By definition, Ballet is a type of performance dance that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia and since then has become a widespread form of dance.
The ballerinas dance with so much elegance, that even the thought of them reminds us of something graceful. Most of the professional ballerinas have among the best bodies in the world. In order to perform those exhausting routines, ballerinas have grueling workouts and nourish their bodies.
The astonishing result of that lifestyle is evidently shown in the following wonderful photos that we have selected for you. Do you feel the grace in these beautiful photos of ballerinas?
Rest
Photo credit to stylemepretty.com
Behind the scene of every great artist lies the truth is hidden away from our eyes. We never get to see what is happening after or in between a performance. The resting period is crucial to get the ballerina’s emotions in check getting ready to do her magic on stage. And magic is in front of our eyes after a good cup of tea or coffee making sure the ankles are working just fine getting warmed up a little prior to the huge efforts from them.
Shape
Photo credit to balletthebestphotographs.wordpress.com
A croissant or a muffin might not be on the ballerina’s breakfast list, or on any list but her very own wish list of things she would, or might love to devour; half a dozen at a time. But of course, when one sacrifices her life to ballet one must eat accordingly and get all of her nutrition right in order to keep in shape, but also get the right nutrients in order not to literally pass out from a performance. Hours a day of practice with perhaps the odd, off day every so often. The dedication to this dance art is incredible and one has to truly respect this.
Backstage
Photo by Georg Shoes (Sapojnikov)
In theory, backstage is where the true magic happens and where you see the human behind the many fabulous costumes. Chances are you won’t catch one on a cigarette break, but instead constantly working their bodies warming up all of the muscles, and stretching in order not to have their ligaments freeze up in the middle of a performance. It is a never-ending workout, and rest periods aren’t really restful whatsoever. What one sees on stage is possible a tenth of what the actual lifestyle is about.
Grace
Photo credit to balletthebestphotographs.wordpress.com
The winning performance has always been about grace on stage, giving us an entire story plot with only natural body movement. Like when back in the days with the first-ever silent movie came out, the gestures and body language of the movie stars had such importance because they told us their story. And like a ballerina, it is exactly the same. If the grace is not there to put it in simple terms, the energy is missing and the performance is a flop. The fluidity of the entire body movement and facial expression makes a performance to be remembered for a lifetime.
Inner Smile
Photo credit to bing.com
Although we have not seen many ballerinas smile until the very end of her show, we can spot them smiling inside, while performing. It is done very discreetly and to the untrained eye, it might not even be noticeable. However, it is like speaking on the phone to someone, we feel when they are smiling even if we cannot see them at the other end of the phone. The dancers have the very same principles. They can portray sadness and happiness in a split second, without having to do much with their facial expressions. Instead of focusing on their mouth muscles, focus more on hand coordination, this is where we see them smile.
Reflection
Photo credit to pinterest.fr
Many, if not most, public speakers, important figures, artists, dancers, singers, weight lifters and to not forget our beloved ballerinas, spend much of their time in front of a mirror to understand the way the audience will see them in all their glory at this very unique moment. These artists are their worst critics and the reflection being the number one to spot any unwanted errors no matter how minimal they might seem to be. Mirrors will also push you to perform at your best flawlessly.
Synchronization
Photo credit to pinterest.fr
When one performs on stage only, all the eyes are on her. And this can be hundreds if not thousands of critics ranging from amateur to professional ones. And it can be nerve-racking because there isn’t much else to distract. However doing the very same with a panoply of people, would make you think that all eyes are on individuals. This may be so, but what if the many ballerinas have to all be in sync? This will mean that it is one identity like the single ballerina dancing. And this is treacly. Because everyone is not a singular superstar on stage, it is now a team effort. And therefore, the relationship one needs to have in order to pull off a performance with other teammates is brutality important.
Urban
Photo credit to balletthebestphotographs.wordpress.com
Ballet has always been seen to be for the posh, the rich, and even perhaps the people of the people. But no, ballet is for everyone. From young to old as long as one appreciated the pure beauty of this dance. One doesn’t need to understand, one simply needs to self let go and enjoy. We usually expect the performance to take place in big fancy venues however one could be wrong. Ballet hits the streets because it has now been accepted as a dance art that can be accomplished within the urban areas. Think of it as interior designing, mixing the new with the old.
Swan
Photo credit to pinterest.fr
The Swan Lake. Books have been written about this. Countless movies have been put together. Thousands and thousands of performances on stage have taken place and one of the people’s ultimate favorites. So much so that it always has been criticized fiercely if the performance is not 110% accurate and seamlessly perfect. Beyond so. For anyone out there having performed and being the swan, all our support and admiration. This is where the ballerinas must be movie stars, impeccable dancers, contortionists, and acrobats.
Backlight
Photo credit to vk.com
This dramatic photograph showcases the beauty and the dark truth behind the scenes. We have followed the artists behind the scenes in documentaries and the rest. And being a ballerina is not a simple walk in the park. The self-sacrifices from a severe diet, to sleep, to hundreds of hours a week of training not counting the rest periods and stretching in between to the physical strength both in mind and body is something to truly admire. A sense of emotion ranging from happy to sad.
Love these.
Beautiful and breathtaking
The first one is not a real dancer. Those shoes obviously don’t fit properly, and no true dancer would lace her ribbons like that.