Ballet & Pointe
When someone says "ballet" people think dainty, people think feminine, people think women. These people are completely and utterly oblivious to the truth behind ballet, and dance in general. Although women dominate dance now, it wasn't always this way. At first, men were the main focus in ballet. In 1661 King Louis XIV founded Acedemie Royale de Danse. Women did not appear on stage until 1681. When women did appear on the stage they were in the back, they were not noticed by the audience. Ballet was still simply focused on the men. Marie Taglioni was one of the first ballerinas to become popular. In 1832 during her performance of La Sylphide, she became one of the first to rise onto Pointe, and Pointe shoes hadn't even been invented yet, she was simply relying on her own strength. The audience had never seen anything like it; they were immediately intrigued and mesmerized by the performance. What the audience didn't know was that the dancer was being held by wires, allowing her to stand on her toes. This invention was called the Flying Machine, created by Charles Didelot in 1795.This invention was the start of a new craze in the arts. Soon all ballet incorporated Pointe and it became a brand new dance.