What is The Future of Classical Ballet - Christopher Wheeldon. Image: Excerpt from video.
What is the future of classical ballet? What can young dancers, and the world of dance in general, expect down the road for classical ballet? These questions are answered in this short video by Christopher Wheeldon. Wheeldon is the choreographer, artistic direct as well as the co-founder of “Morphoses” and The Wheeldon Company.
In this video, he discusses the trend of young choreographers to be drawn more towards contemporary dance styles and “fears that ballet is doomed to be an artifact.”
He explains that in other cultures, dance is used as not only an art form, but more as a tool for communicating the pulse and life of the people. It’s in their bones and is an integral part of their lives. This just is not quite the case with classical ballet. Wheeldon goes on to explain that he does not fear for dance as one of the arts….but sees that ballet is becoming more about revivals from times already past.
What Is The Future Of Classical Ballet?
“Dance will always be around. It is so much a part of human nature. Ballet, I don’t know. Ballet I fear for a little bit because ballet’s becoming more and more about revivals. It’s becoming more of a museum art form.”
(See video source and complete transcript here.)
Is classical ballet on it’s death bed? Not a new notion. Back in 2009, Sarah Kaufman of The Washington Post wrote:
“…ballet is beset by serious ailments that threaten its future in this country: American dancers are less likely than ever to hold the top rank in American companies. ”
Read more on Ms. Kaufman’s predictions.
In this interesting video, young choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon, shares his love for ballet and what he sees as the trend from inside the world of dance. Still fighting the modernization of ballet, it’s moving to hear Wheeldon speak of how he sees the ballerina as a kind of art sculpture and how the body takes on a form in ballet that is not found in any other dance form.
What do you think? What is the future of classical ballet? Do you believe ballet will become extinct? Or, do you think ballet will live on for centuries to come?
Let us know in the comments area below. Share this post with others on Facebook and Twitter and let’s see what they think as well!
