Ballet is an elite form of dancing that requires much foot muscle movement, and suspension on the toes. There is no singing done in a typical ballet; dance is performed purely to an orchestral accompaniment. Story and plot are conveyed through a dancer's actions and facial expressions, along with orchestral coloring.
Louis XIV is known as the patron of ballet, because under his reign as the Sun King, he allowed ballet to flourish in Versailles. In fact, he was the first to offer ballet instruction and solidify the steps of the dance to a degree. The French operas of Lully, a famous composer of the time, feature ballets in between acts, and in the opera itself. Russia caught onto this new dance craze soon after, creating dancers that were trained from birth in specialized schools. The Ballet Russes opened in Paris in the early 1900's, immediately capturing the Parisian audience. In this way, the common theme of ballet linked Russia and France.