Happy New Year from Balletfocus! Thanks for checking in over the past year. Here are some 2016 Balletfocus posts and projects I particularly enjoyed working on:
- Baryshnikov Video Series-In May, I posted on YouTube three videos highlighting Mikhail Baryshnikov’s great dancing. I used clips from performance DVDs to illustrate various steps, ranging from double tours to pirouettes. Part I focused on Baryshnikov’s great turns; part II highlighted his great jumps while part III showcased his turn/pirouette combinations and other steps that are difficult to define. Also included in the post is my list of greatest hits DVDs featuring Baryshnikov.
- Coverage of NYC Ballet Schools-there is so much great dance in New York with NYCB, ABT, and companies that visit the city. Overlooked are the great training schools that perform periodically such as Ballet Academy East, Ellison Ballet, and Gelsey Kirkland Ballet. Here is 2016 coverage on those schools:
Ballet Academy East Winter Performance
Ellison Ballet Winter Showcase
Ellison Ballet Spring Showcase
Gelsey Kirkland Nutcracker
Gelsey Kirkland Spring Performance
- Ballet Company Digital Outreach Posts-I had two posts on ballet marketing in 2016. The first focused on ballet company efforts to expand interest globally through DVDs and live cinema. The Royal Ballet and Bolshoi are doing great work to reach ballet fans outside of their home territory while NYCB and ABT lag behind. The second post provides an update on NYCB and ABT efforts.
- New look in 2016-I didn’t plan on changing the look of my blog until I saw a great WordPress theme from Array Themes. My previous layout was WordPress 2011. It was fine, but it had the look and feel of a blog from someone working late at night in his pajamas (which is reality in my case). The Baseline theme from Array looks like a professional website format with big photos and minimal distractions.
As I’ve done since the founding of Balletfocus in 2013, I will continue to review classical ballet performances in 2017, particularly ABT, NYCB, and New York ballet schools. Also look for special topics posts similar to those in my Greatest Hits panel at the bottom of the screen. For example, I am working on a post that should be out shortly on ballet competitions and the importance of these competitions in identifying future stars.
Thanks for visiting! Kent