R.I.P. "Ballet Alert!"

[Ed Waffle]

I received a letter from Alexandra recently informing me that Ballet Alert! would no longer be published. The reason was simple--not enough money to cover expenses of producing the magazine.

Those who wrote Ballet Alert! will miss it, as will those who read it. The publication schedule was a bit chancy but every issue was worth waiting for. I subscribed early on and was always a bit amazed (when I thought about it) that Alexandra could edit the magazine, see it through production and get it mailed, all while spending a lot of time making sure that this board ran properly, editing Dance View and doing goodness knows what else.

Congratulations to everyone who contributed to Ballet Alert! and to Alexandra for keeping it going as long she did.

[carbro]

What a loss! I am very sorry. I hope this cessation proves a temporary.

I join Ed in thanking you, Alexandra, for your tireless and generous efforts for our community.

[Alexandra]

Thanks very much -- but no, this is permanent. I thought of moving it to an online publication, because we would like to continue some of the content, but many of our subscribers don't have internet connections, or don't have time to spend on line.

DanceView is not in danger, and will continue. As I said in the letter, we'll convert BA subscriptions to DV subscriptions.

I hasten to add that this does not affect Ballet Alert!, the site. However, I will be doing another fundraiser for the site, as I did around this time last year, in a week or two, because those expenses have grown to more than I can handle. When we started six years ago, we were very small, and technology was much simpler!

[perky]

I just subscribed and got my first issue last month!

I'm very sorry it's no longer to be published, as is anyone who longs to read intelligent and informative writing about ballet. I'll keep the last issue as a memento.

[sandik]

Adding my voice to the wake -- I will miss the publication and the feisty tone of the writing.

And although I value this website, I cannot take it with me on the bus.

[kfw]

Alexandra has given dance fans so much, I’m sorry to see any of her ventures go down the tubes. But I’m more concerned about Mme. Theo, the World's Oldest Prima Ballerina Assoluta, who presumably received a little something in the mail for her ever-sensible, ever-encouraging advice column. Had Mme. been writing of late? How did she take the news? Can she land another gig?

And what about Madge, God bless her? With a temper like that, can Madge find another editor?

[Alexandra]

Madge has been a challenge. She peppers me with articles, so to speak, but there are only so many Enraged, Disenfranchised Witch articles one can run...... Mme. Theo never quite recovered from the New Millennium. I think she's still down there...maybe she'll come up for the Eifman ballet and I can coax her to write something on line. Thanks for remembering them!!!