Ballet is an academic dance form and technique with varying methods and styles, but basically hold the same principles and common movements that have made it one of the most beautiful and graceful dance forms in the world.
There are ballet schools all over the world that specialize in various styles of ballet and different techniques, most of which are found in Europe and maintain high degrees of discipline and quality.
One of the characteristics that make ballet stand out is that it incorporates the expressions of emotions, as well as stories that form the presentation and may include dance, mime, acting, and music, depending on whether it is just purely orchestral and sometimes with occasional vocal renditions.
Another characteristic that makes ballet stand out from the rest is that it is known for unique features and techniques like pointe work, turn-out of the legs executed with graceful movements with flowing and precise movements.
Since time immemorial, the art of dancing has been prominent throughout history.
Narrative dances, or those that interpret or tell a story through body movements, evolved in China, India, Indonesia and Ancient Greece.
It was in Greece that theatrical dances were established, particularly when the Roman Empire conquered Greece, it propagated Greek dance and theatre with Roman art and culture.
While dance continued to be a cultural practice in the Middle Ages, despite the occasional suppression by the Church believing that it was 'the work of the devil', dance continued to flourish as an art form, a way to express a story through synchronized and graceful movements.
It was during the 1600's when ballet emerged, after it evolved from a variety of narrative and artistic dance movements.
It is said that the Italians started to patronize and develop the art, but it was the French that led it to greater heights with innovations and a dedicated effort to develop it into what it is right now.
The French incorporated several aspects of Italian ballet, which allowed it to gain prominence and influenced the dance genre internationally.
That is why today, ballet vocabulary and terms are mostly in French.
It was only during the last century that the United States developed its own ballet traditions, mostly with some notable art figures, among them choreographer George Balanchine.
And although interests in contemporary dance has expanded and blended with American dance culture like modern dance, jazz, flamenco and other forms, ballet continues to endure the test of time and is still one of the top choices for dance forms all over the world.
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