Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

ballet

[ ba-ley, bal-ey ]

noun

  1. a classical dance form demanding grace and precision and employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement.
  2. a theatrical entertainment in which ballet dancing and music, often with scenery and costumes, combine to tell a story, establish an emotional atmosphere, etc.
  3. an interlude of ballet in an operatic performance.
  4. a company of ballet dancers.
  5. the musical score for a ballet:

    the brilliant ballets of Tchaikovsky.

  6. a dance or balletlike performance:

    an ice-skating ballet.



ballet

/ bæˈleɪ; bæˈlɛtɪk; ˈbæleɪ /

noun

    1. a classical style of expressive dancing based on precise conventional steps with gestures and movements of grace and fluidity
    2. ( as modifier )

      ballet dancer

  1. a theatrical representation of a story or theme performed to music by ballet dancers
  2. a troupe of ballet dancers
  3. a piece of music written for a ballet
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ballet

  1. 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 Lakeand 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 .
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • balletic, adjective
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • ·· [ba-, let, -ik, b, uh, -], adjective
  • ·i·· adverb
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballet1

1660–70; < French, Middle French < Italian balletto, equivalent to ball ( o ) ball 2 + -etto -et
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballet1

C17: from French, from Italian balletto literally: a little dance, from ballare to dance; see ball ²
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Sheena Gough is 89 years old but she can easily lift her leg on to a ballet barre to demonstrate elegant dance moves to her class.

From

My mom enrolled me in ballet when I was 4, and I was studying classical and contemporary classes, dancing in different companies in Mexico and Europe until I was 28.

From

But on “Étoile,” the couple’s love of ballet finally comes to the forefront.

From

But Mark Morris’ potentially controversial new ballet, “Moon,” was having its world premiere that evening as planned.

From

Initially, Nevins was a ballet dancer, a swimmer and a poet.

From

Advertisement

Related Words

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


Ballesterosballet blanc