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balletic - 2 dictionary results

bal⋅let

  [ba-ley, bal-ey]
Use balletic in a Sentence
–noun
1. a classical dance form demanding grace and precision and employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement.
2. a theatrical entertainment in which ballet dancing and music, often with scenery and costumes, combine to tell a story, establish an emotional atmosphere, etc.
3. an interlude of ballet in an operatic performance.
4. a company of ballet dancers.
5. the musical score for a ballet: the brilliant ballets of Tchaikovsky.
6. a dance or balletlike performance: an ice-skating ballet.
Origin:
1660–70; < F, MF < It balletto, equiv. to ball(o) ball 2 + -etto -et

Related forms:
bal⋅let⋅ic  [ba-let-ik, buh-] , adjective
bal⋅let⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To balletic
bal·let   (bā-lā', bāl'ā')   
n.  
  1. A classical dance form characterized by grace and precision of movement and by elaborate formal gestures, steps, and poses.
  2. A theatrical presentation of group or solo dancing to a musical accompaniment, usually with costume and scenic effects, conveying a story or theme.
  3. A musical composition written or used for this dance form.
  4. A company or group that performs ballet.

[French, from Italian balletto, diminutive of ballo, dance, from ballare, to dance; see ballerina.]
bal·let'ic (bā-lět'ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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