Tanzrecherche NRW: Classical Tradition / Modern Society by Mirjam Otten

BALLET CRITICISM &
RELEVANCE TODAY
Ballet as practiced and presented today is often criticised for its
political incorrectness and distorted approach to the body, for
being out of touch with contemporary dynamics and relying on
falsified reproductions of the past (Segal, 2006). Headlines read ‘5
Things I Hate About Ballet’ (Los Angeles Times) and Jennifer
Homans famously declared the death of ballet in her 2010 book
‘Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet’. Studies across the globe find
an alarming discrepancy in the immense popularity of social
dancing on the one hand, and the lack of interest in ballet on the
other, which often ranks as one of the least popular art forms
(Schnell, 2014).
Madeleine Onne rejects these notions and makes a strong
argument for the success of classical ballet. She points to high
ticket sales in her company in Finland, which she interprets as a
continued hunger to see live production, saying “as long as people
fill our opera houses or venues all over the world when there's a
classical ballet, I would say it is relevant.”
It is important to note that the popularity of ballet — or a lack
thereof — does not necessarily say anything about its social
relevance. Many Artistic Directors in fact draw a difference
between relevance and appreciation: Whilst the audience might
not appreciate a work of choreography, it might still be relevant to
them, society at large and the advancement of the art form in
itself (Schnell, 2014). This report dives into that latter
understanding of relevance. It does not argue whether ballet is or
is not relevant. Rather, it explores how a relation to the audience,
a social impact and an awareness of modern realities can be
fostered and expanded so as to ensure a continued relevance of
ballet, irrespective of whether that relevance is present and/or
reckognised in the first place.
Classical Tradition // Modern Society 12