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The Millenium Awards


Guest rrfan

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I should have worded myself better on my last post. I don't believe sports have 'ruined' ballet, but I think there could be much better ballet programs in the USA, and the world, if sports hadn't turned the public's attention. Imagine a world where instead of Monday night football, there was Monday night at the ballet. Not to say that I don't like sports, because I do. All the girls in my family dance, while all of the boys play baseball or football.

Also, sports may have increased the virtuosity level in dance. I think in the past 50 years, dance has been raised to a level that would have been unheard of before. Pavlova, and all the other famous dancers of her time, were known for their grace and artistic ability. I think I even heard somewhere that Margot Fontyn didn't believe it was nesscessary for an extention to be above 90 degrees.Now, it is the age of higher jumps, more turns, and greater strength.

I hope I clarified myseld somewhat!

~Kathleen

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I still am not swayed on the topic of sports vs. ballet. You can still have Monday Night Football and Monday night at the ballet, just on different channels. Ballet is not for everyone and I don't think you can say sports really raised the technical level of ballet. I think the dancer's and their teachers did that. You can't say that one dancer is better than another in terms of one may be able to turn and the other is more musical, that depends on individual taste. Balanchine has choreographed some beautiful pieces that I've seen dancers through whirlybirds in to showboat. That's ego. The competition aspect of ballet has always been there. It's human nature to be competitive.

Besides, sports have been around for a long time. Olympic events have more attendance than the Super Bowl.

It could be argued that ballet took away from sports, since the Greek Olympics were going on way before Louis XIV came around.

It's like saying the Internet took away from reading books or something. Ballet is not for everyone. As much as we would like for it to be. It's art and it's subjective. i don't particularly care for Monet, but millions of others love him. But I can't say that Shakespeare ruined Monet, because I prefer to read a book than go to the museum. Am I making sense, it's been a long day!

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Guest gkimbrough

Sports harm Ballet? Not even a little bit. The money poured into sports medicine and kineseology(hey, where's the spellchecker?) have been an unalloyed blessing to dancers. For example, the career-ending injury I suffered 18 years ago would have been routine a year ago. Make no mistake: Arthroscopic surgery was developed to save major-league pitchers elbows and linebacker's knees. We are just the lucky beneficiaries. Meanwhile. sports are certainly not costing us any audience, since we are not known for drinking beer. 8^)

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I'm with Andrei!! A beer wouldn't be all that undesirable, especially for those of us just watching. But I imagine it could produce some negative consequences for the dancers (then again, perhaps that's what Wendy W needs)! Beer and football, now there is a cultural milieu which could have a rather stiltifying influence on artistic taste!! (IMO!!) But, definitely beer companies wouldn't give much consideration to sponsoring ballet, ... would they!? By the way, I'll just assume, gkimbrough, that you are male, especially since beer was mentioned in connection with sports. But even with just 2 posts to judge by, (I noted the interest in woodworking!), so, I'm going out on a limb. I hope I don't get burned a third time!!? smile.gif (again, apologies to Dale and Ari wink.gif , it would presumably be easier if we had pictures ).

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There may even be areas where ballet can help out sports. I was watching figure skating recently and thinking that a little dance training would help some of those skaters do something with their arms besides flap them around. (I assume that many of them are already getting dance training; it just doesn't seem to take, somehow. So often their legs just hang in the air like sausages. I'm afraid the late John Curry labored in vain.) Also, a few beers at the ballet would be welcome, especially after some Forsythe. I realize none of this has anything to do with the millenium.....

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