Rachel

I agree completely with Hans, especially regarding the hodge-podge of dance genres in ballet schools. The idea behind the introduction of other dance styles, is that a ballet dancer needs to be well rounded to have a professional dance career. Of course some dance forms do aid one in dancing certain ballets. It's good to know how to waltz if you are dancing Balanchine's Vienna Waltzes. If you are to dance a feasible Street Dancer in Don Quixote, it might be beneficial to understand the flair of flamenco. However, emphasis isn't placed on modern dance training in ballet schools so that you can execute a proper contraction in one of Balanchine's works. Modern dance is studied because modern dance is an important part of a ballet company's repertory. The only reason that modern dance is in a ballet company's repertory is because no one has bothered to choreograph anything that is neo-classical. I find it hard to believe that we've gone as far as we can with ballet's evolution. All it needs is a little creativity. If I wasn't training to become a ballet dancer, I might try to choreograph something interesting that IS ballet related. Rachel

I think that ballet companies should perform neo-classical ballet. Repertory should be based on the fundamental ballet language, but should incorporate new ideas that reflect the present time, hence allowing ballet to evolve. Many ballet companies are using modern dance instead of neo-classical ballet in their repertory. More modern pieces are being created than ballets that reflect our time. If the evolution of ballet is abandoned, ballet will eventually become the original Greek Illiad. It seems that new choreographers tend to be more interested in devising entirely new movement than using already established terminology. Has the evolution of ballet halted with the death of Balanchine? Of course there are many choreographers whose work both reflects the modern day and is based on classical terminology: Martins, Forsythe, etc. But are there not enough new ideas to allow ballet to evolve successfully? Rachel