The term "balalaika" first appears in a Russian text in 1688. From the 18th century, the term "balabaika" was used in Ukrainian language writings. According to one interpretation, the name was borrowed to Russian, where it first appeared in literary language in V. Maykov's 1771 poem "Elysei." The eponymous hero of the poem is said to have been presented with a balalaika by his lover on their wedding day. The modern word "ballet" comes from French and originally meant "little ball". In Russia, there is a folk story that the term arose when a monk at a monastery near Moscow saw some children playing with a ball made of dough stuffed with sheep's wool and feathers. Believing they were performing a religious ritual, he asked the adults in the community for permission to put on a show for them. To his surprise, they agreed, so he had a ballet performed before them using those items as props. The word "ballerina" translates as "dancer who does little balls." The balalaika has been popular among Western musicians since the 1950s, when it became associated with the New York City jazz scene. The instrument was previously known as the Siberian kotava or Ukrainian criollo. There are two main types of balalaikas: the electric and the acoustic.