La Scala dancer fired after speaking out about anorexia.

By Rebecca Martin.

As a ballet dancer, the pressure is always on.  Get your legs up, turn more, jump higher, be thinner, be stronger, turn out, rehearse harder.  We look at ourselves in full length mirrors in the studio wearing next to nothing and criticise every arm, leg, foot, and miniscule bulge.  For dancers, there is no such thing as perfection, so the quest is endless.  Add to that the pressure of teachers and directors and the desire to get a certain part or role.

It’s no surprise then, that young dancers – particularly students – are susceptible to eating disorders.  They often think that if they are thinner, they will be better or more successful.  If they are thinner, they will get cast in the lead role.  If they are thinner, no one will notice their bad feet or their height.  Female dancers need to look a certain way and maintain a comparatively lower body weight than non-dancers, not only for the aesthetic of the art form, but for the safety of the male dancers who have to partner them.

However, dancers need to eat.  With punishing rehearsal schedules and endless shows, if they don’t eat, they won’t be strong enough to perform at their peak.  Dancers certainly need to monitor what they eat, but mainly for overall health and peak performance.  It’s like the old adage of putting fuel in the car.  If you don’t put fuel in, the car won’t start.  If you put the wrong fuel in, performance will be sub-par.

Ballerina Mariafrancesca Garritano

So, unhealthy thought patterns about weight and eating is not unexpected and definitely not uncommon in the dance world.  Teachers need to foster healthy body image and eating habits so that students can develop into well adjusted dancers.  Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.  During my time at an Australian full time ballet school, some of the girls in my class were told on a Friday to lose weight by Monday, “whatever it takes”.  Drugs and starvation were advocated in these cases, with another student being told to exist on a diet of broccoli and steamed fish in the lead up to a performance so she looked good in a unitard.

This unhealthy weight obsession has been highlighted over the past few months by Mariafrancesca Garritano, a ballet dancer with the famous La Scala in Italy.  Mariafrancesca was fired from the company after repeatedly speaking out about what she labelled an “anorexia epidemic” within La Scala.  Garritano first raised the issue of the eating disorder in a book called The Truth, Please, About Ballet that was released in January 2010, followed closely by media interviews, in which she said her weight dropped to 43 kilograms as a teenager after teachers called her ”mozzarella” and ”Chinese dumpling” in front of other students. Both the theatre and Mariafrancesca’s former colleagues have denied all claims.  Dance Informa spoke to Mariafrancesca after her sacking to discuss the issue of eating disorders amongst dancers…

What inspired you to speak out about the problem of eating disorders at La Scala?
I talked about eating disorders, both within and outside the dancing world. By sharing the experiences of my own illness during my time at La Scala Ballet School, as well as the similar experiences of some of my classmates, I have reinforced that eating disorders are a real problem that affects people everywhere, including here in La Scala. My sole objective was to raise awareness about eating disorders, in order to help young people learn how to spot pitfalls and how to heal.

You say 1 in 5 dancers have anorexia. Is this problem worse than before or has it always been this bad?
I spoke about my personal experience, 16 years ago – but I did my research and discovered that eating disorders are constantly rising in our society, both here in Italy and abroad. If we don’t encourage people to talk about this issue, we’ll never be able to know how serious this problem is.

Ballerina Mariafrancesca Garritano

Do you believe the problem comes from the ballet schools where the dancers train or is it the pressure of being in a company that makes them anorexic?
I believe teenagers are vulnerable, and to keep them in an isolated environment where they’re exposed to inappropriate language runs the risk of aggravating a predisposition to eating disorders. Those in a position of responsibility must be trained to behave in a way that protects young people from eating disorders.

Why do you think your fellow dancers have not supported you regarding your allegations?
I heard they were offended by my statements – this is a shame, as it wasn’t my intention to offend, but to raise awareness about a problem.

La Scala had hinted that if you continued to speak about the topic, you would be fired. Did this worry you? Was getting the message out more important than your contract?
There is much suffering behind eating disorders and I would have never thought that I’d be ostracised for talking about them. My life, other people lives, are too important for me not to fight this battle. I regret that I had to lose this much, but my motivation came from the bottom of my heart.

Do you intend to continue dancing?
Yes, I really hope so!

What do you think needs to be done to address the problem of eating disorders in ballet schools and companies?
There’s a need for experienced professionals – diet experts, psychologists, and so on – to follow both students and teachers. A full staff backed by appropriate resources is a good start for any school or company.

Occasionally the enthusiasm for dancing is such that dancers neglect their quality of life. For instance they may skip meals due to tight rehearsal schedules, and eventually skipping meals becomes the norm. Dancers should be trained and monitored in this respect – many already know how to look after themselves, but many others don’t. I hope things can get better for every one of us.

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine – everything dance in Australia – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.

Test your dance knowledge…

By Rain Francis.

With which name would you MOST associate Ginger Rogers?

a) Gene Kelly

c) Mikhail Baryshnikov

c) Fred Astaire

d) Donald O’Connor

For which ballerina was the Dying Swan choreographed by Mikhail Fokine?

a) Anna Pavlova

b) Natalia Markova

c) Alicia Makarova

d) Anna Karenina

Who did Lucette Aldous dance alongside in the 1973 filmed version of Don Quixote?

a) Mikhail Baryshnikov

b) Rudolph Nureyev

c) Anthony Dowell

d) Carlos Acosta

Which of the following names would you LEAST associate with contemporary dance?

a) Martha Graham

b) Jose Limon

c) Cyd Charrise

d) Merce Cunningham

Which king is best associated with the origins of classical ballet?

a) Louis XIV (King of France from 1643-1715)

b) Henry VIII (England, 1509-1547)

c) Ferdinand III (Italy, 1637-1657)

d) Phillip III (France, 1270-1285)

Which of the following was Gene Kelly the star of?

a) Singin’ in the Rain

b) An American in Paris

c) Ziegfeld Follies

d) All of the above

Which American ballerina wrote Dancing on my Grave?

a) Maria Tallchief

b) Gelsey Kirkland

c) Darci Kistler

d) Cynthia Harvey

Who’s daughter is Liza Minnelli?

a) Elizabeth Taylor

b) Debbie Reynolds

c) Margot Fonteyn

d) Judy Garland

Who choreographed Cabaret, Chicago and Damn Yankees?

a) Bob Fosse

b) Jerome Robbins

c) George Balanchine

d) Alvin Ailey

What nationality is renowned dancer Sylvie Guillem?

a) Italian

b) English

c) French

d) Canadian

Answers:

1 – c, 2 – a, 3 – b, 4 – c, 5 – a, 6 – d, 7 – b, 8 – d, 9 – a, 10 – c

By Paul Ransom.

Australia’s peak dance body might not always get your next project funded but Ausdance is busy dancing for your supper; and according to national director Julie Dyson, it’s all about sustainability.

What if there was a service organisation dedicated to dance? Suppose they lobbied government, inaugurated national dance awards and drove research into safe dance practice. What if they were working to ensure a viable, sustainable industry? Suppose they were the champions of dance.

Well, that would be Ausdance, wouldn’t it?

Yet for all that, and a nationwide membership base of two thousand, one question looms large. What can you do for me?

It’s a question that Ausdance’s national director Julie Dyson has heard many times before. “There are serious questions about service organisations; are we competing with artists for the money and all of that. I completely get that,” Dyson states. “But from our point of view we provide infrastructure without which we’d all be much poorer. Who’s going to go and lobby the minister, negotiate the partnerships or publish the books if we don’t?”

As Australia’s peak dance organisation, Ausdance is effectively the industry’s lobbyist and, as Dyson explains, their brief is to sell the sector rather than individuals. “It’s about ongoing advocacy for dance,” she says. “Most people are interested in their own particular aspect of our work. So if you’re an artist or an educator, you want to know what we’re doing for you or your particular area, but what we have to try and do is to marry a lot of those interests so that the whole ecology of dance is represented.”

However, the local dance community (and indeed the entire arts sector in this country) is necessarily fixated on the question of funding. Work that doesn’t involve the signing of cheques or wins that happen in the background often get overlooked. “Our brush is very broad and sometimes that leads to people not quite understanding what we do focus on,” admits the Ausdance chief.

As an example, she cites the inclusion of dance in the national curriculum and its obvious flow-on benefits for dance educators, not to mention the building of a broader based dance culture and, ultimately, more bums on seats. “And it’s largely the work of Ausdance that got it there,” Julie Dyson argues.

To the cash strapped company or table waiting artist, talk of the longer term health of the sector can seem a little removed. From her office in Canberra, Dyson is keen to suggest that playing the game in the rarefied air of the national capital is critical to people’s real world practice. “Understanding how Canberra works is really a big part of our job. We try and stay near to ground and knowing what the political climate is.”

A beat later, she reiterates, “I would never claim that we could help anyone get more money for this project or that. We’re more about getting money for the whole sector.”

To this end, she believes that people in the dance community need not merely to work together but to be more active. “Sometimes you’ll get a company saying ‘where are you up to?’ but actually, ‘where are you up to?’ We’ve all got to be in this.”

For Ausdance projects like the national dance collection (an ever growing archive of film, flyers and other memorabilia), the soon to be published Shaping The Landscape (with thirty five artist contributors) and even the much beloved national dance awards are all part of pooling knowledge, creating networks and celebrating the creative strength of the community.

“Between us we’ve all got a lot of intelligence and I think what Ausdance does is facilitate the sharing of that information,” Julie Dyson expands. With cultural policies and their attendant funding mixes almost always coming for one review or another, the work is ongoing. “We’re all about the sector being connected, viable, sustainable, properly funded and having a profile.”

The challenge for Ausdance going forward is perhaps one of perception, as its national director duly acknowledges. “We need to raise our profile and talk a little bit more about what we’ve achieved. We’re a bit under the radar. The fact that people are still saying, ‘well, what do they do?’ is an indication of that.”

Meanwhile, in their Canberra HQ and their various state offices, Ausdance staff focus on the long term, doing the often un-sexy work of writing submission papers, organising forums, and updating their website. However, visions of highly paid bureaucrats swanning about in airport lounges are, according to Julie Dyson, a tad unfair. “Well, there are only four people in our office, so it’s hardly a bureaucracy,” she jokes.

As for a call-to-action, well, that one’s obvious. “It’s important for the dance community to be proactive,” Dyson declares. “If you have a problem with Ausdance, pick up the phone.”

After all, it takes two to tango. 

Support the organisation that supports the Australian dance industry – Ausdance.
For more information about Ausdance and membership visit www.ausdance.org.au

By Deborah Searle.

Dancers and film lovers alike are buzzing about the announcement of a Dirty Dancing remake. The 1987 musical romance starring the late Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey is set to be brought into the 21^st century by renowned director Kenny Ortega, who choreographed the original. Lionsgate Studios announced the remake amidst shock and anger from fans of the cult classic, but we can all be reassured by the presence of Ortega. “The opportunity to direct Dirty Dancing is like returning home for me,” he said in a Lionsgate press release.  Dance Informa spoke with Kenny to find out more…

Why remake a classic?

I know that there are naysayers and skeptics, and I expected it. It took me a minute too to see the reason for doing this. The reason for doing this is because there’s an entire new world of dancers. We did Dirty Dancing 25 years ago. There’s a whole new talent pool and I think it will be great fun to revisit.

Kenny Ortega with Mia Michaels & Nigel Lythgoe. Photo Phil McCarten/FOX

Who do you see in the lead roles?

What do you look for in a dancer?

I look for dancers that bring something to the party aside from execution. I look for people that put their heart out there and put themselves out on the edge. Dancers that have that ability to put themselves in the zone before they take one step into the choreography.

Have you spoken to any of the old cast about the concept of a remake?

Jennifer Grey and I have been talking and she’s been so supportive. As has Lisa Swayze and Eleanor Bergstein [original writer]. I couldn’t be more thankful for the outreach that has happened from the cast and crew members of the original movie. They have all called and said ‘go Kenny, go!’

Will Jennifer Grey make an appearance?

If it’s organic, right and makes sense. I wouldn’t do it just to do it, but if we can offer her an opportunity to do something important I would love nothing more.

What do you envision for the storyline?

I don’t want to push something onto a writer. I respect writers so much. I want to just find a really great writer. I believe in team work. The reason why Dirty Dancing worked the first time is because of the team. Let’s assemble a team and let everybody have a voice. I don’t want to pretend that it’s going to be about me. It’s going to be about the challenge of putting together the right thinkers, and then setting off on a course together.

Sydney Opera House  
July 2011

By Lynne Lancaster

Belong gives us two very strong, exciting and powerful works from Bangarra in a new double bill entitled featuring About by Emma Kris and ID by Stephen Page.

All the hallmarks of the Bangarra ‘house style’ are evident. The magnificent dancers are strong and powerful, performing a blend of modern/contemporary and traditional Aboriginal/Islander dance. David Page and Steve Francis’ music is haunting, evocative and quite complex, sometimes including speech and/or Aboriginal chants. Emma Howell’s wonderful costume designs are full of delicate, flowing lines integrating well with Matt Cox’s subtle atmospheric lighting. Jacob Nash’s sparsely, elegant set design and the audio-visuals by Declan McMonagle enchant the eye.

Kris’ About is in four parts, exploring the idea of the four winds or seasons that scurry through the lives of her people in the Torres Strait islands. There are four fluid, turbulent sections – Zey, Kuki, Naygay and Sager, linked by Kris as an eerie storyteller figure in white, who emerges rocklike from dry ice at the beginning . Zey, the south, wind has four female dancers in aqua tunics and another in a long feathery dress, all in cool, fluid motion. There are many strong, diagonal arms that can be quite angular, use of the Graham deep plié, and an interesting style of retire and straight foot. Kuki, the northwest wind, is thunder and lightning, and is far ‘earthier’ than the previous section. The dancers are in greyish/brown costumes with arm and body markings, with the men in distinctive feather necklaces. Bodies seethe in a sculptural mass, performing sailing and rowing like movements and mimicking the kangaroo and other land creatures. For this segment the design is a fascinating hanging linear twisted wire almost like calligraphy. Naygay, the north wind, is the calmest, gentlest, of the four. Here we see some magnificent bark painting designs and dramatic use of silhouette as the dancers whirl and fly in layers of sinuous movement. Sager, the final segment, is based on the south-east wind. We enjoy a ghostly pas de deux where the dancers represent the movement of the dust, sand and wind. 

After interval comes Page’s strong, powerful, thought provoking, but at times meandering, ID. Tracing bloodlines and reconnecting with traditional culture, it is a meditation on what it means to be an Aboriginal in this day and age. It has a timeless feel to it – at times futuristic, yet at others as if from the Dreaming .You can see the Graeme Murphy choreographic influence blended with traditional Aboriginal/Islander dance forms.

It is a searing, scathing comment on our society and Australian history, with the dancers ‘blacking up’ (with Vegemite) for the class photo, and shocking prison scenes where a dancer is eliminated, tortured and fumigated like an insect. Talented Patrick Thaiday has an extraordinary solo where he is trapped and asphyxiated. There is also reference to the Stolen Generation and the terrible laws of the time. Towards the end there are wonderful spooky scenes with forest-like totems, again demonstrating the link with the land and nature. We enjoy marvelous set design and lighting, as well as magnificent choreography.

The final scene builds from a winding, snaky conga line of dancers leading to a volcano like circle of energy where the dancers toss white chalk into the air. ‘Ashes to ashes, dust to dust’, or is it more hopeful? There are so many layers of meaning and so many issues to ponder. What a challenging visual feast.  

Photo by Jason Capobianco

LA based dance/fitness advocate Michelle Zeitlin is ready to reach out to the world with her unique brand of passion and pragmatism.

By Paul Ransom

Michelle Zeitlin is one of those polymath types; and she’s not afraid to advertise the fact. From her Los Angeles HQ she is looking to take her blend of dance and wellness to the world. When she lands in Australia in July for a brief master class tour she will doubtless be bringing her energetic, entrepreneurial zap to proceedings.

Dancer, choreographer, director, producer; Zeitlin has lived and worked on all sides of the entertainment fence and that hard won 360° perspective marks her out as something of a rarity.

“In an industry that can be filled with wishy-washiness and a shortage of integrity, I feel that being recognised for my authenticity is really a truth and a compliment,” she begins unabashed. “I love dance. I love expressing myself with my body. It is my flow; and I feel connected to the earth. That may sound esoteric or corny but I do feel that I’m in the moment when I move … We are naturally meant to move; it is our flight. When we move, we release endorphins and that’s good for our brains and our systems.”

Michelle Zeitlin is clearly big on ‘authenticity’. “Dance is honest for me,” she states upfront. “Just like when you can see ‘acting’ it doesn’t feel truthful; I feel that way about really good dance. It’s best when it’s simple. When movement is truthful, it comes from within. When I choreograph, I really start with a pulse, like breathing, and emerge from there.”

The other big string to her bow is the connect point between fitness and dance. For Zeitlin, dance is not simply a performance mode but something far more fundamental. “Dance is fitness and health,” she says. “There are unhealthy ways to practise dance but in the most basic terms dance is exercise, and good for the body.”

Obvious as that sounds, Zeitlin is taking it further. With a keen eye for business she is tapping into the growing market for programmes that address the burgeoning childhood obesity crisis. “There are many reasons kids are getting fatter and I’ve written a research paper on the subject,” she explains. “I’ve also been putting together a live show and ideas for a web and TV series that will be for the 6-12 year old elementary [primary] school set. Kids love to learn experientially and I’m combining my research, my passion for exercise and my love for kids with this project.”

 Much of that fitness and financial ethos will make its way into Zeitlin’s down under masterclass programme in Melbourne. Dancers can expect a whole lot more than a few new moves. As she is quick to point out, “I teach like a director. I’m always studying the room; who is there, and how to develop the dancers.”

On the fitness front this means a merging of ideas from contemporary dance, yoga, isometrics, martial arts and cardio. A Zeitlin warm-up is “a body strengthener and builder”, rather than a straight stretch.

Yet for all her startling passion and enthusiasm, Michelle Zeitlin maintains a very cool focus on the ‘realpolitik’ of dance and entertainment. Whereas most artists find the business side of things nigh impossible (or even downright offensive), Zeitlin is a deliberate self-spruiker. It’s surely one of the reasons why her company More Zap Productions is going international.

“Being a professional dancer who chooses to subsist by living and working as a dancer, you must think of yourself as a product – a brand,” she begins bluntly. “Who are you? What do you have to say? What type are you? How do you stand out? This means the way you present yourself is really branding who you are. Dancers, actors, models and singers need to have a sense of who they are as products in a marketplace, not just as artists.”

For all of that, though, Zeitlin remains adamant about one thing. “If you want to dance, dance! Don’t do it because it’s trendy or because you want to back up Britney. Do it because you have something to say.”

So, is this what puts the ‘zap’ in More Zap Productions? “I think more zap is what I’m about,” she says. “People say ‘put the wow into it’ but that’s become a cliché, so I always thought that putting more zap into it was fresher. It’s an energy and a vitality. Motion.”

And Michelle Zeitlin certainly has energy. Her company has been involved in more than two thousand events since its inception; and it could easily have been more. “Before More Zap my company was called Triple Threat, which dancers and entertainers understand … but I once got a phone call asking for Triple Treat. They thought we were strippers!”

This is perhaps an apt metaphor for a woman who works from a space of refreshing honesty and ‘upfrontness’. Zeitlin’s modus operandi is to strip away much of the narrow thinking that can creep into dance practise. “I’m really excited about returning to Melbourne and exposing people to some new ideas that could broaden and enhance their tool kit for success in the performing arts and in the entertainment industry,” she adds.

With her consciously broad horizon approach, Michelle Zeitlin has turned a lifelong passion not simply into a source of income but a source of continued inspiration. “I guess I was destined to be either an actor or a spy,” she starts off joking. “Dance for me was an umbrella and an anchor. What I mean is that dance gave me a safe haven to develop, be a little different and have my creative safe place, even in grade school. It made me special and kept me happy. Dance was my anchor; in that I felt planted, disciplined and structured.”

Thus beginneth the lesson.

In Melbourne Michelle will be teaching at The Space Dance & Arts Centre. She will be working with the studio’s full time students but will also offer select open classes. Visit  www.thespace.com.au  for more information.

Photos: Michael Higgins

State Theatre, Sydney    
June 24 2011

By Lynne Lancaster

From a touristy/ethnographic point of view alone this show is fascinating, giving us a glimpse of various Chinese dances we would normally never get the chance to see. At times eerie and mysterious, The Legend Of Shangri La is mostly bold, vibrant, noisy and colourful, with some hypnotic, powerful drumming in Act1 and lots of singing and folk dancing in lines by huge ensembles.

This show is the official opening production of ‘The Year of Chinese Culture in Australia’. Chinese superstar Yang Liping, the company’s artistic director, choreographer and principal dancer, was born in Yunan and wrote quite informatively in the bilingual programme about how she spent more than a year researching the folk dances and songs for the show.

The show opens with the rising of the sun and a creation legend, then takes us on a journey through various areas and climates of the province and on the way looks at some of the dances performed in various areas by different peoples of the province. We are taken from desert to snow in a stunning section called ‘ Pilgrimage’ that among other things features not only Tibetan Long Horns (unplayed) but some incredible Buddhist masks and costumes that are breathtaking. There is a ‘stomping dance’ where the dancers do exactly that in gender defined lines. For one dance we are solemnly informed in an English voice over that the dancers made the costumes themselves and it took a year to do so. The multicoloured, heavily embroidered costumes are superb as is the very effective lighting by Sun Tianwei.

In the ‘Tobacco Box Dance’ the dancers use boxes like castanets and become dragonflies, ants looking for food and other sculptural forms. In ‘Pilgrimage’ there is a wonderful section of rhythmic dance with long red ribbons /scarves. In other numbers the huge lines of colourfully exuberant dancers weave in and out, up and down or side to side, and split and form small groups and circles in huge waves of traditional folk dance movement, performed with precision and verve. At times parts are almost Priscilla Queen of the Desert like, at other times there are small almost break dancing solos or Michael Jackson like choreography. However, the stage is not at times quite big enough to hold the huge number of dancers in the various ensembles, with some of them spilling onto the side steps where necessary. This was quite awkward.

The drumming, especially in Act 1, is incredible. Hordes of boisterous young girls whip themselves into a ferment. There is a section for the young athletic men, acting wild and primitive with long hair and fabulous makeup, who use a giant sun-like disk shaped drum. There is an electrifying solo where the drum goes from a whisper to a tumultuous roar, then everything explodes in a frenzied orgy of energy. 

Yang Liping is featured in two dances. In the first half she performs a moon dance in silhouette, mermaid like with a long skirt emphasizing ‘The Feminine’. Choreographically it is full of rippling arms and at times you could see a Graham and possibly Ailey influence. She also spectacularly performs at the end of Act 2 with a ‘Spirit of the Peacock’ dance. Her almost impossibly articulated arms ripple, fly, whirl and become the head of a peacock. Ethereally beautiful, she has a proud, erect yet sinuously curved carriage of her body in this work. As in many romantic ‘white’ ballets (think Swan Lake, Giselle) she is later joined by an ostentation of other peacocks in stunning parade. There are some exciting, quite effective ultra-violet lighting effects here and a wonderful unexpected visual coup de theatre to close the show.

Overall, a fascinating glimpse of Chinese culture.

By Rebecca Martin.

Talk about opening a can of worms.  With the release of Jennifer Homans’ book Apollo’s Angels, which charts the history of ballet, has come a flurry of debate about the epilogue included at the end of the book.  In it, Homans suggests that ballet is either dead or dying.  Such a statement is sure to inspire a response from ballet lovers, dancers, and students alike whether that response is a wise nod of agreement or a furious rebuttal. 

“After years of trying to convince myself otherwise,” Ms. Homans writes, “I now feel sure that ballet is dying.”

The crux of Homans’ argument centres on the idea that pieces like George Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15 have become trivial and no longer have the ability to move audiences.  While many works of art fail to survive the passage of time, in the instance of classical ballet and modern ballet pieces that have lasted for decades and are still being performed and enjoyed to this day, it is not the piece which has become trivial.  It is the audience’s exposure to newer works, greater technique and more impressive staging of productions that has changed the way we view the older works.   Choreographer, dancer, ballet master, and director Robert Kelly says, “to say ballet is dying is the same as saying ‘classical music is passe’ or ‘surrealism is dead’. It’s an art form with a wonderful heritage and a rich history”.  Indeed, much like popular songs or fashion statements that were a big hit upon release and are now a source of ridicule and are mostly forgotten, many ballet pieces will be lauded upon premiere and just as quickly dismissed from memory.  They will become dated and trite.  Not every production will become a classic, nor will every performance be memorable. 

Australian Ballet performs The Possibility Space by Nicolo Fonte. Photo Jeff Busby

The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David McAllister feels that ballet is alive and well. “There are so many companies around the world creating a myriad of new works that explore the ballet technique and use it in completely new and innovative ways. Productions of the 19th century ballet canon are being updated and presented using 21st century technology and techniques in ways that inject new life for today’s audiences. Young dancers are still joining ballet classes around the globe and dance is being seen by an ever-growing audience thanks to an online world of Facebook, blogs and Youtube.” 

Technology is enabling smaller projects to get off the ground, receive exposure and funding.  Where once ballet was seen as an activity for the upper class and entertainment for the elite, ballet companies are reaching out to younger audiences and moving with the times.  However, the high cost of seeing a major ballet company remains beyond the reach for many families, students and adults alike. 

Homans neglects to point her assessment of ballet’s vitality to the modern day productions that are wowing audiences, challenging dancers and standing up to repeat performances.  Granted, it is too early to tell whether many, if any, of these pieces will become classics and will ensure the longevity of the art form.   She dismisses contemporary works outright as “gymnastic or melodramatic excess” suggesting that only the tutu ballets of old have any place in the current climate.  Such an opinion sounds an awful lot like the same criticism that was thrown at early rock and roll or Allen Ginsberg’s revolutionary poem Howl.  Groundbreaking art will always have its critics and there will always be an element of adjustment as dance moves forward.  Best it does that than stays stagnant and fades into oblivion. 

Certainly, ballet is a structured art form and there can only be so many variations before it stops being ballet, while other forms of dance such as hip hop or jazz can take many different forms and remain true to its origins.  This isn’t a criticism, rather an observation.  Ballet’s structure allows it to remain consistent over time and won’t fall prey to disintegration.  Having said that, in order to keep new and younger audiences who are exposed to such a vast array of mediums for entertainment interested in ballet, it is essential that the art embraces technology and utilises its various forms to engage people.  As our attitudes change towards entertainment, so too must the entertainment itself evolve.  McAllister sees ballet continuing to “evolve and develop to reflect the environment that we live in. In each generation there are people who innovate and bring new ideas and new energy to ballet. Their works add to the canon and their masterpieces become the classics of the future. While it’s important to maintain and present the great works of the past that are the foundation of ballet, it is equally crucial to develop and nurture the choreographers of today to keep the evolution of our art form vital and alive!”

Julie Kent and Marcelo Gomes of American Ballet Theatre in Romeo and Juliet. Photo Rosalie O’Connor

Ballet companies are employing more fashion focused advertising with bright colours, and an edgy take on a classical tradition.  A couple of years ago, San Francisco Ballet had the image of two dancers kissing in the back of a convertible car on their promotional posters.  Many bars and stores put up the posters, which for them was the first dance poster they had ever displayed.  The Australian Ballet’s dancers can be frequently seen between the pages of fashion magazines, as well as sports and other publications.  The idea is to present ballet dancers as sexy, vital and modern, in contrast to the outdated image of them as stuffy, one dimensional and old fashioned. 

Despite this, ballet still has limitations in this modern climate. As Sarah Keough from the Washington Post writes, “money problems weigh on ballet like a stone around its neck: salaries, rent, costumes, toe shoes, insurance, musicians, storage and so on. Debt is a big factor in all the conservative programming out there.  But the main problem is this: ballet suffers from a serious lack of confidence that is only growing more and more paralyzing.”  She goes on to say, “there’s nothing more boring than safe, pretty art. Nothing feels less relevant. Ballet needs to think bigger. Yes, money is tight, but ballet here has gotten itself into trouble by aspiring to opera-house prestige without the more stable budgets of its European counterparts. To survive into the future, I think the average ballet company would do better to downsize, aim for excitement, stir the pot — and drop the full-length ballets, which are better left to the few larger, richer operations”.

Alexei Ratmansky rehearsing with New York City Ballet. Photo Paul Kolnik

It’s not all doom and gloom for ballet lovers, however.  With choreographers like Twyla Tharp, Christopher Wheeldon, and Alexei Ratmansky amongst others, pushing the boundaries of ballet and creating works that blend abstraction with classical lines, ballet remains a living, breathing art form.  A glaring omission from Homans’ assessment of modern ballet is American choreographer William Forsythe who turned ballet on its head at the end of the 20th century and challenged dancers technically and audiences intellectually.

The people are telling us that ballet is as essential and popular as ever.  McAllister states that audiences for The Australian Ballet are growing every year, with subscription rates the highest they’ve been since the early 1990s. 

 Landestheater Coburg Ballet Master and international dancer Griffin Doug suggests that the pulse of ballet is strong in Europe. “I see (ballet) as the only ‘high-art’ that can be relied upon to bring constant houses. With the exception of well known musicals, dance programmes are the normally safe bet for a theatre intendant. Houses may not be sold out every night but performance for performance over a season the dance nights sell more seats than other performances.  For McAllister, however, “it’s not just about seat numbers (but) more about giving audience members a whole ballet experience.”

As Doug points out, ballet has the important asset of being a universal language which allows a production to traverse the globe without the barriers of communication.  And as all dancers can attest, a ballet class can be taken in any language anywhere in the world with little to no confusion.  The language of dance is the same wherever you go.  “Of all the live performance genres, ballet is the most adaptable to change. Dance is easily performed in large and small house settings, also in impromptu and carefully rehearsed productions. Dance can be performed with full symphony accompaniment, but is also accepted by audiences with pre-recorded soundtracks. Far from being a dying art form or a museum art form, dance is alive and well. It is the most adaptable of art forms with the widest audience base.”

Ballet itself is the foundation for all other forms of dance.  A jazz dancer with classical technique is more often than not far superior to someone without ballet training, and the same can be said for musical theatre, cabaret, tap and even hip hop dancers.  With the surge in popularity for dance thanks to the plethora of television shows, movies, and film clips showcasing the broad appeal, diversity and skill of the art, ballet is not going anywhere in a hurry.

Top photo: Aurelie Dupont & Herve Moreau of the Paris Opera Ballet. Copyright Anne Deniau

Get plenty of sleep.
Are you getting the recommended eight hours of sleep a night? Sleep gives our bodies time to recover and repair.  Sleep is important in concentration, growth, hormonal balance, memory formation and immunity. ¹

Eat breakfast
Eat a healthy breakfast every day to kick start your metabolism and give you the necessary energy to start your day. Choose a natural, high fibre breakfast. Forget the pancakes and bagels!

Choose foods rich in fibre.
Fibre increases bowel movement as it helps your digestive system to absorb water and pass necessary waste. High fibre foods can assist with weight loss as they contain more bulk than low fibre foods and can slow the onset on hunger. A high fibre diet can also lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. ²

Stay hydrated.
Drink eight glasses of water a day. Limit the intake of soft drinks and juices which are high in calories. Increased water intake can enhance fat loss, reduce hunger, combat fatigue and headache and keep you looking younger by hydrating your skin. ³

Eat fruits and vegetables with each meal. 
Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals that keep us healthy and protect against disease. They are also high in fibre. ⁴

Go organic.
A growing body of research suggests that highly processed foods are detrimental to our health. They are harder for our bodies to digest and they contain less nutritional benefit than natural, organic choices.  Why not start a veggie patch?

¹ About.com: Longevity, Benefits of Sleep, Mark Stibich, Ph.D http://longevity.about.com/od/sleep/a/sleep_benefits.htm
² Ehealth MD Fiber: It’s Importance In Your Diet www.ehealthmd.com/library/fiber/FIB_benefits.html
³ The Diet Channel, Top 4 Benefits Of Drinking Water www.thedietchannel.com/Top-4-Benefits-of-Drinking-Water.htm
⁴ CDC, Fruit and Vegetable Benefits www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/benefits/index.html

It’s that time of year again where we all start to think about friends, family and special times together. Imagine how different Christmas might be for a child with a serious illness.

Every day during this Christmas period over 400 seriously ill children will be admitted to hospitals across Australia. Starlight needs to raise $1.5 million to connect every child to the joy of Christmas.

During Britney Spear’s Circus Tour in Australia, the tour dancers gave generously through supporting Starlight’s Christmas Appeal on Channel Nine’s The Today Show. The dancers hung out, performed a routine, and put a smile on the faces of seriously ill and hospitalised children. Give generously this Christmas, and place your bid for a signed Britney dancer tee today!

Follow the link below to watch the auction unfold on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160381950353

For more information, please contact:
Jemma Hawksford, Starlight Children’s Foundation, 02 8425 5933 / jemmah@starlight.org.au
Kristy Johnson, Dance & Entertainment Journalist, 0416 288 775 / kristyjohnson87@hotmail.com