Ballet dancer

A performer trained in ballet, a theatrical dance form built on codified technique and movement vocabulary. Ballet dancers perform solo, partnered, and ensemble roles.

Ballet technique: The codified principles and movements used to train and perform classical ballet. It supplies the technical vocabulary a ballet dancer learns and performs.
Prima ballerina: A leading female principal dancer in a ballet company. The title illustrates one prominent rank a ballet dancer may attain.
Ballet: A theatrical dance form with codified technique, movement vocabulary, and staged repertory. Ballet dancers belong to the performance tradition this broader form names.
Modern dance: A concert dance tradition that developed partly in reaction to classical ballet’s conventions. Its movement principles offer a contrasting approach to ballet technique.
Turnout: The outward rotation of the legs from the hips, central to classical ballet technique. It shapes many of the dancer’s positions, steps, and lines.
Principal dancer: A senior dancer who performs leading roles in a ballet company. Principal dancers carry many of a company’s major parts.
Ballet school: An institution that teaches ballet technique and prepares students for performance. Formal schools have shaped how dancers acquire technique and enter the profession.
Contemporary dance: A concert dance form that draws on multiple techniques and often emphasizes experimentation. Its broader movement vocabulary differs from ballet’s codified system.
Pointe technique: A ballet technique in which dancers support their weight on the tips of their toes in pointe shoes. It is a demanding performance skill, usually developed after years of training.
Character dance: A stylized form of theatrical dance based on national or folk dances, often included in classical ballets. Ballet dancers may use its distinct steps and style in repertory roles.

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Sergei PoluninNarrower topic: Polunin’s career illustrates the demands and public visibility of elite ballet performance.