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TenduTV

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    NYC Ballet considers social media guidelines

    in Ballet News & Issues

    Posted

    The PR staffer is a professional and knows whether the affected dancer has okayed publicizing his/her condition and acts accordingly. A performing colleague is less likely to understand the "rules" or implications, nor should s/he be expected to.

    Absolutely.

    This is true. But I can't help but find it ironic that instead of dealing with this quietly in a company meeting, the Powers decided to take it on so publicly in the press. :toot:

    I could be overinterpreting the language of the original article, but my sense is that the draft policy was leaked.

    NYC Ballet considers social media guidelines

    in Ballet News & Issues

    Posted

    For example, Dancer A has been rehearsing a new role and announces this on Facebook or Twitter. Dancer A does not appear in this role, because I injured my knee in rehearsal, and it's company knowledge since I did it in rehearsal. The new cast will be printed in the program, hence no substitution slip or curtain announcement. Dancer A is interviewed in "The New York Times" before the premiere and is asked "Why aren't you dancing the role?"

    That's the dancer disclosing their own information. Different. As far as the specifics on how this information is disclosed (slips, press releases, etc), I can't comment on the merits of how each company handles disseminating the information.

    According to this social policy, either Dancer A can tell the interviewer that he isn't dancing the role because I suffered a knee injury, because "The New York Times" is not Facebook or Twitter, or these guidelines cover all media, and I can't tell NYT why I didn't dance the role. It also makes little sense that Critic A can find out the info from any source and not disclose the source, and publish it in a book or article, but it can't come from the person it impacted.

    If implemented correctly, the guidelines should cover all media, and make no differentiation between a public fb account or a twitter account versus the NYT. Also, I'm not saying that these disclosures or rules are necessarily followed as written. I know quite a few writers who conduct interviews without going through "proper" channels.

    I might not want my knee injury to be public knowledge, but I also might want a pony: my injury has impacted a co-worker, and until there is clear law or precedent by case, or there isn't a human resources procedure for discussing injury under any circumstances, which includes the NYT or a documentary, I shouldn't have the right to take away my co-worker's announcement/description of that impact on his/her career. Speculation, on the other hand, is where the nuance comes in; for example, when he posts that I probably injured my knee because I'm anorexic, party all night, or came to rehearsal drunk, as does how I found out about the injury (eyewitnesses or company announcement vs. my best friend telling Dancer B's best friend).

    1. There is law.

    2. There is HR procedure.

    3. The situations you describe are unlikely to be covered by the policy, since they typically occur far after the fact.

    If I am working for a company, and I can't complete a presentation and a co-worker has to give up his/her weekend to do my work, my co-worker has the right to post on Facebook -- the NYT wouldn't be at all interested -- that I came back from a business trip and was too exhausted to finish, or had too much on my plate (the message given to co-worker by me or boss), that co-worker has the right to post that on Facebook. I don't see why it should be any different for Diana Adams' colleagues to discuss Diana Adams' miscarriages and their impact on their careers/the company at length in interviews and memoirs, especially after she's dead and can't comment, than it is for someone to discuss the impact of someone's illness or injury now.

    Generally speaking, a FB personal account is a different beast, because there is much more control over the information. The type of situation you're talking about actually does have a recent precedent and IS protected: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2010/11/15/facebook-new-water-cooler/ The nuance comes in when you have dancers with FB accounts where they aren't protective of their privacy, and are "friending" fans, journalists and people whom they don't know. With dancers more so than typical private individuals, there is a tendency to accept friend requests from a lot of different people who aren't personal friends, which means the information is being made public. As it relates to Diana Adams, there is a difference between discussing something after it's known, versus being the one to make that disclosure as it's happening.

    Whether it makes sense to do so is another story. Dancers have to maintain relationships with each other, and regardless of whether what they right is well within policy, they bear the consequences of telling the public, just as they bear the social consequences of passing on supposed secrets among each other. Dancers, like any other co-workers, can be tactful and give just enough info to be contextual, or they can be unthinking or think they are being more clever than they are. They can write about things that only affect them tangentially. What they can't do is claim to be misquoted when they write it on their own.

    If anyone should be restricted from disclosing illness or injury to the public from a legal point of view, it should be the employer, and ballet companies do it all the time, if selectively.

    On this last point, it's not a question of employer or employee, as they both fall under the umbrella of "workplace", and those who are in the workplace can and should be governed when it comes to disclosing information learned or generated within the workplace environment. Whether it comes from a dancer operating in the workplace, or a PR staffer is not a distinction that should (or can) be made. And yes, even in a twitter environment, de facto misquoting can still take place, because a single tweet can easily be taken out of its context and given a different interpretation(which is exactly what happened with one of the more "controversial" tweets in this case).

    Ultimately, one of the reasons that I favor social media policies/guidelines is that it's a great opportunity to refresh everyone's understanding of what some of these policies are, and what the thought process and legal implications are behind them.

    NYC Ballet considers social media guidelines

    in Ballet News & Issues

    Posted

    When NYCB Dancer A gives an interview to New York City Dance Critic B or "Dance Magazine" or writes a book and says "I didn't/can't dance Role 123 because my partner was/is injured/sick/pregnant at the time", is that covered by the same policy? If it is an issue of disclosure of personal health information, then it seems to me that it should apply more to companies themselves than to dancers, since it is a disclosure made by an employer.

    It's hard to respond precisely as you've actually thrown about a dozen different variables into the situation you describe, each with its own nuance (Past or current injury, previously known or not, time to publication, how specific the diagnostic information is being revealed and if someone was pregnant at the time - the outcome is certainly very public or very private).

    Nuances make social media policies challenging.

    I will say that in the most likely situation that we're discussing here, 1.) there are also legal/HR issues involved in disclosing this information and b.) what we're really talking about is current injuries or health issues, that have not been made public, and such a restriction is ultimately for the benefit and protection of the privacy of the dancers.

    Think about it, if you were a dancer and just went down with a knee injury, would you want your company members sharing that information with the world? Would you even want to worry about this information being disclosed?

    There are often gray areas when trying to come up with an effective social media policy, but this is not one of them.

    Don Quichot (Dutch National Ballet)

    in Ballet Videos, Films, Broadcast Performances, Photos, and Interviews

    Posted

    A new trailer is now up on our Facebook page:

    Don Q (Trailer)

    I can't find this on the Amazon site. Do we know if it will be released in the US in the format that works here? (Amazon typically has a pre-sale ordering option if they know they will be stocking it later.)

    The presale option is not up yet, at least as far as the digital release goes. It's going through ingestion now, so I don't think Amazon has gotten the data for it yet.

    NYC Ballet considers social media guidelines

    in Ballet News & Issues

    Posted

    I daresay it's for precisely this reason that the new guidelines are in place. Where a dancer can pass personal information that will directly impact on attendance and ticket sales - should a dancer's disclosure of third party information harm the company and its financial takings at box office, then that must be a good reason for sacking.

    This is in fact, not true. This has to do with disclosure of personal health information, and privacy in the workplace. While I won't speculate on whether or not the lack of disclosure could be "gamed" for incremental financial benefit, whether or not it does is irrelevant to the policy itself.

    NYC Ballet considers social media guidelines

    in Ballet News & Issues

    Posted

    Does the prohibition on discussing injuries mean that the dancers cannot advise or notify followers that the cast will change for an upcoming show, thereby alerting readers to come see or avoid commuting to see a specific dancer? I would love to know in advance that certain dancers would appear to replace an injured dancer.

    My general understanding of similar guidelines is that dancers will be able to discuss their own injury, but not that of others, and will have to wait for casting changes to be made official before disclosing.

    Don Quichot (Dutch National Ballet)

    in Ballet Videos, Films, Broadcast Performances, Photos, and Interviews

    Posted

    Dear all,

    some Don Quichot DVD & Blu-Ray release dates:

    We hope the ballet will also be available for download in the US and Canada on April 26th.

    I'm happy to confirm that TenduTV will be handling the digital downloads for Don Q. We'll have release dates in the US, Canada and UK shortly, although we are targeting day and date release in collaboration with Arthaus's DVD/BD releases in US and Canada.

    New documentaries

    in Ballet Videos, Films, Broadcast Performances, Photos, and Interviews

    Posted

    I read today that BBC will broadcast a documentary on a year in the life of the members of the English National Ballet. I also read that Roberto Bolle is presenting a documentary on his Onegin (previously shown, I believe, on Italian TV), and a director's cut of his gala, at a festival. Is there a way to access these types of items from any internet site or other source?

    I watched two documentaries this week on Ovation regarding Julliard dancers. I saw the Paris Opera Ballet documentary earlier in the year. I am learning a lot from these types of documentaries and would like to find a source for films and other information like this.

    We've got two full length documentaries viewable digitally, with a handful more on the way:

    Martha Clarke: Light and Dark (Free/ad supported or on Amazon VOD)

    and

    40 Years of One Night Stands which is available on iTunes, Amazon and CinemaNow

    One of the future digital vod releases will be "Dance for Modern Times" (1987)

    An evocative and colourful look at the work of five renowned Canadian choreographers, featuring performances staged and filmed especially for the camera. Structured in the form of a director's personal diary, the film takes the viewer inside the world of such great artists as Danny Grossman, Christopher House, James Kudelka, Ginette Laurin, Constantin Patsalas and David Earle, all of whom have shaped the modern dance landscape. Nominated for a Genie Award for Best Feature Length Documentary and winner of the Chris Award at the Columbus International Film Festival.

    We also have a documentary series, DancePulp, which may be of interest:

    www.hulu.com/dancepulp

    DancePulp Season 2 - Bourne, Kowroski, Lacarra, Radetsky + more

    in Ballet Videos, Films, Broadcast Performances, Photos, and Interviews

    Posted

    Thank you very much, Marc. I've enjoyed all these interviews, not just for what they provide us of the dancers' personal history but for the glimpses of personality and thoughtfulness they afford. Kowroski's hard won wisdom about her perfectionism is an especial pleasure to hear. One small quibble: she's articulate enough to tell her own story. In my opinion, the background music detracts from, rather than enhances, her individuality.

    Thanks!

    As far as the background music, feedback is always welcome and greatly appreciated, and I'll make sure I relay it to the producers. I know that figuring out an appropriate music approach (which could be no music at all) is something that's being worked on. Based on viewer feedback, one big change made in this season was to mix in more footage (such the rehearsal shots with Chris Wheeldon) and to get rid of the multi-parters like we had in season 1.

    DancePulp Season 2 - Bourne, Kowroski, Lacarra, Radetsky + more

    in Ballet Videos, Films, Broadcast Performances, Photos, and Interviews

    Posted

    All,

    DancePulp kicked off its second season today, and new interviews are going to be released every Tuesday morning for the next several months. Season 2 includes interviews with a wide variety of personalities from the ballet and contemporary world, including:

    Matthew Bourne (Choreographer)

    Maria Kowroski (Principal, NYCB)

    Raphael Coumes-Marquet (Principal, Dresden Semeropera Ballett)

    Lucia Lacarra (Principal, Bayerisches Staatsballett)

    Sascha Radetsky (Soloist, ABT)

    Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (Choreographer - recent works on Ballet Hispanico, Ballets Jazz de Montreal)

    Kathryn Bennetts (AD, Royal Ballet of Flanders) <- Filmed about two weeks before the incident that triggered the YouTube video.

    Paul Lightfoot (Resident Choreographer, NDT)

    Francesca Harper (Choreographer, works on Ailey, Broadway)

    Edward Watson (Principal, Royal Ballet)

    Clifton Brown (Ailey)

    Merrill Ashley (fmr Principal, NYCB, now teacher at ABT)

    The Matthew Bourne interview went live today on hulu.com/dancepulp (US audiences only. International audiences should visit dancepulp.com). Season 1 interviews with guests such as Daniil Simkin, Wendy Whelan, Christopher Wheeldon and Lourdes Lopez are also available at both locations.

    Best,

    Marc

    Wayne McGregor|Random Dance - Entity

    in Modern, Contemporary, and Other Dance

    Posted

    Entity is now available for SD purchase/rent and HD rental on Amazon Video on Demand in the United States. Which means that not only can you enjoy Entity on a whole slew of new devices, such as TiVos, Roku boxes, internet connected televisions from Sony, Samsung, Vizio and Panasonic and a wide variety of portable video players, but you can also support Ballet Alert by searching and purchasing using the Amazon link at the top of the page.

    We are still waiting for HD purchase availability.

    Wayne McGregor|Random Dance - Entity

    in Modern, Contemporary, and Other Dance

    Posted

    Andre,

    Thanks for answering my questions. To answer yours: 1.) We're distributors and increasingly co-producers, but we have no say in the actual direction/edit. If there's only one or two bad editorial choices that stood out in an hour program (eg. the headshot), then that makes me pretty happy given some of the directorial disasters we've seen.

    Edit: I just watched it for the first time in a long while. Assuming I'm looking at the same editing sequence (between 53-55 minutes in), the dancer on the side of the stage is part of the choreography along with the dancers performing the pas, as opposed to waiting to come on. If anything, it's just one of those difficult sequences to capture.

    2.) As for cinematic distribution, that's something that we're looking at on a broader scale, although we've had no conversation regarding this title specifically. It's my hope our iTunes distribution will help develop broader audiences for more contemporary work, and thus cinema will be more of an option in the future.

    In response to the 5.1 soundtrack question - that's something that is going to vary from title to title - one of the factors is what kind of music is used, as well in the environment in which it's delivered. In this case, the second part of the score is prerecorded & 5.1 mix doesn't exist. Also since it's also a live capture, the natural sound is coming from the front.

    Wayne McGregor|Random Dance - Entity

    in Modern, Contemporary, and Other Dance

    Posted

    I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm curious to know what your impressions were of the capture itself, as compared to the live experience. We're making a concerted effort to bring in captures that we think have superior direction, and any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

    Also - did you watch it on your computer, or did you watch it on an iPad/AppleTV

    The HD version should/is supposed to be purchasable, but for reasons unknown, it isn't. I'll hopefully have an answer/fix next week. We're not going to do a physical HD release, but we are going to be making it available on other digital platforms (eg. Amazon, CinemaNow, Blockbuster, Vudu).

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