The two audiences for ballet

[Alexandra]

On the Peter Martins thread right below this one, as I write, on the list, Hockey Fan wrote:

It made me think that there is a divide between two types of contemporary ballet, because I don't think the audiences that will be drawn to rock ballets, which are usually rather energetic and upbeat, are the ones who would be drawn to the pseudo depth of many contemporary rape and pillage ballets or to most of Peter Martins' choreographic output.

I definitely think there are two audiences for ballet. I think there's been a divide since the beginning -- since Lully and Rameau and their respective followers in the early French court ballets.

Without going into the history between then and now, today in America, it seems there are the rock ballet people and the full-length story ballet people. The two groups that get short-changed are the people whose taste runs to the truly experimental or the classical.

If you're a company director, this is what you're facing. How do you attract and keep both audiences, without boring one and driving out the other?

The best solution may be to chuck "Swan Lake," "Romeo and Juliet" and friends, and go for a mid-sized company that can do first-rate productions of small-scale masterpieces as well as new choreography.

Or not? What do you think is possible? Or is this not a problem at all?

[carbro]

The best solution may be to chuck "Swan Lake," "Romeo and Juliet" and friends, and go for a mid-sized company that can do first-rate productions of small-scale masterpieces as well as new choreography.

Isn't that what the Joffrey used to aim for? Then they got the Araiz R&J (which was experimental), then the Nutcracker, and not too long after that, they left New York. Has their profile changed much during their Chicago years?

[Alexandra]

I think the Joffrey has changed a lot since Robert Joffrey ran the company. Then they had a bifurcated repertory too -- a goodly number of fine revivals of 20th century masterpieces and a lot of house ballets and pop ballets. The Joffrey was the first ballet company to do pop ballets -- to great acclaim, at the time. I think this half-and-half model has been the one that's been followed generally around the country for the past 20 years; I've written that, actually. It's a bit different from what Helgi Tomasson is trying to do now, though.

[Cliff]

Without going into the history between then and now, today in America, it seems there are the rock ballet people and the full-length story ballet people.  The two groups that get short-changed are the people whose taste runs to the truly experimental or the classical. 

What is the distinction between full length story ballet people and classical ballet people? Aside from full length romantic story ballets. I'd assume that most people who like Giselle would also like Sleeping Beauty.

[Alexandra]

That's a good question! I wasn't clear, I'm sorry. When I said "classical" I meant people who are interested in classical dancing, classical style, whether they're watching a 3-act narrative ballet or a 10-minute Balanchine or Ashton, or whatever, ballet. This is a very small group, and they're not as likely to be interested in, say, "Dracula" (at least, not the versions that are making the rounds now; anything is possible!)

Does that make more sense? I think you're right, that most people who like "Giselle" would also like "Sleeping Beauty."