World Ballet Day is a holiday that doesn’t have a fixed date but is instead observed on the day set by several different ballet companies every year. This holiday celebrates an art form that has been enjoyed by audiences for over 600 years—an art form that combines dance, light, choreography, and music.

This is the perfect day for people to go to the ballet or to learn more about ballet. Many ballet companies also have live streams on this holiday. Companies that participate include The Australian Ballet, The Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, the San Francisco Ballet, and the Royal Swedish Ballet.

The History of World Ballet Day

This holiday was first held in October 2014 and was a major collaboration between major ballet companies all over the world. As stated in our introductory paragraph to this holiday, many of these companies stream live videos of their behind-the-scenes preparations or hold local celebrations.

Every year, the date of this holiday is fixed according to an agreement between the different ballet companies. Therefore, the date of this holiday is fluid, and people interested in observing it should be sure to check in to find out what day it will fall on.

Now that we’ve talked about the history of World Ballet Day, let’s take a few moments to talk about the history of ballet. Most historians agree that ballet began as a type of performance dance during the Italian Renaissance in the 15th century.

It would later become a form of concert dance in France and Russia, and from these humble beginnings, it spread all across the world. Ballet was taught to nobility, appeared at court and wedding celebrations, and was eventually staged for the public.

Some Amazing Facts About Ballet

Below are a few of the amazing facts we uncovered while researching World Ballet Day. We hope that the following facts are not only educational but also entertaining. So without further ado, let’s take a quick look at them before moving on with our discussion of this holiday.

• The average ballet performance lasts approximately 4 hours.
• One ballet performance can require up to 5,000 hours of practice.
• A male ballet dancer will wear approximately 4,000 pairs of tights, on average, over their lifetime.
• A female ballet dancer will wear approximately 100 tutus, on average, over their lifetime.
• It can take over 90 hours to make just one tutu.
• Ballerinas can wear out approximately 3 pairs of ballet shoes every week.
• Women weren’t allowed to dance in public until the 17th century, so they were banned from performing in ballets.

Observing World Ballet Day

As stated earlier, this is a holiday during which people can enjoy behind-the-scenes live streams, as well as special celebratory events related to this holiday. People can also take the time to learn more about ballet, go see a ballet performance, or introduce someone else to ballet. And of course, people can spread the news about this holiday using the hashtag #WorldBalletDay online.