When did ballet dancing begin?

Ballerina

Ballet is a special kind of dancing in which the dancers perform gracefully leaps and glides and often dances on their toes.

Ballet as we see it today had its beginnings in the royal courts of Italy nearly 500 years ago.  It developed as a kind of entertainment from the steps of the elegant court dances of the day.

However, there were no toe slippers such as a ballerina wears today.  And dancing of this kind was not called “ballet” until almost 100 years later.

Over the years many people have added new steps and improvement to the ballet.  The ballet often tells a story, but there is no singing or speaking.  The story is told by the movements of the dancers.

The dancing is done to music and is combined with beautiful costumes and scenery to entertain the audience. Ballet is not easy to learn.  It takes years of careful training and a great deal of practice to become a good ballet dancer.-Dick Rogers