BalletLaura Rochelle

4B-English 1 PAP STEMMs. LacefieldMay 2, 2012

History The earliest ballet was danced in Italy

for entertainment. The first successful ballet performance

was The Queen's Ballet Comedy in Paris, France in 1581.

The American Ballet Theatre and the New York City Ballet were founded in New York in the 1940s.

Positions of the Feet There are many different steps to learn and

perfect. The very first thing that all dancers must know are the five positions of the feet. To move on to more advanced steps in ballet the positions of the feet must be memorized and mastered because everything starts and ends in one of the five positions.

When doing all of these positions, each ballerina must keep a good turnout. The turnout is the stance in which the feet are pointed away from each other.

1st Position The feet are turned outward and

almost make a straight line. The heels touch each other and the toes are pointing out to the sides.

2nd Position Second position is almost the same as

first, but the feet are spread a foot length apart.

3rd Position In third position, both feet are turned

out just like in first and second but one heel is placed in the center of the other foot. This is more commonly done by male dancers.

4th Position Fourth position is the same as third,

but the front foot is a step out from the back foot.

5th Position The fifth and last position is done by

turning the feet out and touching the heel of the front foot to the toes of the back foot.

Pointe Shoes Dancing on pointe is a big step in a

ballerina’s dance career. Before dancing on pointe there are

many requirements to meet.

Pointe Requirements Must be 9-12 years old before starting. The dancer must have the proper technique

and strength. Pointe shoes need to be practiced at least

three times a week. The teacher must evaluate the dancer to

see if they are ready and have met the standards to begin dancing on pointe.

Pointe students must be responsible and mentally prepared to have foot pains.