It’s that time of year again! I wrote a post last year about World Ballet Day. Even though it is still the same event, there are some changes which have changed the face of World Ballet Day. For anyone new to ballet or World Ballet Day, this is a breakdown of what it is, and what you can expect.
World Ballet Day started in October 2014 as a way of celebrating ballet internationally and adding in a point of access to the art form for everyone. Initiated by five major ballet companies, or the Big 5 as I like to call them, the idea was to create an event where anyone with access to Youtube or Facebook could watch the best of the best ballet, form or further an interest, and learn more about the day to day workflow of company life. Originally, the Big 5 were The Australian Ballet, The Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada and San Francisco Ballet. Last year, five became three, with The Australian Ballet, The Bolshoi Ballet, and The Royal Ballet. This is one of the changes which seems to have stayed this year as well.
Because of this reduction, the main livestream was a lot shorter than in previous years. Also because of this, there were more small outtakes with other companies geographically close to those three. Throughout the day, many other companies will also livestream either class or rehearsal, or both, and post it to their Facebook or YouTube, independent from the official World Ballet Day. I’ll be compiling a list of all of these after World Ballet Day so you can go take a look at them if there is a company you’re interested in or just want to see more. This year there are set to be a total of 31 dance companies, over six continents, joining the celebration.
The Big 3 will always show a full company class and rehearsals for upcoming ballets, depending on what they’re season is. Last year we also saw excerpts from the company’s associated schools with The Bolshoi Ballet Academy showing audition footage, and The Royal Ballet School showing a portion of centre practice and pas de deux class. I would anticipate seeing this again.
This year it seems there’s an additional theme, as noted in The Royal Ballet’s livestream feed on YouTube, “The Royal Ballet is partnering with mental health charity, Mind, as Royal Ballet dancers, along with Olympians and sports stars, lead the conversation on mental health in sport and dance.”
This is particularly interesting as this is the first year that they’ve specifically called attention to this. With the conversation on Mental Health growing, across all industries, it will be interesting to see how this is brought in to World Ballet Day.
Below is the quick breakdown:
What: World Ballet Day – a day to celebrate ballet, internationally, with live-streamed classes, rehearsals and behind the scenes discussions.
When: Wednesday October 23, 2019
Excerpts from a variety of companies internationally
Why: This is a way of introducing ballet to a bigger and broader audience, while becoming a point of access for those whom are interested in or curious about ballet. This is a great way to learn about class and rehearsal, how they work, and everyday life within a company. You’re also introduced to dancers, directors, repetiteurs, etc., so you can get to know the company better. This helps if, in future, you want to look up particular dancers or pick specific castings when watching a performance. For more seasoned balletomanes, this is an opportunity to check in with these companies and dancers, gain more insight, get behind the scenes rehearsal time, celebrate ballet and share this event with people you know who might want to tune in.
Where: Facebook Event Page and each company’s Youtube Channel. The main livestream can be found here. Each individual company will usually post a livestream feed on their company Facebook and Youtube pages too. There are also additional companies whom will post their company class or rehearsals that day, to their Facebook page, as an independent addition to World Ballet Day. I will be compiling a list of these after World Ballet Day.
Happy World Ballet Day!