Q. I've noticed that animation has a lyrical quality especially in feature films. By lyrical, I mean... It is graceful and easy to look at, very much like the movement one might see in a ballet. Is this intentional? If so, how is it achieved?

A. That's an excellent question!  Almost all movements in animation are defined by "A Path of Action" that describes an arc.  For example, if a character raises his/her hand behind his/her head in eight drawings, the tip of the fingers will follow the path of an arc.  This principal of defining movements in arcs creates a smooth logical action that is similar to the way that people and animals move in real life.
An interesting aside here is the fact that live action movies often try to break this principal creating a wacky movement contrary to what we see in real life.  Animation, on the other hand, tries to caricature the movements found in the real world.
See the Bouncing Ball Tutorial for more information on this principal.