The price of ballet magic

It could be argued that in the past decade of dance performance there has been a significant decrease in artistry and an increase in fighting for the top, adopting gymnastic techniques in order to excel and progress in the world of classical ballet. Many may go further and insist that the pure, magical creation of imagery and performance has gone, making way for hyperextensions and multiple pirouettes. In this sense, the holders of these opinions may favour past ballerinas rather than present, such as Antoinette Sibley and Margot Fonteyn, who chose artistry, musicality and evocation over the bid for fastest, strongest, highest. Despite this, dancers of the era still held undeniable technique, but that which was less extended than for ballerinas today. There are also many more dancers today who wish to succeed, so it seems inevitable that they all need to promote themselves the best they can. Whilst there are many ballet works being created all over the world every single day, it may be difficult for today’s ballet dancers to execute a reasonable amount of characterisation. This being said, there are also a larger number of non-narrative ballet productions being created than earlier in the century, so it seems only natural that dancers should be more versatile and able to step into any role they are cast. With this, however, may come the expense of their performance, artistry and dedication to the role in which they are dancing. In the wake of the London 2012 Olympic Games, it could even be argued that audiences are now viewing an Olympian approach to dance and ballet, with “artists” who transcend the everyday in the magic of theatre difficult to find. Before all this furore, Albert Einstein was right when he said , "Dancers are the athletes of God."