Spotlight – Dance fever

Ballet has a history as rich and celebrated as any other artform and yet it faces serious challenges to ensure a successful future. Shona Galletly gauges the state of ballet today.

In recent months, dance has enjoyed a pretty high profile in the media thanks to runaway TV hits like Strictly Come Dancing and Strictly Dance Fever, which have won huge public appeal. These were, of course, preceded by the enormous box office success of Billy Elliot both on screen and stage. And who could fail to have noticed the flurry of full-colour features in virtually every national newspaper for Matthew Bournes production of Edward Scissorhands. But if we take a closer look at the way in which the countrys major ballet companies are operating in this wave of popularity we find a number of difficult issues facing the sector at present.

Art and access

Perhaps more so today than ever before, one of the key challenges ballet faces is to continue to be able to appeal to, respond to and reflect modern-day society whilst still remaining true to its classical base  not forgetting, of course, that its audience has ever-more increasing demands on its time. Northern Ballet Theatre (NBT) has its own interpretation of what it means to present accessible work, with a modern relevance, to its audiences by creating narrative pieces with clear storylines and universal themes accompanied by high production values.

In recent years under the artistic direction of David Nixon, NBT has fought hard to preserve the integrity of its classical base whilst absorbing other stylistic influences in its work. Good examples of this exist throughout its repertoire with the likes of a body-popping solo and jazz in I Got Rhythm and pedestrian sequences in A Midsummer Nights Dream. This exploration and embracing of new influences in NBTs work is carried out very much in the spirit of early British dance, which actively encouraged creation and innovation.

However, a level of resistance seems to exist within certain sectors of the British audience today  one that is often mirrored by the critics  towards accepting new approaches. As a result, the question of what ballet is and what it can become, is now somewhat stifled. Couple this to an overriding expectation that new work must be perceived to be a success and it is little wonder few companies are prepared to risk valuable finances to explore ways of embracing new influences within ballet, thereby endangering ballets ability to appeal and engage with its audiences in the future.

To some extent NBT has bucked this trend  which on the one hand, has won it an extremely high level of praise from its audiences (in 2005 it won the Audience Award at the Critics Circle National Dance Awards for the second year running) and, on the other, a level of disapproval, or perhaps lack of understanding, from other quarters.

Fresh funding

Whilst it is indisputable that ballet is still the best-funded and most supported dance form in the UK, if it is to engage with the countrys seemingly new-found appetite for dance and to flourish in this new century then the way in which the major ballet companies are supported perhaps also needs to be given some thought.

Over the years, English National Ballet (ENB) and Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) have increased the size of their operations to impressive levels, but this has, in turn, made it more difficult for them to tour as extensively  thereby reducing the number of performances and venues that they can reach with full-scale productions. Meanwhile the Royal Ballet, widely regarded as the UKs flagship ballet company, now no longer gives any live performances in the UK outside London, notwithstanding the extent of their diverse and risk-taking programme in their second space, ROH2.

Northern Ballet Theatre is the only major ballet company to perform in all four UK countries. The scale of productions, in terms of numbers of dancers, orchestra size and the way in which productions are designed and conceived, also means that they can reach most of the country with full-length works.

In terms of new work, in the five years of David Nixons Artistic Directorship NBT has mounted five world premières of his new productions and continues to create two new full-scale productions, usually, on a annual basis (at a cost of no more than £200,000 per production); the other two major touring companies have cut back on new work, but continue to mount popular revivals of existing productions, true to the classical expectations of audiences and critics. The size of BRB, ENB and the Royal Ballet do, of course, demand higher levels of subsidy, but perhaps some consideration and support should be given to the flexibility and sheer geographical audience reach that NBT achieves.

Future focus

These trends are set against the backdrop of the increasing problem of fewer young people learning about the classics in schools (or at home, for that matter), coupled with less and less music education and consequently the appreciation for classical music also reducing. It is therefore imperative that ballet capitalises on the current interest in dance and seeks new ways to engage with this interest, not only in its existing audience but also for the sake of the audiences of the future.

One of the key issues in terms of audience engagement is finding out how to make ballet meaningful to a variety of audiences and developing a true dialogue. Working in schools and communities is a vital part of this. Using the arts to enrich peoples lives not only creates an appreciation for dance, but also ensures that the arts in the broadest sense play a meaningful part in our society, and combats the persistent perception that its not for the likes of me.

Thanks to the success of Billy Elliot and the current TV dance shows, there is a greater resonance in the concept that dance, in whatever form  classical ballet, contemporary, jazz  is very much for everyone if they want it. The challenge to which companies and their various funding bodies must rise is to ensure that the provision of ballet, both in terms of access to live performances and community engagement programmes, is far-reaching and embedded in the fabric of our communities. As dance rides high on a current wave of popularity, the time is ripe to seize the opportunity to ensure a long and meaningful future for ballet in the UK.

Shona Galletly is a freelance Media and PR Consultant who has been covering maternity leave at NBT for the last 12 months as Head of Media & PR.
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