ballet

ballet — noun

1. a graceful style of dance, usually performed on stage, in which dancers use prec

1.nounB1
Definition

a graceful style of dance, usually performed on stage, in which dancers use precise steps, jumps, and arm positions to communicate feelings or tell a tale.

Example

Nikolai started learning ballet when he was four years old.

uncountable: study/learn ballet

Russia is famous around the world for its tradition of classical ballet.

collocation: classical ballet

Common collocations
  • classical ballet
  • modern ballet
  • study ballet
  • teach ballet
  • ballet class
Synonyms
  • dance

    much broader; ballet is one specific style of dance

Usage Note

Uncountable when it refers to the art form itself; takes no article when treated as a school subject or activity (study ballet, teach ballet). Distinguish from sense 2, which is countable and refers to a specific staged work.

Common Mistakes

She studies a ballet at the academy.
She studies ballet at the academy.
When you mean the art form, no article is used.

2. a single show on stage that presents a story through ballet dancing, usually wit

2.nounB1
Definition

a single show on stage that presents a story through ballet dancing, usually with an orchestra playing music but no spoken or sung words.

Example

Tchaikovsky wrote three famous ballets, including Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.

countable: a/three ballet(s)

We saw a beautiful ballet at the Royal Opera House last Saturday.

see / watch / attend a ballet

Common collocations
  • stage a ballet
  • perform a ballet
  • choreograph a ballet
  • watch a ballet
  • a ballet based on
Synonyms
  • dance production

    more general; covers any kind of staged dance work, not only ballet

  • show

    very general everyday word; loses the artistic and musical meaning

Usage Note

Countable in this sense: 'a ballet', 'two ballets'. Often paired with verbs like stage, perform, choreograph, or watch. Distinguish from sense 1: here ballet refers to one specific work (e.g. Swan Lake), not the art form in general.

Common Mistakes

I watched ballet last night about a swan princess.
I watched a ballet last night about a swan princess.
When you mean one particular show, use the article.

3. the piece of music that a composer creates so that dancers can perform a ballet

3.noun
Definition

the piece of music that a composer creates so that dancers can perform a ballet to it.

Example

Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring shocked listeners at its 1913 Paris premiere.

composer + 's ballet + title

The orchestra recorded a new version of the ballet for the radio show.

Common collocations
  • compose a ballet
  • record a ballet
  • Stravinsky's ballet
  • the score of a ballet
Synonyms

Usage Note

Refers to the musical score, not the staged dance. Common in music criticism and academic writing. Often the same title (e.g. Swan Lake) covers both senses 2 and 3, so context decides whether the speaker means the show or the music.

4. an organized group of professional dancers who train, rehearse, and put on balle

4.noun
Definition

an organized group of professional dancers who train, rehearse, and put on ballet shows together, often under one famous name.

Example

The Paris Opera Ballet is one of the oldest dance companies in Europe.

proper noun: [City] Ballet

Mira joined the New York City Ballet straight after finishing dance school.

join / leave a ballet

Common collocations
  • join a ballet
  • leave a ballet
  • the Royal Ballet
  • Bolshoi Ballet
  • a ballet on tour
Synonyms
  • ballet company

    the most common everyday phrase; clearer than bare 'ballet'

  • troupe

    any travelling performance group, not only dancers

Usage Note

Often part of a proper name: the Royal Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet. British English commonly uses a plural verb ('the Royal Ballet are touring'); American English usually keeps the singular verb. Distinguish from sense 2: here ballet means the troupe, not a single show.

Common Mistakes

She dances for a ballet of twenty people.
She dances in a ballet company of twenty people.
When you describe the troupe in plain English, 'ballet company' is clearer; bare 'ballet' usually appears inside a proper name.

Word family

  • ballerina
    nounB2
  • balletic
    adjectiveC1
  • ballet dancer
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe organized human movement, but they differ in scope and setting. Dance is the umbrella term, covering everything from a child's first steps to nightclub moves. Ballet is one specific classical style, taught from childhood and built around a fixed vocabulary of positions, jumps, and turns. Choreography is the art of designing the sequence of movements, so a single ballet may use the choreography of one famous artist. Ballroom refers to partner dances such as the waltz or tango, performed socially or in competitions, and has nothing to do with ballet's stage tradition. Compare: 'She studies ballet on Tuesdays and ballroom on Fridays' (two distinct styles); 'The choreography for the new ballet took six months to finish' (the design behind the dance).

ballet ↗dance ↗choreographyballroom ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ballet dancer
  • ballet shoes
  • ballet class
  • ballet company
  • ballet school
  • ballet teacher

Phrases

  • go to the ballet
  • study ballet
  • a night at the ballet

Prepositions

  • at the ballet
  • in a ballet
  • to the ballet

Etymology

GreekLate LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

English borrowed ballet in the late 1600s from French, which had taken it from Italian balletto, a small form of ballo meaning 'a dance'. The Italian word goes back to Late Latin ballare ('to dance'), itself from Greek ballizein ('to dance, to jump about'). The art form grew out of court entertainments in Renaissance Italy and was developed at the French royal court under Louis XIV, which is why so much of its vocabulary, such as plié and pirouette, is still French today.