A ballet consists of 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, such as the neoclassical works of American choreographer George
Balanchine, are often performed in simple costumes and without the use of
elaborate sets or scenery.
Ballet Facts
Women were not allowed to dance in public until 1681, so couldn’t join
the ballet!
A male dancer can lift over one to one a half tonnes’ worth of
ballerinas during a single performance. That’s the weight of an
average car!
Most professional dancers wear out two to three ballet shoes a week.
Some dancers go through the same amount in a single performance!
The amount of energy needed to perform a ballet is about the same as
playing two full football matches or running 18 miles.
One tutu can take up to 90 hours of labour to produce – that’s almost
4 days!
