Behind Ballet is a blog for the Australian Ballet. A collaborative effort presented by a group of writers who work to view dance through a multitude of lenses, the content is written in a variety of styles and tones and dates back to March of 2009.

The feature I was most appreciative of was the blog’s nonesoteric theme. Aware of my unfamiliarity with the arts, I was profusely grateful for this as it enabled me to satiate my curiosity without shunning me for my shortcomings in knowledge of dance. Alienation is not the purpose of this blog – smart since the blog is of a company that always wants to expand its audience. Rather, its purpose is to include, as demonstrated by the delightful Q&A page entitled “Ask Colin”. All sorts of questions are answered and I learned details about ballet, such as its fashion secrets. I found it pleasant that Colin Peasley always answered with the same degree of respect. Questions from twelve-year-olds were given the same careful consideration as those from older people quite experienced in dance. He doesn’t respond to the handful of comments under each question but leaves those to the disposal of other readers, creating something of a forum.

Upon reading more about the blog’s authors, I was surprised to learn that Peasley was one of the founding members of the Australian Ballet! It is very cool that this blog offers the opportunity for anyone to get questions answered from someone with such priceless insight into the ballet world. A wealth of invaluable experience and advice, he never assumes an arrogant tone. In fact he has the tone of a mentor, a funny one at that, fostering an amicable environment.

Along with Peasley’s, I read articles of Anna Sutton. In “Elegance in Exile”, I learned some history concerning Parisian couture. I particularly enjoyed the graphics in this article. Sutton had pictures of clothing and accessories easily viewable at the top of the article. On top of this gallery was a constantly replaying slideshow of select images. This feature was flaunted all over the site and its appeal lay in its self-sufficiency. I could read the article and glance back towards the top to see a new image, all without having to break my concentration in the easy flow of words present in all the articles. My focus was also unperturbed because of the absence of ads. Continuing on graphic design, I loved the elegant simplicity of the black and white scheme of the site; color was only found in the images. This is representative of ballet itself, aesthetic and graceful, having the audience focus on certain aspects more than others.

Sutton’s article entitled “Marchesa Casati: Fabulous Creation” was also very interesting. I had never heard of Casati prior to this article and was surprised to learn that she was essentially the Lady Gaga of the early 1900s! Parading around with cheetahs on diamond leashes and wearing snakes as jewelry, she was a public fascination. Can you believe that she was offered any sum of money she pleased to appear in a ballet not to dance, but simply for her silhouette?

After reading different articles I observed that Peasley wrote the least formally, Sutton formally, and David McAllister, the artistic director, as if he was keeping a journal. Certain categories have multiple postings per week while others are updated monthly or a few times per year. Although I’d enjoy more frequent postings, the array of tones and content, coupled with excellently designed visuals, will definitely have me coming back for more.