Ballet
Ballet (French: [balɛ]) is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary. Ballet has been influential globally and has defined the foundational techniques which are used in many other dance genres and cultures. Various schools around the world have incorporated their own cultures. As a result, ballet has evolved in distinct ways.
This article is about the dance form. For other uses, see Ballet (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Ballad.A ballet as a unified work comprises the choreography and music for a ballet production. Ballets are choreographed and performed by trained ballet dancers. Traditional classical ballets are usually performed with classical music accompaniment and use elaborate costumes and staging, whereas modern ballets are often performed in simple costumes and without elaborate sets or scenery.
Etymology
Ballet is a French word which had its origin in Italian balletto, a diminutive of ballo (dance) which comes from Latin ballo, ballare, meaning "to dance",[1][2] which in turn comes from the Greek "βαλλίζω" (ballizo), "to dance, to jump about".[2][3] The word came into English usage from the French around 1630.
Ballet as a career
Professional dancers are generally not well paid, and earn less money than a typical worker.[32] As of 2020, American dancers (including ballet and other dance forms) were paid an average of US$19 per hour, with pay somewhat better for teachers than for performers.[32]
The job outlook is not strong, and the competition to get a job is intense, with the number of applicants vastly exceeding the number of job openings.[32] Most jobs involve teaching in private dance schools.[32]
Choreographers are paid better than dancers.[32] Musicians and singers are paid better per hour than either dancers or choreographers, about US$30 per hour; however, full-time work is unusual for musicians.[33]
Health effects
Teenage girl ballet dancers are prone to stress fractures in the first rib.[34] Posterior ankle impingement syndrome (PAIS) most commonly affects people who perform repetitive plantar flexion, such as ballet dancers.[35] Eating disorders are thought to be common, and a 2014 meta-analysis suggests that studies do indicate that ballet dancers are at higher risk than the general population for several kinds of eating disorders.[36] In addition, some researchers have noted that intensive training in ballet results in lower bone mineral density in the arms.[37]