The 10 Reasons We All Became Obsessed With Ballet in 2015

Instagram | kennethbedwards

Ballet is SO many things. It's beautiful, it's brutal, it's technical, it's grace epitomized. But for so long, classical ballet has been an art form that most of us could only admire from afar — awestruck and wildly impressed, yes, but not entirely able to touch something that seemed pretty intangible. Part of the magic of dance is feeling as though you're taken to another world when you watch it, but there are so many aspects about it — athletically and otherwise — that even nondancers can appreciate and apply to their own lives.

This year, we were able to do just that. As a lover of all things ballet, watching the classic art intertwine with modern culture and become more mainstream in 2015 has been so amazing to see. From music videos of Maddie Ziegler stealing the show with her jaw-dropping skills to social media accounts like the Ballerina Project relaying the lives of dancers outside of the studio, barre classes and workouts becoming the go-to for fitness fanatics everywhere, or Misty Copeland generally slaying in all ways, we've see ballet pushed to the forefront of modern culture. We've rounded up the top 10 moments this year that prove that the old and new, the classic and the contemporary, can both benefit by mixing to make something even more special.

Related:

01
Misty Copeland Became the First African American Principal Dancer in the ABT
Facebook | Under Armor Women

Misty Copeland Became the First African American Principal Dancer in the ABT

Misty Copeland is an all around ballerina badass. Despite experiencing harsh criticism about her unconventional looks early in her career (which she touched on in a powerful Under Armour ad), she persevered, and it paid off MAJORLY this year when she became the first black principal dancer at the prestigous American Ballet Theatre. Principal dancer is the highest rank you can achieve in a company, so Misty's achievement is definitely one that made history.

02
The Debut of Flesh and Bone
Instagram | fleshandbone_starz

The Debut of Flesh and Bone

Drama, drama, and dance. That's what the much-anticipated ballet miniseries Flesh and Bone is chock-full of. The Starz show follows a ballerina's path in a struggling company — a path fuelled by her own fierce determination and torment over memories of a dark past that unfold throughout the season. The series explores the beauty and dysfunction behind the scenes in a fictional ballet world, and offers a solid balance of plot and actual dance. Series star Sarah Hay received a (very well-deserved!) Golden Globe nomination for her performance as dancer Claire Robbins.

03
The Ballerina Project Gave Us Inspiration
Instagram | ballerinaproject_

The Ballerina Project Gave Us Inspiration

The life of a dancer is undeniably gruelling AND beautiful, and both sides of dance can be seen in photos through The Ballerina Project. Created by photographer Dane Shitagi, the project started as an Instagram account that went viral, and features thousands of images that show ballerinas posing in real-life environments. The photos display the absolute and incredible athleticism ballerinas have, and provide beautiful fitness inspiration as well. The site now uses more high-quality digital images, and fans can pay to subscribe in order to see photos that aren't available to the general public. The beautiful pictures are also available for purchase.

04
Stars Got In on the Ballet Action
Instagram | balletbeautiful

Stars Got In on the Ballet Action

Ballet workouts designed for everyone — not just experienced dancers — blew up this year. Barre classes and workouts, and even ballerina-inspired diets, are a great way to build a strong, toned, healthy, and beautiful body — and 2015 was the year people were swapping the gym for the barre. Mary Helen Bowers, professional ballerina and creator of the Ballet Beautiful fitness routine, brought ballet to the mainstream by taking on big-name clients like Gigi Hadid, Victoria's Secret models, and other A-listers in order to get them in shape for their gigs. She's also behind Natalie Portman's amazing transformation for her role as ballerina Nina Sayers in her Academy Award-winning Black Swan performance. The live-streaming classes make ballet more tangible and attainable so even more people can find their own definition of what it means to be "ballet beautiful."

05
Ballet Dancer Sergei Polunin Did a Heavenly Performance of Hozier's "Take Me to Church"
David LaChapelle Studio

Ballet Dancer Sergei Polunin Did a Heavenly Performance of Hozier's "Take Me to Church"

Ukranian dancer Sergei Polunin's collaboration with director David LaChapelle still gives us chills no matter how many times we watch it (and let's be honest, we've watched it A LOT this year). The principal dancer's hauntingly beautiful performance to the modern music of Hozier and a within a contemporary setting proves that the classic art of ballet can (and should!) blend together seamlessly with current culture.

06
A Chicago Studio Gave Classic Ballet a New Twist
Instagram | homerhansbryant

A Chicago Studio Gave Classic Ballet a New Twist

Classic ballet can sometimes be a bit rigid when it comes to rules, but this year proved that the boundaries of ballet can pushed — and with amazing results. What we loved the most about Homer Hans Bryant's choreography at the Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center is that his dancers are "trained in tradition and dipped in versatility." The studio's Instagram shows off diverse dance styles paired with pop, jazz, and everything in between.

07
Social Media Went Behind the Scenes With Ballerinas
Instagram | kennethbedwards

Social Media Went Behind the Scenes With Ballerinas

To the average person, the life of a ballerina is somewhat of a glamorous mystery. The goal of a dancer is to make extremely hard work absolutely effortless, but sometimes seeing the effort behind the art is just as captivating. Social media in 2015 was flooded with images of dancers in "normal" environments, and photos like the ones from photographer Kenneth Edwards made ballet more relatable yet no less awe-inspiring. Some dancers have been sharing their personal journeys on social media as well — the Instagram account of Juilliard student Mikaela Kelly is a unique and personal look into her life as a dancer. Juliet Doherty is another incredible dancer to follow; she's often featured on the Ballerina Project but puts up even more images on her personal account.

08
Maddie Ziegler Continued to Impress Us All
Teen Vogue

Maddie Ziegler Continued to Impress Us All

Maddie Ziegler, just 13 years old, is a dancing force to be reckoned with. She first showed up on Lifetime's Dance Mums, where viewers followed the young dancer's ballet career. She quickly made a name for herself outside of the show as the star of several of singer Sia's music videos, and this year, she has spiced up her classic ballet training with more viral performances for Sia, a fun stint with the Rockettes, and even an opening dance scene on an episode of ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars.

09
Season 2 of "Strictly Ballet" Shed New Light on Young Dancers
Teen Vogue

Season 2 of "Strictly Ballet" Shed New Light on Young Dancers

Many dancers sacrifice a lot to get to where they hope to be in their careers. The Teen Vogue documentary series Strictly Ballet's second season premiered this year, and proved just how much goes in to building a dance career. This year's focus was on some of the obstacles young apprentices at the Miami City Ballet School faced — many of whom are Latin Americans. The dancers were recruited at a very early age, and left their families and lives behind in their home countries. Watching aspiring athletes work to turn their dreams in to reality is truly inspiring.

10
Misty Copeland Brought Ballet to the Jimmy Kimmel Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live

Misty Copeland Brought Ballet to the Jimmy Kimmel Show

The world can't get enough of Misty Copeland, and neither can we. After her ground-breaking promotion to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, she made a hilarious appearance on Jimmy Kimmel to try and teach him some of her incredible skills. We're not sure if Jimmy's got what it takes to make it in the ballet world, but we hope 2016 brings us even more ballet, and even more Misty moments like this one.