ballet

[ ba-ley, bal-ey ]

noun

1. a classical dance form demanding grace and precision and employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement.
2. a theatrical entertainment in which ballet dancing and music, often with scenery and costumes, combine to tell a story, establish an emotional atmosphere, etc.
3. an interlude of ballet in an operatic performance.
4. a company of ballet dancers.
5. the musical score for a ballet:

   the brilliant ballets of Tchaikovsky.

6. a dance or balletlike performance:

   an ice-skating ballet.

ballet

/ bæˈleɪ; bæˈlɛtɪk; ˈbæleɪ /

noun

1. 1. a classical style of expressive dancing based on precise conventional steps with gestures and movements of grace and fluidity
   2. ( as modifier )

      ballet dancer

2. a theatrical representation of a story or theme performed to music by ballet dancers
3. a troupe of ballet dancers
4. a piece of music written for a ballet

ballet

1. Theatrical entertainment in which dancers, usually accompanied by music, tell a story or express a mood through their movements. The technique of ballet is elaborate and requires many years of training. Two classical ballets are Swan Lakeand The Nutcracker, composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky . Two great modern ballets are The Rite of Spring , composed by Igor Stravinsky , and Fancy Free , by Leonard Bernstein .

Derived Forms

• balletic, adjective

Other Words From

• bal·let·ic [ba-, let, -ik, b, uh, -], adjective
• bal·leti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballet¹

1660–70; < French, Middle French < Italian balletto, equivalent to ball ( o ) ball ² + -etto -et

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballet¹

C17: from French, from Italian balletto literally: a little dance, from ballare to dance; see ball ²

Example Sentences

“His loss is deeply felt by the entire Mariinsky family and the wider ballet world.”

From Los Angeles Times

"This is a huge loss not only for the theatre's staff but for all of contemporary ballet," the company said in a statement on Saturday.

From BBC

Compared to the Price sisters, their stories are comparatively undeveloped; as in ballet, the men are there for lifts and catches.

From Los Angeles Times

She often appeared as a guest artist with companies around the world and performed memorable pieces, including 1976’s “Pas de Duke” with ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov.

From Los Angeles Times

Five years later, June saw her son David – a ballet dancer who had lost his career through injury - die of alcohol abuse.

From BBC

Related Words

• choreography
• dance