Ballet Company Research Articles

Hidden Narratives: Dancers' Conceptualisations of Noncharacter Roles in Leotard Ballets by George Balanchine and William Forsythe

The study of dancers' relationships with their noncharacter solo roles in leotard ballets by George Balanchine and William Forsythe reveals a dynamic cluster of flexible and multifaceted conceptualisations. Performers' process includes a range of abstract images, nonfictional and docufictional ideas, metaphoric allusions and storyboarding constructions. Drawing upon Michael Kirby's concept of non-matrixed performing (1987), as well as on ideas from dance aesthetics, narratology, theatre and film theories, noncharacter roles are understood as partly flexible, diverse performing frameworks that contain ambiguity but do not promote characterisation. The findings suggest that the dissolution of character traits in plotless choreography often serves as a catalyst for the performers' polyvalent expressions of their artistic identities, value systems and agency. Observation of performances, in conjunction with direct interviews with expert dancers from several international ballet companies, brings to light the links between the performer's ideas and the effects observable in the dance. Attention to the performers' approaches and aspects of the work which they wish to emphasise reveals less observed aspects of dance texts and illuminates the nature of the ballet dancer's qualitative contribution in non-narrative choreography.

Assessment of Maximum Aerobic Capacity and Anaerobic Threshold of Elite Ballet Dancers.

An athlete's cardiorespiratory profile, maximal aerobic capacity, and anaerobic threshold is affected by training regimen and competition demands. The present study aimed to ascertain whether there are company rank differences in maximal aerobic capacity and anaerobic threshold in elite classical ballet dancers. Seventy-four volunteers (M 34, F 40) were recruited from two full-time professional classical ballet companies. All participants completed a continuous incremental treadmill protocol with a 1-km/hr speed increase at the end of each 1-min stage until termination criteria had been achieved (e.g., voluntary cessation, respiratory exchange ratio <1.15, HR ±5 bpm of estimated HRmax). Peak VO2 (5-breathe smooth) was recorded and anaerobic threshold calculated using ventilatory curve and ventilatory equivalents methods. Statistical analysis reported between-subject effects for gender (F1,67=35.18, p<0.001) and rank (F1,67=8.67, p<0.001); post hoc tests reported soloists (39.5±5.15 mL/kg/min) as having significantly lower VO2 peak than artists (45.9±5.75 mL/kg/min, p<0.001) and principal dancers (48.07±3.24 mL/kg/min, p<0.001). Significant differences in anaerobic threshold were reported for age (F1,67=7.68, p=0.008) and rank (F1,67=3.56, p=0.034); post hoc tests reported artists (75.8±5.45%) having significantly lower anaerobic threshold than soloists (80.9±5.71, p<0.01) and principals (84.1±4.84%, p<0.001). The observed differences in VO2 peak and anaerobic threshold between the ranks in ballet companies are probably due to the different rehearsal and performance demands.

The slow-changing face of leadership in ballet: an interdisciplinary approach to analysing women's roles

The parallels between the arts and leadership have been underexplored, especially in the context of classical ballet. An interdisciplinary exploration of ballet and leadership by a leadership scholar and a classically trained ballet dancer enable a thorough and thoughtful look at the intersections of these worlds. This will bring a fresh perspective to ballet's unique culture, one often stuck in nineteenth-century contexts based on outmoded gender roles. Women dominate the art form yet few rise to prominent leadership roles. Data reveal unequal opportunities for women in areas such as choreography. Moreover, choreographers embody a different kind of artistic leadership, crafting the way audiences view the dancers in the troupe. Men most often craft this view of women with the works they choose to present. A recent accounting of choreographic works by major American ballet companies showed that women choreographed only 25 of the 290 ballets performed in 2012. Thus, on stage, men largely manipulate the image of women in ballet. If ‘ballet is woman,’ according to the late choreographer George Balanchine, why are there still so few at the top? The example pulled for a new outlook breaks with outmoded representation. Bold, confident, and embodying a very different paradigm, Misty Copeland (American Ballet Theatre's principal dancer) presents a different face of the ballet dancer/leader. This paper gives a brief history of the introduction of ballet to the United States, highlights gender norms in the context of leadership and offers a different perspective on women's roles as leaders in dance.

Differentials in Turnout Among Professional Classical Ballet Dancers

Screening and training of professional dancers is commonly based around beliefs that a large range of turnout is more advantageous in the ballet industry. This belief leads dancers who have limited hip external rotation to compensate by forcing turnout at the knee and ankle, which has been linked to injury. To examine if there is a difference in degree of turnout between three levels of dancers (corps, soloist, principal) in a professional classical ballet company. An additional aim was to establish average values for the range of turnout and hip rotation present in the dancers. Forty-five professional dancers from The Australian Ballet (25 female, 20 male) participated in the study. Active and passive hip external rotation (hip ER) was measured in supine using inclinometers, and functional turnout in ballet first position (lower limb external rotation, LLER) was measured using foot traces utilising bony landmarks. Below-hip external rotation (BHER) was also calculated. No relationship was found among level of dancer and passive hip ER, active hip ER, LLER, and BHER. Professional dancers had on average 50.2° of passive hip ER range, 35.2° of active hip ER, and 133.6° of functional turnout position. In addition, no correlation was found between LLER and hip ER, but significant correlations were found between LLER and BHER. Hip rotation range of motion is similar across all levels of professional dancers. Average values for passive and active hip ER and functional turnout were established.

Looking for Inspiration? Watch Misty Copeland's journey to becoming one of ballet's most famous figures in "A Ballerina's Tale"

Looking for Dance Inspiration? Misty Copeland’s historical journey to becoming one of ballet’s most famous figures emerges in A Ballerina’s Tale by Vivian Reach Why should dance majors watch A Ballerina’s Tale? Even if students do not want to be ballerinas, this documentary motivates the audience to never give up on their dreams. The documentary showcases Misty Copeland, who against all odds, became one of the most famous ballerinas in the world when she was promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. Copeland has a unique voice in the world of dance and media. For example, she is the face of Under Armor’s “I will what I want” campaign for women’s apparel and has her own doll designed by Barbie. She has been on the cover of major magazines, such as Time. Since Misty is all over the world, it is important for dancers to know about her and how she is changing the standards of ballet. Copeland’s background, body type, and ethnicity provide her with a matchless opportunity to represent both dancers and non-dancers worldwide. In particular, her story speaks to people who were told “no,” they did not fit the requirements of ballet, or those who come from under-served communities. Misty has said that she “had been given a platform to speak about diversity,” and wants to encourage dancers through her life story. A Ballerina’s Tale shows how hard work, commitment, and perseverance are necessary to follow a dream that seems impossible. She is motivating hundreds of dancers and inspiring thousands in the non-dance community. This 2016 documentary gives dancers and future teachers a wonderful story to analyze and discuss. Made by Nelson George, it chronicles Copeland’s journey, starting with footage from her dancing at a Boys and Girls Club and finishing with her promotion to principal dancer. You get to see her rehearsals, performances, physical therapy, and travels. It reveals her struggle through an injury and the strength she needed to return to the stage. In addition, the documentary gives insight into her personal life and relationships. This film also showcases the heritage of African-American ballerinas in the dance world. The dancers who are briefly shown include Raven Wilkinson, a soloist with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo; Janet Collins, the first black dancer to be hired at the Metropolitan Opera; Carmen De Lavallade, who was a member of the Lester Horton Dance Theater in 1949; and twenty-one- year-old Michaela DePrince, who lived in an orphanage during a civil war in Sierra Leone and now dances with the Dutch National Ballet. Since the ballet world is still largely populated by frail-looking, extremely thin white ballerinas, this film demonstrates how ballet is changing. Because of Copeland’s growing popularity, she has become the face of diversity in ballet; therefore, it is important for dance majors to be able to discuss how ballet has evolved in an intelligent conversation. Why should dance majors turn from the endless viewing of flashy YouTube clips to watch A Ballerina’s Tale? Misty Copeland’s story can leave you with a sense of hope that change is possible. American Ballet Theater, one of the major ballet companies in the world, made a huge step towards change by promoting a ballerina of color to principal dancer in their company. The ballet world stereotypes are changing one step at a time. How can dance majors be a part of this change or start making waves in other genres of dance?

A construção do corpo ideal no balé clássico: uma investigação fenomenológica

ResumoO objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar e compreender pela perspectiva das bailarinas participantes do estudo o ideal de corpo demandado pela prática do balé. Para tanto, optamos por uma orientação epistemológica apoiada na fenomenologia de Edmund Husserl e em autores afinados com a fenomenologia proposta por esse filósofo. As entrevistas semiestruturadas em profundidade constituíram a técnica de pesquisa utilizada. O que há de comum nas falas das bailarinas é a referência a um corpo ideal centrado nas produções feitas pelas grandes companhias de balé. Nessas percepções, o corpo desejado e ideal para o balé clássico pode ser tanto inato à pessoa, quanto construído e transformado com muito esforço e dedicação pela bailarina.

Radiographic Prevalence of Dysplasia, Cam, and Pincer Deformities in Elite Ballet

Background: The demands of hip strength and motion in ballet are high. Hip disorders, such as cam and pincer deformities or dysplasia, may affect dance performance. However, the prevalence of these radiographic findings is unknown. Purpose: To determine the prevalence of radiographic cam and pincer deformities, borderline dysplasia, and dysplasia in a professional ballet company. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: An institutional review board–approved cross-sectional investigation of a professional ballet company was undertaken. Male and female adult dancers were eligible for inclusion. Four plain radiographs were obtained (standing anteroposterior pelvis, bilateral false profile, and supine Dunn 45°) and verified for adequacy. Cam and pincer deformities, dysplasia, borderline dysplasia, and osteoarthritis were defined. All plain radiographic parameters were measured and analyzed on available radiographs. Student t test, chi-square test (and Fisher exact test), and Spearman correlation analyses were performed to compare sexes, groups, and the effect of select radiographic criteria. Results: A total of 47 dancers were analyzed (21 males, 26 females; mean age (±SD), 23.8 ± 5.4 years). Cam deformity was identified in 25.5% (24/94) of hips and 31.9% (15/47) of subjects, with a significantly greater prevalence in male dancers than females (48% hips and 57% subjects vs 8% hips and 12% subjects; P < .001 and P = .001, respectively). Seventy-four percent of subjects had at least 2 of 6 radiographic signs of pincer deformity. Male dancers had a significantly greater prevalence of both prominent ischial spine and posterior wall signs (P = .001 and P < .001, respectively), while female dancers had a significantly greater prevalence of coxa profunda (85% female hips vs 26% male hips; P < .001). Eighty-nine percent of subjects had dysplasia or borderline dysplasia in at least 1 hip (37% dysplastic), with a significantly greater prevalence of dysplasia or borderline dysplasia in female versus male dancers (92% female hips vs 74% male hips; P < .022). Further, in those with dysplasia or borderline dysplasia, 92% of female and 82% of male dancers had bilateral findings. Conclusion: In this professional ballet company, a high prevalence of radiographic abnormalities was found, including cam and pincer deformity and dysplasia. The results also revealed several sex-related differences of these abnormalities in this unique population. The long-term implications of these findings in this group of elite athletes remain unknown, and this issue warrants future investigation.

Curtains?: the future of the arts in America

In this clear-minded but sobering book, Michael M. Kaiser assesses the current state of arts institutions - orchestras; opera, ballet, modern dance, and theater companies; and even museums. According to Kaiser, new developments in the twenty-first century, including the Internet explosion, the death of the recording industry, the near-death of subscriptions, economic instability, the focus on STEM education in schools, the introduction of movie-theater opera, the erosion of newspapers, the threat to serious arts criticism, and the aging of the donor base have together created tremendous challenges for all arts organizations. Using Michael Porter's model of industry structure to describe how industries evolve, Kaiser argues persuasively that unless steps are taken now, midsized performing arts institutions will have all but evaporated by 2035. Only the largest arts organizations will survive, with tickets priced for the very wealthy and programming limited to the most popular and lucrative productions. Kaiser concludes with a call to arms. With three extraordinary decades' experience as an arts administrator behind him, he advocates passionately for risk-taking in programming and more creative marketing, and details what needs to happen now - building strong donor bases, creating effective boards, and collective action - to sustain the performing arts for generations to come.

Dancing Up the Glass Escalator: Institutional Advantages for Men in Ballet Choreography

A dearth of women exists in the upper echelons of ballet choreography. Both academia and the popular press have noted and documented this phenomenon. For instance, in “Breaking the Glass Slipper,” New York Times journalist Michael Cooper recently noted, “When it comes to choreography, at least at most major companies, ballet remains overwhelmingly a man’s world” [1]. Similarly, critic Luke Jennings has noted, “In professional ballet companies, faced with heavier workloads and greater competitive stress than their male colleagues (not to mention the exigencies of pointe work), few women have the time, energy or inclination to consider choreography” [2]. And yet many arguments (such as Jennings’) as to why women do not become choreographers reflect back on women in ballet – claiming a lack of interest, ambition, or even ability – and fail to acknowledge the structural and systemic inequities that promote men in ballet at the expense of their female peers. Even women choreographers themselves tend to claim that women do not become choreographers because of their own choices, constraints, etc., instead of citing systemic structures of unequal opportunity [3]. Failing to acknowledge institutional inequality places the fault of discrimination upon its victims, and ignores the gendered hierarchy within ballet institutions. As an alternative, situating ballet choreography in the context of sociological theory can shed light on how institutions promote token men in ballet to artistic leadership positions, and may help disprove the notion that women do not become choreographers simply because of cultural reasons that relate back to the women themselves.

Tracing the Achievements of Augusta Johannesén, 1880–1895

Abstract Dancer, choreographer and teacher Augusta Johannesén was an important figure in several capacities for Nordic theatrical dance. She danced, taught and choreographed in Sweden, Finland as well as in Russia. Between 1860-1878 she was a member of the so-called Johannensénske Balletselskab, which toured extensively in the Nordic countries. The Johannesénske family settled in the Norwegian capital Kristiania in 1880, and Augusta Johannesén slowly established herself as a professional dance artist at the most important theatres in Kristiania. Over the years she became a dancer, choreographer and teacher of great significance, and her contribution to the development of Norwegian theatre dance cannot be overestimated. She was active as dancer well into the 1910’s and “arranger of dance” up until she died in 1926. As a ballet teacher, she trained hundreds of dancers, including several of those who later went on to play a role in the Norwegian dance- and theatre scene. In many ways, Augusta Johannesén is representative of a versatile dancer that can be found on many European stages, the versatile ballet dancer that was also typical of the Nordic dance scene around the “fin de siècle”. She typically also struggled with stereotypical notion of the “ballerina”. This article focuses on only a part of her career, her first fifteen years in Norway. Between 1880 and 1895 she established herself in Kristiania, dancing at the Christiania Theater and later at the Eldorado. The article also forefront an especially important event in Norwegian Nordic dance history instigated by Johannesén: The establishment of a “Ny Norsk Ballet” (“New Norwegian Ballet”) at the Eldorado theatre in Kristiania in 1892. This is probably the very first attempt at creating a professional ballet company in Norway, and Augusta Johannesén’s contribution is only one of many ways she made a difference to professional theatre dance in Norway.

Archives of the Dance (24): The Alhambra Moul Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum

This article in the ‘Archives of the Dance’ series looks at one specific collection held in the Theatre &amp; Performance Collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. At first glance, the Alfred Moul Collection (THM/75) appears a small collection filling only half a dozen archive boxes plus some photographs and press cuttings books. Nevertheless its content is very revealing about the management of the Alhambra Palace of Variety, Leicester Square, during the years 1901–1914, and the ballets created there. It is not exclusively a dance archive but places the work of the theatre's ballet company in the context of variety theatre and the full range of turns presented there. The collection focuses on the final decade of the fifty years from 1864 in which the Alhambra dominated the ballet-scene in London. This final period was a time of decline and competition for the ballet company. The collection reveals the management's awareness of competition and the consequent need to embrace a wide range of genres; the word ballet was used to cover all forms of theatre dance and, as the collection reveals, the wide search for new dance stars for productions; it enhances our knowledge of dance and dancers from France, Russia, America and Denmark as well as our knowledge of dance in Britain immediately before the full impact of the Russian ballet was felt.

Dancer perceptions of the force reduction of dance floors used by a professional touring ballet company.

The mechanical properties of dance floors have the potential to influence dancers' performance and injury risk. Little information is available that describes dancers' preferences for dance floor mechanical properties. Investigation of dancers' perceptions of varied dance floors can serve to enlighten governing bodies, floor manufacturers, and the dance community. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of dancers from a touring professional ballet company regarding four floors with varied force reduction (FR) that were created to replicate those used by the company in normal dance training and performance. A specialized questionnaire was developed that incorporated a series of qualitative and quantitative measures that could be used by participants to express their perceptions of the custom built dance floors. Floor FR was quantified with reference to the protocols specified by European standards. Dancer perceptions were in general agreement with floor FR values; however, some discrepancies were observed. Dancers expressed a preference for floor FR within the mid to upper limits (57% to 72%) of the European standards, although a minority preferred low FR (approximately 36%) floors. A limited ability to perceive inconsistencies in FR across test floors was observed, which may have implications for injury risk. Investigation of the perceptions of dancers from more diverse backgrounds, on floors that provide a closer representation of typical dance studio and stage sizes, over longer periods of time, would provide further insight into the perceptual and adaptive responses of dancers to varied floor mechanical properties.

Body Mass Index, Nutritional Knowledge, and Eating Behaviors in Elite Student and Professional Ballet Dancers

It is recognized that there is a high esthetic demand in ballet, and this has implications on dancers' body mass index (BMI) and eating behaviors. The objective of this study was to examine the association between BMI, eating attitudes, and nutritional knowledge of elite student and professional ballet dancers. Observational design. Institutional. One hundred eighty-nine participants from an elite full-time dance school (M = 53, F = 86) and from an elite ballet company (M = 16, F = 25) volunteered for the study. There were no exclusion criteria. Anthropometric data (height and mass), General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (GNKQ), and the Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26) were collected from each participant. Univariate analysis of variance was used to examine differences in gender and group for BMI, GNKQ, and EAT-26. Regression analyses were applied to examine interactions between BMI, GNKQ, and EAT-26. Professional dancers had significantly greater BMI than student dancers (P < 0.001), and males had significantly higher BMI scores than females (P < 0.05). Food knowledge increased with age (P < 0.001) with no gender difference. Student dancers had a significant interaction between year group and gender because of significantly higher EAT-26 scores for females in years 10 and 12. Regression analysis of the subcategories (gender and group) reported a number of significant relationships between BMI, GNKQ, and EAT-26. The findings suggest that dancers with disordered eating also display lower levels of nutritional knowledge, and this may have an impact on BMI. Female students' eating attitudes and BMI should especially be monitored during periods of adolescent development.

Early Signs of Osteoarthritis in Professional Ballet Dancers

To investigate a cohort of professional ballet dancers for evidence of early signs of osteoarthritis (OA). One radiologist and 1 orthopedic surgeon specialized in musculoskeletal disorders analyzed magnetic resonance imaging scans independently. University Teaching Hospital. Fifteen professional ballet dancers (4 males and 11 females; age range, 19-36 years) experiencing chronic pain in the hip, knee, spine, ankle, or foot joints. Presence of osteophytes, subchondral sclerosis, joint space narrowing, cysts, and bone marrow changes; the Kellgren and Lawrence scale was used to quantify the knee OA. In the knee, there was thinning and irregularity of the articular cartilage over the medial femoral condyle and bone marrow changes within the lateral femoral condyle. In the hip, there was a loss of joint space and a frayed labrum with deep recess. The first metatarsophalangeal joint showed evidence of osteophytic development. Early signs of OA, in different joints, were present in a small but highly selected cohort of professional ballet dancers. In future, prospective studies among a number of ballet companies should control for medical and natural history alongside the visual analysis of images and plain radiographs to confirm these preliminary results.

해외무용예술단체의 6대륙 지역별, 무용장르별, 유형별, SNS 활용 프로파일

본 연구는 해외 무용예술단체 SNS의 전반적이고 구체적인 분석을 위해 실시되었다. 전 세계 6대륙 100개국의 국 공립, 사설, 개인 무용예술단체 총 3,614개 중 SNS를 1개 이상 운영하는 627개의 단체를 연구대상으로 하였다. 해외 무용예술단체의 6대륙 지역별 분석을 무용장르별, 유형별로 분석 하였으며, 무용장르별 분석을 유형별로 분석 하였다. 또한, 6대륙 지역별, 무용장르별, 유형별로 분석 하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻을 수 있었다. 첫째, 6대륙 지역에 따른 무용장르별 분석결과 북아메리카 대륙이 SNS를 사용하는 단체가 가장 많은 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 유형에 따른 6대륙 지역별 분석결과 북아메리카 대륙이 트위터와 페이스북을 가장 많이 사용하는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 무용장르에 따른 유형별 분석결과 민속무용단체가 페이스북을 가장 많이 사용 하는 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, 유형에 따른 6대륙 지역별, 무용장르별 분석결과 페이스북, 트위터, 유투브 모두 발레단체가 가장 많이 사용하는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구 결과를 토대로 SNS 디지털 마케팅에 대한 인식제고, 해외 무용예술단체의 SNS 정보제공, 지식정보체계 구축의 준거로 활용하고자 한다. This study was conducted for the overall analysis for the interests, generally and uses of SNS (Social Network Service) of the overseas dance arts company. The subjects of this study were total 3,614 of countries, public, private and personal dance arts company in 100 countries on six continents. The selected 627 company which operate at least one SNS, and included them in this study. Then analyzed the SNS utilization six continental areas as per dance gener, types, and dance gener analyzed as per types. Also analyzed the SNS utilization six continental areas, dance gener as per types and obtained the following result First, It appeared that Ballet company of North America continent took advantage of SNS the most. Second, It appeared that Facebook, Twitter of North America was the most frequently used. Third, It appeared that Facebook wsa the most frequently used by traditional dance company. Fourth. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube were the most activity used by Ballet company of North America continent. In conclusion, this study recommends the policy alternatives related to the awareness of digital media, the establishment of the SNS marketing information system.

Digital Media Reviews

This quarterly column offers reviews of free and fee-based music resources in a variety of digital media, including online subscription services and databases, World Wide Web sites, mobile applications, CDROM products, and music-related software of any kind. Some reviews may cover a number of related sources together. Excluded from this column are reviews of media in purely digital audio format that would normally be reviewed as sound recordings.Dance in Video: Volume I. [Alexandria, Virginia]: Alexander Street Press, 2008-. http://alexanderstreet.com/products/dance-video (Accessed 29 May 2013). [Requires a Web browser, Adobe Flash Player, an audio- enabled device, and an Internet connection with a minimum bandwidth of 400kbps. Annual subscription ranges from $1,172 to $2,647; perpetual rights start at $10,000 plus a $125 annual access fee and range up to $25,000 plus a $500 annual access fee; pricing for both subscriptions and perpetual rights is dependent upon library size and budget. Discounts are available for consortial purchases; unlimited simultaneous users.]Introduction & ContentDance in Video: Volume I has been pre- sented by Alexander Street Press as con- taining 500 hours of video footage provid- ing an overview of 20th Century concert dance, including the forerunners and pio- neers of modern dance, covering ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, experimental, and improvisation1 but the actual content seems to be heavily focused on traditional ballet, while only providing in-depth cover- age of a few particular choreographers in more modern dance form, and only a smat- tering of videos having to do with dance styles of particular regions and cultures. It contains videos dating between 1960 and 2012, with the bulk of the content from 1980-2012. Some of the footage is readily available on DVD, but in comparison to the institutional prices for DVDs, the Dance in Video database is a bargain (for example, the videos from Charles Dennis's Alive and Kicking series alone would cost more than $11,000 if purchased on DVD.)2Within Dance in Video, there are more than seven hundred individual videos faceted into many categories, the broadest being Performance (443), Choreography and Composition (326), History and Philosophy of Dance (195), Instruction (121), and Dance Theory (88). The collec- tion includes performances by companies such as Merce Cunningham Dance Com- pany, The Royal Ballet, Pilobolus, The American Ballet Company, Doug Varone and Dancers, and Eiko and Komo. One of the more interesting collections of videos included are a series of thirty-six Master- classes provided by the George Balanchine Foundation, in which ballet greats such as Allegra Kent and Maria Tallchief can be ob- served teaching Balanchine's choreography of particular roles to younger dancers.Interface DesignAlexander Street Press has been in the process of rolling out a new interface for its collections since fall 2013.3 The initial release has both simple and advanced searching capabilities, with robust faceted searching which appears on the left-hand sidebar of search results to further refine results. The ability to create custom video clips and playlists has been retained in the new platform, which allows one to book- mark and share custom playlists of videos, but as of the time of this review, this feature was only working for onsite users. In a per- sonal communication Alexander Street Press let the author know they were looking into this issue, and they suspect it involves a proxy issue for remote users. There is an extensive list of known issues with the new Alexander Street Platform posted on their website.4The video controls provided are intu- itive, including play/pause, fast forward, and rewind buttons, as well as a volume control slider. There is also a button that allows the user to jump back in thirty sec- ond increments. The layout of the screen can toggle between three views: default, thumbnails, and full-screen. …

Dance Moves

This article argues that a group of young African Americans in the 1940s and 1950s used ballet as a means of crossing racial and class barriers of an art form in which few blacks had until then participated. Founded in 1946 by white choreographer Joseph Rickard (1918–1994), the First Negro Classic Ballet was one of the first African American ballet companies in the country's history and the first black ballet company known to last over a decade. With the goal of multiethnic cooperation in the arts, the company created a series of original “dance-dramas,” several with musical scores by resident composer Claudius Wilson, to perform for white and black audiences in venues throughout Southern and Northern California during the postwar era.

Developing a dancer wellness program employing developmental evaluation.

Wellness programs are being increasingly employed with performing artists. Given their aim of reducing injuries, injury tracking is commonly employed as an outcome measure. Evaluating the development and process of a wellness program can also enhance its effectiveness. Developmental evaluation offers one methodological framework within which to conduct such investigations. This paper reports on a 2-year process involving feedback from professional ballet dancers, management and artistic staff, and healthcare providers at a ballet company in order to develop a dancer screening and wellness program. Following a consultation phase, an initial program composed of an expanded medical team and annual injury prevention screen was proposed. Alongside implementation with 30 professional ballet dancers, formal and informal feedback was sought from stakeholders and members across all levels of the ballet company to facilitate ongoing development, evaluation, and revision of the wellness program. The use of a process informed by developmental evaluation helped identify strengths and limitations within the screening process. The collective expertise of the assessors was used to modify the components and process of the screen to strive for ecological appropriateness. The process also fostered buy-in from all involved. Participant feedback helped refine the medical team available to the dancers and influenced the treatment and referral pathways via which dancers are able to access each member of the medical team. Furthermore, reflective discussions with artistic and management staff brought to light potential interactions between repertoire programming, fitness, and injury patterns. This prompted a reconsideration of how artists are trained and supported. Evaluation methods that focus on experiences and insight gained during program development stand to result in more efficient screening programs and health-promotion models and, ultimately, healthier performing artists.

Exploring the dimensions of flow and the role of music in professional ballet dancers

ABSTRACTFlow, also known as “the zone”, is a positive enjoyable psychological state often linked to optimal performance. The aim of this study is to explore professional ballet dancers’ subjective experiences of flow in a current performance context. Csikszentmihalyi's (1990) model of the flow state is used for its applicability to professional ballet dancers. Furthermore, the study aims to gain an understanding of the role of music in dancers’ experience of flow.Seventeen ballet dancers from two South African ballet companies shared their experiences in separate semi-structured interview sessions. The interviews took place during the 2013 productions of Don Quixote in Johannesburg and Camille in Cape Town respectively, so that the dancers could draw on recent performance experience in their recollection of flow. The interviews were transcribed and analysed deductively and inductively using interpretative phenomenological analysis.This study found resemblances with Csikszentmihalyi's (1990) dimensions of flow in professional ballet dancers. The three dimensions that stood out as most predictive of flow in this study were the merging of action and awareness, autotelic experience and loss of self-consciousness. Music clearly played an important role in dancers’ experience of flow. Dancers’ varying levels of awareness of and engagement with music during flow could suggest differing intensities in flow among ballet dancers. The study argues that processing music places an extra demand on dancers’ concentration, which presents a unique insight into their experience of flow.

La nación unificada en el escenario. Sonia Osorio y el Carnaval de Barranquilla.

Desde mediados del siglo XX Sonia Osorio creó un discurso unificado de la nación en el escenario con el Ballet de Colombia, que fue hegemónico por más de cincuenta años, con una danza “espectacular” por lo que ha sido frecuentemente descalificada en el campo del arte y la cultura. ¿Qué permitió a Sonia Osorio hacer un relato unificado del país tan vilipendiado como exitoso hasta el presente? Los resultados parciales de mi investigación doctoral en Antropología de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia me llevan a proponer que dicha espectacularidad tan cautivante como denigrada, albergó a desplazados de la nación heterosexual apuntalándose en prácticas con las que se hace parte del ritual del Carnaval en Barranquilla. La indagación se hizo bajo el método etnográfico a partir de análisis de coreografías, entrevistas semiestructuradas y revisión documental. Los enfoques adoptados son principalmente Antropología de la danza y el cuerpo y estudios de género.