Ballet in the Mainstream

I just finished an article by blogger Rainesford Alexandra in the Huffington Post, about the rise of ballet in the mainstream. Great article, intelligent and insightful. You can find the link to it below.

I, for one, have relished the way ballet has re-entered the mainstream in the past several years. I was a teenager when The Turning Point came out, and it just blew me away. Very much a before/after experience, actually. After watching it, I was in a tearful daze about it for weeks, months, on fire with the idea that I had to be a ballet dancer, pursue this craft as far as my abilities would take me, which I suppose I did. In the mid-80’s, I left ballet behind to join the Peace Corps in Africa, of all things, and, as you would guess, my relationship with ballet changed from that time on. And it seems around that time, ballet in the media sort of faded as well.

But now, ahhh… YouTube links. Interactive dance company websites. Twitter. Fabulous documentaries. Movies. (Except for Black Swan. Give me a break. That was just goofy.)

Here’s an excerpt from Rainesford Alexandra’s article that appealed to the dancer in me:

“Ballet is not an art of ease, or leisure, or one that caters to fluffy stereotypes. It is not for the faint of heart. However, ballet is also not an art of psychopathic melodrama or angsty heartbreak, at least not always. It is not for the hard of heart. Above all, dance takes love; love of an art form, love of a story, love of a tradition.”

Well put. As are her closing words:

“Let the world have ballet. Let them be apart of it, even if they can’t altogether understand, or even if their conception and opinion aren’t entirely accurate. Let them talk about it, let them learn about it, and let it fill their lives.”

Check out the whole article here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rainesford-alexandra/mainstream-ballet_b_2591133.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

2 thoughts on “Ballet in the Mainstream”

  1. Great post! Love to hear of articles featuring ballet. Though I was never a dancer, I have always been a fan of the art form. I think I may have seen you perform once or twice, Classical Girl…

    Reply
    • >I think I may have seen you perform once or twice, Classical Girl.

      Awww. The memories, huh? Back in the day. ((Which, comedian Dane Cook tells us was a Wednesday. Always a Wednesday.))

      Reply

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