Ballet is considered an art. It is also considered "poetry" written with the human body.  It was first performed in Italy in the early 1600s. You might have noticed that the word "ballet" has a "t" at the end that is silent, so we say it "ballay."  The first ballet school was opened in France, in 1661. It was started by King Louis XIV, and only men were allowed to dance. Women were finally allowed to ballet dance in 1681, 20 years later. The ladies wore ankle length dresses. Imagine having to dance with long dresses on! Most of the original ballet movements are used today, with their french names. The five basic positions were created in the 1600s by a French ballet teacher named Beauchamps. These arm and leg positions were made to look graceful, but are actually balancing. Some ballet positions are:
                "Devant," which is "in front."
                "Pas," which means "step."
                "En Premier," or "first position."
           Most of these positions take place at a "barre," which is French for "bar." Most of the time, ballerinas wear "tutus," which are short, full skirts that are mostly made of satin or netting.  Ballet still takes place today. Many girls take ballet lessons. Some even go professional. No matter what happens, ballet will always be a beautiful way to dance.