Art of Ballet
The ballet dancers you see on movies, television or at the ballet are usually professionals. The lady dancers, or “ballerinas,” dance on their toes. This is called dancing “en pointe.” A dancer is usually at least 12 years old before she begins to dance en pointe. She then wears “toe shoes,” Lambs wool is put into the toes of the shoes to cushion the ballerina’s toes. Sometimes a foam pad is also worn on the toes. These shoes are stiff-toed slippers with ribbons that tie around the feet and ankles.
Long ago ballet dancers used to wear ankle-length dresses. But now things have changed and dancers dress more elegantly. For performances, the ballerinas wear “tutus,” which are short, full skirts, often made of netting or satin material. Sometimes, they wear a slightly longer skirt, which flows gracefully as the ballerinas dance.
Ballerinas traditionally wear their hair in a bun, pinned high on the head. All ballet dancers wear “tights” on their legs. They are like stockings and cover the entire leg.
Male dancers, simply called “ballet dancers,” always dance in soft-soled shoes. They do not dance en pointe. The men must be in good shape to be able to lift the ballerinas into the air.
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