Final answer:
The statement is false. Performance art emerged to challenge traditional visual art and includes various artistic expressions. It is distinct from ballet, which is more structured and does not encapsulate the entirety of performance art's heritage or practice.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that performance art began as a form that predominantly combined ballet with special sound effects and limited visual design elements is false. Performance art actually emerged alongside conceptual art to challenge traditional notions of institutional visual art. It comes from a rich historical background that includes various styles of performance such as theatre, music, dance, and more. It was influenced by diverse movements, including the Dada movement, and often incorporates the artist as part of the artwork, making it distinct from ballet which is a more structured and traditional form of performance.
Throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, art forms like ballet and opera evolved, and these heavily stylized forms have been influential to other types of theatrical performances. Unlike performance art, ballet and opera focused on acting, costumes, and staging, and were structured around narrative and music, rather than the avant-garde or confrontational aspects seen in performance art. Furthermore, modern theatre, including musical theatre, also draws from these art forms but has developed new storytelling conventions and dramatic structures unique from performance art.
\