Do you think ballet is on a path to becoming an obsolete art form? Well that is what one Jennifer Homans, dance critic for The New Republic, scholar at NYU, and former professional ballet dancer, seems to believe.
Homans argues that “ballet companies have become ‘museums for the old,’ that too many dancers have traded artistry for ‘unthinking athleticism,’ [and] that [modern] choreography ‘veers from unimaginative imitation to strident innovation.'”
The New York Times, in response to Homans’ book from which the above is quoted, interviewed a handful of dancers and critics to see their views on ballet in today’s world.
Sarah Kaufman, a dance critic for the Washington Post, argued that though Homans claims may have sound founding, this is often due to economic situations rather than lack of talent or artistry. Edward Villella, a former dancer with the New York City Ballet, also described financial challenges as a huge obstacle for ballet companies.
My favorite response to the question of whether ballet is a dying art form came from Michael Chernov, husband of a dancer who this year opened the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet in New York. According to Chernov, “it’s not form that’s the essence of art — it’s content. If the content is deep, then the form will find itself.”
I believe that Mr. Chernov’s words can be applied to all forms of art, and that he has a wonderful approach to doing so.
And I personally do not believe ballet is in danger of extinction. Do you?
There is a constant flow of articles proclaiming “the death of classical music” or the “death of real art” or the “death of ballet” that find their into the media. None of these have accurately forecast the actual death of any of these art forms, but rather serve an important function: they call attention to traditional values for various art forms in a media world where “innovation” and “new” are buzz words that typically garner more attention. Just think of some of the recent posts: paintings on gum stuck to the street; painting hands so they look like something else; a symphony of cacophonous guitars; a pop singer who is a hologram. In this context how do you bring a “news” sensibility to a fantastic concert of a string quartet playing Beethoven, or a beautifully choreographed and danced ballet to a traditional score? News articles like this are a useful way to call attention to traditional art forms. I do agree that the quality of the content is what will allow these forms to live or die. A symphony (or ballet, or traditional painting) that sucks is still an artwork that sucks. Just because it is a symphony does not lend it unassailable artistic value.