Never has the other side of balletic curtain been displayed to us on social media more than in this time of self-isolation! It’s the chance to follow the daily routine of ballet stars within their own walls, often in good company: children, partners, animals join in, appearing never – well, hardly ever – to diminish the dancers’ concentration and discipline. Whatever the environment, the time of day, the setting, a dancer always has their teleworking toolbox with them: their own body. And at a time when America, like Europe, is asking its citizens to stay at home to fight the spread of coronavirus, dancers have understood that isolation must not imply depression, but rather movement and good humour! So let’s cast an eye at the daily routines of these inspired stars: for some of them, you can follow them directly. They’re using Instagram to put their art on display in a spectacular fashion. As Nobel Literature laureate Paul Valéry described it, “this festival of the body, in front of our souls, offers light and joy”.
Let’s start by following the dancers from some American companies – in particular, the American Ballet Theater – who are running their courses by video every morning.
In various coloured outfits, Isabella Boylston shows the perfect example of why you don’t need a 3,000 square foot studio to execute a Développé à la Seconde to 180°: a kitchen is perfectly sufficient! Her enthusiasm is truly contagious, and the Principal Dancer even gives live courses (which you can find under the hashtag #theCindiesBalletClass). So haul out the blue leggings and follow along with Isabella, trying to get your legs as high as hers!
James B. Whiteside, another Principal Dancer at ABT, has also chosen the kitchen of his New York apartment as dance studio for his period of isolation. Never has an Adage turned into a such a great excuse for leaving the cooking to one’s partner.
A third ABT Principal, Herman Cornejo, is sharing “the show behind the show” in his living room, interrupted by occasional breaks with his partner and their baby. Working and making time with those close to him is a win-win for this dancer! While we’re at it, we see Carlos Lopez on screen and the whole of the ABT family in video-conference, smiling and sweaty, which broadcasts good virtual vibes.
It’s not just ABT where the training regime is intense. New York City Ballet principal Tiler Peck is giving rigorous online lessons from his living room. If you follow the hashtag, #turnitoutwithtiler, you’ll see adorable ballerinas of all ages reproducing his movements: we can be confident of the next generation!
Moving West from New York, let’s catch up with Melissa Gelfin, Principal Dancer at Cincinnati Ballet, doing her exercises leaning on a cat tree on which her clearly ballet-habituated feline is enthroned. It would seem that the wooden bar of the dance studio might never get used again, since so many of the dancers seem to manage perfectly well without it! We can practis our own barre, leaning on whatever we like, with the dancer, by finding account @dancewearroyale. Cats welcome.