This document provides an overview of ballet, including its origins in Italy in the Renaissance period. It discusses the typical training of ballet dancers from ages 6-8 up to becoming professional dancers before age 20. The summary also outlines some of the most famous ballet companies like the Royal Ballet in London and the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. It provides short summaries of three classic ballets: Giselle, Don Quixote, and Romeo and Juliet.