Ballet is a very formal type of dance that developed out of a type of dance imitating fencing in the 15th-centry Italian Renaissance court. The French and Russians popularized ballet, and the word "ballet" in English comes from French. Ballet also has an extensive specialized vocabulary consisting of French words like "en pointe" and "plie"."

Classical ballet, the most traditional and formal of ballet types, insists that dancers adhere rigidly to established dance forms. Neoclassical ballet, on the other hand, is less rigid, allowing more varied tempos and spacing. Finally, contemporary ballet combines aspects of classical ballet and modern dance. Contemporary ballet permits a wider range of movement than classical ballet.

French and Russian ballet companies are still among the world's most prestigious, but today ballet companies exist throughout the world; as well as smaller ballet schools and studios for those interested in ballet as a hobby but not a career. Attending ballet performances is also popular throughout the world; some of the most popular and most often performed ballets include The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet. Attending the ballet is socially considered a very "high-brow" activity.

Ballet has a very specialized fashion as well; ballet dancers wear specific ballet shoes with stiff toes to allow dancers to balance en pointe or on their toes. Dancers wear a variety of costumes, but the classic ballet outfit for women consists of a leotard and tutu: a wide, stiff, puffy skirt that does not hinder the dancer's movements in any way. Male classical ballet dancers generally wear some type of shirt and or vest and tights so as not to constrict their movements namely the jumps and pirouettes that are mainstays of the male ballet dancer's movement vocabulary.