Tom47

Thank all of you for your responses, this is more than I had hoped for and I am happy for that. However, it is taking me some time to process it all, so if I don’t reply to your comment excuse me.

To those who have spoken about “line.” Ascballerina, I read some from the link you posted. I have never danced, but when I was young I modeled for art classes. Sometimes I did very quick “action poses” where the students basically just drew action lines. One of the characteristics of these action lines is how they curved and how the curves changed and converged. I think that maybe this is somewhat similar to line in dance. Also, I have always felt that railroad tracks have great “lines” in how they gently curve and converge at switches.

Tom,

Angelica, I would also like to hear a definition of "line" although I may not know it even when I see it.

Tom,

Cubanmiamiboy, as before thank you for your replies, however, as been pointed out I think ballet is more than dancing on pointe or toe dancing. For example, it seems to me that men do not dance on pointe and are ballet dancers. Also, I’ve seen ballets where, at least some of the female dancers do not wear pointe shoes or dance on pointe. (Am I saying that correctly?) I agree that toe dancing is common in ballet, but I do not feel it is a necessary or sufficient characteristic of the dance form. That is there could be ballet without toe dancing and that toe dancing is not automatically ballet.

Tom,

Amy thank you for your comment. It is the type of thing that I am looking for. It makes sense to me that ballet dancers hold themselves and support themselves differently. I will be looking for that the next time I watch ballet, which maybe tonight. A dancer once described to me the difference between ballet and modern dance as with ballet one is always in control, for example by “falling” to the floor, but with modern dance the dancer just lets herself fall and is not necessarily in control. I think I remember that right.

Tom,

Thank you both for your answers. Helene, I am looking forward to reading the links you posted.

Tom,

Hi, I’m new here, I have a strong interest in ballet, but I do not dance and I am not sure of all the technical aspects of ballet. What I would like people to explain are the technical differences between ballet and other forms of dance. That is, what are the characteristics of ballet that could distinguish it from other forms of dance? I understand that different varieties of dance most likely blend into one another and that not all ballet would have all of the same characteristics, but I would appreciate some ideas as to how one might distinguish ballet from other types of dance.

Tom,