Ballet is a type of
performance dance, that originated in the
Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in
France and
Russia as a
concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the
proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with most of the audience seated on tiers or galleries on three sides of the dance floor. It has since become a highly
technical form of dance with its own
vocabulary. It is primarily performed with the accompaniment of classical music and has been influential as a form of dance globally. Ballet has been taught in
ballet schools around the world, which use their own cultures and societies to inform the art. Ballet dance works are
choreographed and performed by trained artists, include
mime and
acting, and are set to
music. It is a poised style of dance that incorporates the foundational techniques for many other dance forms. This genre of dance is very hard to master and requires much practice. It is best known in the form of late
Romantic ballet or
Ballet Blanc, which preoccupies itself with the female dancer to the exclusion of almost all else, focusing on
pointe work, flowing, precise acrobatic movements, and often presenting the dancers in the conventional short white French tutu. Later developments include
expressionist ballet,
neoclassical ballet, and elements of
modern dance.