Hooray for Ballet - Smart About History Author:Margaret Frith Elizabeth's uncle, a dancer with the New York City Ballet Company, takes her to see her very first ballet, Swan Lake. Elizabeth is so captivated by the performance that she decides to do her report on ballet. She relates some fun history of ballet-for example, the word "tutu" may come from a French word meaning "rear end!"-and even attends one o... more »f her uncle's classes, where Elizabeth learns what it takes to become a serious dancer.