As we wrap up (for now) our unit on dance in New York, I want to draw your attention to an article posted today in the Times about changing gender roles in ballet. Happily, this is occurring at New York City Ballet–which you should all know a thing or two about since our visit there last week. And, as you learned in the readings for class this week, NYCB has a complicated and rich history when it comes to social change.
I invite you to read this article and to think about the role of the dance artist relative to social change/social justice. How does their audience inform the message–and vice versa? How can an art form that still has one foot in the 19th century remain relevant for the 21st?