to flying.
“my soul is in the sky.”
-william shakespeare

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person: why do you love ballet so much, if your feet look like that?
dancer: it’s as close as one can get to flying.