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Ballet: A Dance with Your Curiosity

Discover the twists and turns of a dancing art form

Matthew Murrie
3 min readJul 10, 2024
Close-up of a ballerina’s foot in a pointe shoe, highlighting the strength and elegance as she dances. The foot is perfectly arched with toes pointing downward, and the ribbons of the pointe shoe are wrapped around the ankle. The background is slightly blurred, drawing focus to the dancer’s foot.
Image created using DALL-E by OpenAI

Ballet isn’t just a dance; it’s an art form filled with history, precision, and surprising elements that pique curiosity. From the evolution of pointe shoes to the secret rituals of dancers, get ready to use some Curiosity-Based Thinking to explore some of the lesser-known aspects of ballet that make it a fascinating subject for both newcomers and aficionados.

In the minute it takes you to read the rest of this section, a ballet dancer can burn up to 7 calories and dozens of pliés.

Pliés are fundamental movements in ballet, where dancers bend their knees while keeping their feet flat on the floor. This essential exercise helps improve strength, flexibility, and balance.

Ballet from What? to Wow!

What: Ballet is a classical dance form that combines rigorous technique with artistic expression, involving intricate movements like pliés, pirouettes, and jetés.

Who: Dancers of all ages and backgrounds participate in ballet, from young children to seasoned professionals. Famous figures include Marius Petipa, who has choreographed many classical ballets.

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Matthew Murrie
Matthew Murrie

Written by Matthew Murrie

Author of The Book of What If…?, Founder of What If Curiosity, and Creator of Curiosity-Based Thinking and Curiosity-Based Learning, turning ideas into actions.

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