ballet
[ ba-ley, bal-ey ]
/ bæˈleɪ, ˈbæl eɪ /
noun
a classical dance form demanding grace and precision and employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement.
a theatrical entertainment in which ballet dancing and music, often with scenery and costumes, combine to tell a story, establish an emotional atmosphere, etc.
an interlude of ballet in an operatic performance.
a company of ballet dancers.
the musical score for a ballet: the brilliant ballets of Tchaikovsky.
a dance or balletlike performance: an ice-skating ballet.
Origin of ballet
OTHER WORDS FROM ballet
bal·let·ic [ba-let-ik, buh-] /bæˈlɛt ɪk, bə-/, adjective bal·let·i·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby ballet
Example sentences from the Web for balletic
Everything about his game, from the silent, balletic footwork to his deceptive strength is functioning with clockwork precision.
British Dictionary definitions for balletic
ballet
/ (ˈbæleɪ, bæˈleɪ) /
noun
- a classical style of expressive dancing based on precise conventional steps with gestures and movements of grace and fluidity
- (as modifier)ballet dancer
a theatrical representation of a story or theme performed to music by ballet dancers
a troupe of ballet dancers
a piece of music written for a ballet
Derived forms of ballet
balletic (bæˈlɛtɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for ballet
C17: from French, from Italian
balletto literally: a little dance, from
ballare to dance; see
ball ²
Cultural definitions for balletic
ballet
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 Lake and 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.