Ballerino Brooch Pin, Silver.

Ballerino Brooch Pin, Silver.

Traditionally, gender-specific titles are used for ballet dancers. In French, a male ballet dancer is referred to as a danseur and a female as a danseuse. In Italian, a ballerina is a female who typically holds a principal title within a ballet company, the title for equally ranked males is ballerino.

The etymology of the word "ballet" reflects its history. The French word, in turn, has its origins in Italian Balletto, a diminutive of ballo (dance). Ballet ultimately traces back to Italian ballare, meaning "to dance".

King Louis XIV Ballet was invented in 1459 in Italy for a royal wedding. At the banquet, the performers did dances representing the dishes being served. For instance, imagine a 'broccoli dance.' Ballet got a great boost in the 1700s in France when King Louis XIV (14th) appeared on stage as a dancer.

Ballet, as we know it today, began during the Renaissance around the year 1500 in Italy. In fact, the terms "ballet" and "ball" as in masked ball, come from the Italian ballare, to dance. When Catherine de Medici of Italy married the French King Henry II, she introduced early dance styles into court life in France.

The first recorded use of the title as a company rank was in 1894 when French ballet master Marius Petipa bestowed it on Italian ballerina Pierina Legnani. He considered her to be the supreme leading ballerina in all of Europe.

Item Code - JEW11C77FDZ5B5

Width: 1"  Height: 1 3/4"  Depth: 3/4"  Weight: 6 g