Ballet
It may surprise fans of ballet today, but the original ballets were performed exclusively by men. In the time of Renaissance Italy when ballet began it was unacceptable for women to perform in public. The ballet that we have today is quite different. It’s difficult to imagine a ballet without the beauty and grace of the ballerinas that have … Keep Reading → performed all over the world. Ballet started to come together as an art form during the 16th and 17th centuries in France. It is the French who are largely credited with establishing the popularity of ballet. For many years ballet was performed as part of operas. It wasn’t until the 19th century that some of the lifts and more athletic moves commonly associated with modern ballets were added. In the 20th century the Russians and Americans embraced the form and produced some of the finest works. Legendary ballet dancers include Anna Pavlova and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
