10 things you didn’t know about Ballet!

International Ballet Day falls on October 1, 2021 this year. Here are a few facts you may not know about the world of Ballet!

  1. Ballet originated in Italy in the 15th century.
  1. The tip of Pointe shoes is a rigid box made of densely packed layers of fabric and cardboard hardened by glue.
  1. Women were not allowed to dance in public until 1681, so couldn't join the ballet!
  1. A male dancer can lift over one to one and a half tons worth of ballerinas during a single performance. That is the weight of an average car!
  1. The Royal Ballet was founded in 1931 by Dame Ninette de Valois; it became the resident ballet company of the Royal Opera House in 1946 and was granted a royal charter in 1956.
  1. Most professional dancers wear out two to three ballet shoes a week. Some dancers go through the same amount in a single performance!
  1. The first Ballet to win an Olivier Award was Romeo And Juliet in 1977, performed by the London Festival Ballet at the London Coliseum.
  1. The amount of energy needed to perform a ballet is about the same as playing two full football matches or running 18 miles.
  1. One tutu can take up to 90 hours of labour to produce – that’s almost 4 days!
  1. . Every time a ballet dancer jumps en pointe, three times their body weight is carried on the tip of their big toe.
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