Although ballet (from the Latin word ballere - 'to dance') was invented in France, it is actually Russia that gave us the best-known ballet shows like 'Swan Lake' or 'The Nutcracker.' In fact the golden age of ballet was in the late 19th century when Russian productions created ballet as we know it today: female dancers started wearing the short, layered 'tutu' skirts to show off their acrobatic legwork, and the 'en pointe' (using the point-of-the-toe) style became more commonplace.
In the last century it has been a combination of Russian companies and French schools that have pushed ballet in to the mainstream of popular culture. If dancers weren't stars in the Bolshoi or Kirov companies then they were in the 'Ballets Russes' (literally Russian Ballet) in Paris presenting huge shows to audiences of thousands.
In recent years the UK has had a huge ballet star in the form of Darcey Bussell. She was the youngest ever principle dancer at The Royal Ballet having played some of the leading parts in shows like The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. Bussell also teamed up with singer Katherine Jenkins to create a stage show called 'Viva la Diva' which toured the UK showcasing ballet: it was also one of the highlights of last year's Royal Variety Performance.
However, no discussion of ballet would be complete without a brief look at the life of the man who took ballet in to the mainstream in the 1960s and 70s: Rudolf Nureyev. Thanks to his talent and knowledge of Russian, French and English, Nureyev became a star the world over and a friend of The Rolling Stones. The techniques he and his peers invented in classical ballet are now used as a framework for many other styles of dance. And let's not forget his 'Swine Lake' parody of Swan Lake for 'The Muppet Show' - one of the programme's most popular YouTube clips!
www.darceybussell.com
www.dance4it.com/ballethistory.htm
www.learntodance.com/online 20ballet 20lesson.htm