Ballet

A ballet is theatrical entertainment combining dance with other art forms, usually stage design and music. It many tell a story or merely depict an idea or mood. Ballet is a French word that comes from the Italian ballo, "a dance."
The Ecercises, or techniques, of ballet are designed to display the human body in the most elegant and harmonius way possible. Ballet technique is strict, and the training is strenuous. But the result on stage is natural and beautiful. Ballet is nerly 500 years old. Yet it is very young compared with dance itself, which began with primitive people. Ballet began in Italy about the time of Columbus’ voyages to America. It was quite different then from what it is today. At that time ballet was a court entertainment for the amusement of the nobility at lavish balls and banquets. Dancing, music, pantomime (acting without words), petry, and drama were combined. The first ballet dancers were the royalty and nobles of the court, since there were no professional dancers. The steps were modeled on the elegant but rather simple social dances of the day.
Ballet as we know it is the product of many countries. The French organized the technique and gave it liveliness. The Rusian added strength and passion. The English gave it delicacy and tenderness. The Americans gave it speed and variety.