Ballet:
	Ballet has been around for thousands of years but originated in Italy. It's an athletic dance that requires much strength, balance, grace, and flexibility. Ballets usually tell a story through dance, movement, and music. Most ballets are performed with a symphony orchestra. Ballet shoes are thin leather shoes but pointe shoes have a stiff block at the toe which allows the dancer to balance on tip-toe. Some famous ballets include The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Swan Lake.
	Links:
	http://arts.state.wi.us/static/tour-aie/dance2.htm www.cwschoolofballet.com/home.htm www.thewisconsinsearch.com/ballet.html
	Tap:
	Tap dance is an American percussive and theatrical dance. It's a melting pot of many dances: Irish step, English clogging, and African movements. The tap shoe is a leather-soled shoe with metal taps connected to the bottom of the ball and heel of the shoe. The steps include shuffles, ball changes, flaps, and cramp rolls. Tap dance can be danced to many types of music but jazz music is the most common type. Two famous tap dancers are Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.
	Links:
	www.accessdance.com

Main | Irish Dance & Clogging | Ballet & Tap | Jazz & Hip-Hop

Back To Top

Questions? Contact Andrea Arkin at arkinae@uwec.edu.
Page Last Updated October 23, 2003