"IBM Machines"
Personally, I would have metaphorically described the NYCB ballerinas as (insert latest Apple invention not yet available to the public)... but that's just me.
I know ballet, and I am always wanting to know more about everything it entails.. which includes reading and contemplating certain ideas, theories, etc, that make me uncomfortable. This brief exsert from an article is one of those. However, I do know that in order to have an inteligent conversation about a topic one is passionate about, one must also study some aspects of that topic that make him or her feel uncomfortable, thus he or she is better prepared to discuss without getting defensive. I see the authors point... especially if I pretend to have the average American knowledge of ballet. To a observer, ballerinas do look very similar. They walk the same, hold their bodies the same, and hell... dance the same. The streamlining of the pointe shoe fitting process for company members, by G.B. freed up time for the dancers to actually dance and train. This, most likely, led to the streamlining of the dancer as well... not a bad thing. In fact, contrary to the author's statement about ballerinas being "indistinguishable", the professionally fit/made pointe shoes provided to modern ballet companies has created that much MORE DISTINGUISHABLE dancers. Dancers, that have time to perfect their craft, as opposed to hunching over pointe shoes entangled in thread and satin ribbon... The dancers put on the shoes, knowing immediately they are perfect, and they start rehearsing their kitri or giselle right away. And, its only logical that with the insanely busy schedules dancers have, that having already "ready to wear" shoes at the drop of a hat, would benefit all. This leaves room for a soloist to perhaps get injured on tour time to recover, because the understudy is just as prepared because shes not frantically safety pinning elastic to her shoes.
Which actually leads me to another thought... the need the audience has for "more"... More fouettes, more rotations... The audience is always wanting new, more, bigger, newer, etc... I suppose it's a human instinct... With this almost impossible demand coming from ballet doers, the ballerina
HAD to be streamlined to please them, meeting their seeminglly unattainable expectations! Yeah! It's all their fault! lol
Anyways, thats my take
Meesh
"It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer."