24 replies to this topic

[Alexandra]

Some very sad news. Ballet.co is no longer an active forum.

Site founder Bruce Marriott explains why in this link:

http://www.ballet.co...g-into-archive/

I understand that some Ballet.co regulars are exploring some way to keep the site going and I hope they'll let us know if that happens.

[Helene]

That is huge news and very sad.

[Alexandra]

It is, isn't it, Helene? The ballet part of the net will not be the same -- and that's not just meant as a complement. There are so many posters who see the Royal Ballet frequently and write about it (and so many of our posters who are interested in the RB) that that, alone, will be a loss.

[cubanmiamiboy]

What a loss. I never registered on the site, but I very much browsed in regular basis its amazing amount of info on ballet. Also, via a Balletco poster was the way I dscovered BalletAlert, so I deeply appreciated the link. Bruce will be highly missed certainly.

[sandik]

I thought the comment in the responses about the recent growth of online dance coverage (with the sense that it takes much longer to collect and read material) put a finger on something. I know that the links section of BalletAlert (and likely of other aggregator sites I follow) is one of the hardest to maintain, but honestly, it's the most valuable for me, and I imagine for several other readers as well. I'm grateful for shortcuts like those, and as the sheer number of online venues increases (with Facebook and Twitter becoming more integrated into the rest of the mix) I'll rely on them even more than I do now.

[Alexandra]

I think the reference was also that people are using facebook and twitter to talk with friends about what they're seeing.

[Helene]

He also mentioned expense.

We have had thousands of members over the years who have done nothing but read "Links" and have never contributed to the discussion or financially, and probably more hits in a day to "Links" than to the rest of the forums combined many weeks.

[Amy Reusch]

I'm sorry if I'm only saying the obvious, but Ballet.co will be very much missed. Their photo collection is one of the great internet resources. I always loved to see what productions in London looked like, as those companies do not visit these shores very often.

[Alexandra]

He also mentioned expense.

We have had thousands of members over the years who have done nothing but read "Links" and have never contributed to the discussion or financially, and probably more hits in a day to "Links" than to the rest of the forums combined many weeks.

Yes, indeed, we do!!!!!

[Natalia]

I think the reference was also that people are using facebook and twitter to talk with friends about what they're seeing.

That's true...but then that means that valuable information is shared within selective circles, as nobody has time to seek-out Facebook and Twitter 'reporters' unless you find out about an individual through a private e-mail or hearsay. Ditto the bloggers; e.g., I happen to know about one because someone sent me a private email.

The other thing to remember is that, in the early days, many of us 'traveling BalletAlertniks' had more disposable income to jump on planes, trains & autos to witness events outside our home cities & report them to fellow ballet lovers. The expensive hobby of ballet-going was easier to sustain. Ballet.co was among the sites that depended on 'free reporters'; in today's bleak economy, not many folks can afford to report for free, maybe having to use what was once 'free time' to take 2nd jobs and such. Very sad but a reflection of the state of the globe. Reporting on what's happening at home is more doable but, again, ticket prices keep rising so even 'local reporting' is happening less and less.

For my part, I'll especially miss the Links feature of ballet.co.uk. I'm grateful that at least the archives will remain.

[Dale]

Sad for all the reasons mentioned above. Last year, I donated when a plea for funds came but the money was returned saying they were exploring different options. I thought that was very honorable. I'll miss the links, the photos, the forum, and magazine.... The sections on Ashton are invaluable. I'm glad, at least, that it will remain online in archive form.

Even though people are moving more and more to Twitter and FB, I don't enjoy that as much.

[Amy Reusch]

Twitter and Facebook serve us in a very different way than the forums do.

[Natalia]

How exactly does Facebook serve us, other than looking up specific people? I sometimes use it to try to locate someone who I'm trying to recruit for a job in the office. (Similar to Linkedin) I see absolutely no value for conveying news on ballet happenings, reviews, etc.

Twitter I understand -- instant small messages, some with news or triviality-- but don't truly 'get' the value unless the writer is a celebrity and his/her fans are waiting for updates, e.g., "I'm at the airport - on my way to wonderful London!" I also see how it can be used to "signal" a Flash Mob or demonstration or such. How it can replace our ballet fora is a mystery to me.

Maybe someone in the know can enlighten the rest of us.

[sandik]

In my community several dance artists have started using Facebook to announce upcoming performances, or major events (like grants, auditions, casting), and have been holding the kind of conversations about issues and ideas that I'm more accustomed to seeing in places like BalletAlert. I just don't have the time to learn to control Facebook right now, so that I could find these items, and miss the announcements about airport parking...

[Natalia]

Thank you for this explanation, Sandik. So it appears that Facebook can be very useful for the ballet industry, which is quite different from ballet enthusiants/fans/ticket buyers. Fans still desire open fora that are not skewed/manipulated by 'the industry' (for lack of better term) -- that are neutral; not arms of a company's p.r. department -- yet are 'lightly maintained' so that they won't be taken over by spammers, the ill-intentioned, etc. Even 'light maintenance' takes time & energy...and time is money. So we're back to the main reasons cited by Bruce for the closure of ballet.co.uk.