Raising the Barre
The reinvention of classical ballet is engaging modern young audiences—and participants
Center Stage sparked our interest, Runaway stirred the craving, and the Black Swan trailer left us longing for more. Ballet has pirouetted its way back into contemporary culture and shows no signs of exiting the stage. Thus, it’s perhaps no surprise that fans, like us, of the form’s style, grace and discipline have been practicing our (albeit rusty) grand pliés before bed. Check out a few of the ways in which ballet is being reinvented.
Indie Rock Ballet: If you think Swan Lake when you think of ballet, think again. Reconnecting with the philosophy that ballet should be a living dance form, contemporary troupes are forging myriad ways to enchant modern audiences. So, goodbye Tchaikovsky, hello…The Shins? Indeed, last month, choreographer Trey McIntyre debuted with San Francisco’s Smuin Ballet a series of eight dance vignettes, set to tracks off the The Shins’ Oh, Inverted World album. Not only was there nary a pointe shoe in sight, but the male dancers shuffled across the stage wearing shorts and crew socks that evoked American Apparel more than Capezio. We never thought we’d hear The Shins scoring such bravura, but then again, we were warned that the band would change our lives.
Avant Chamber Ballet: The Shins aren’t the only indie artist to receive the ballet treatment. The New York City Ballet’s Justin Peck recently choreographed a performance inspired by Osso’s Run Rabbit Run, a reinterpretation of Sufjan Stevens’ Enjoy Your Rabbit record. Performed this past weekend at Columbia University’s Miller Theater, the piece was part of the New York Choreographic Institute’s 10th Anniversary Celebration. Known for blending a variety of instrumental styles (ranging from electronica to freak folk) to create ambient worlds of avant-garde sounds, Sufjan’s music serves easily as a blueprint for the contemporary ballet movement. And to think, earlier this summer we feared we’d never be able to indulge in one of his fantastical projects again. Now we have The Age of Adz and a ballet?
Ballet Inspired Workouts: Pardon us for sounding shallow, but one of our favorite things about watching a ballet is admiring the dancers’ miraculously toned and flexible bodies. Everyone wants to look like a dancer, but not everyone knows they actually can. All over the country, fitness studios are introducing ballet inspired workouts promising to give that long, lean dancer’s physique to the everyday person. Most notably, The Bar Method and Pure Barre studios have both seen an uptick in customers, compelling them to expand their businesses through DVDs and franchising. It’s remarkable that even those who lack the coordination for ballet can take these classes and transform their bodies. And, unlike yoga, no mats are necessary.