Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

For off-topic content
User avatar
CJ-Rochester
Site Moderator
Site Moderator
Posts: 4671
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:35 am
Location: Rochester, NY

Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

Post by CJ-Rochester »

This is a nice article and video from the Toronto Star, talking about how Canada's National Ballet School currently has the largest enrollment of boys in its history. There could easily be some future Billys in this video. :)

http://www.thestar.com/life/2013/11/01/ ... types.html
:/
User avatar
dongringo
Debbie
Posts: 1037
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2011 5:40 am
Location: Rain

Re: Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

Post by dongringo »

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Oregon Ballet Theater's school is also building a strong program for boys, even talking about going into schools in order recruit them.

http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/i ... w_sch.html
.......__o
.......\ <,
....( )/ ( )
kport
Site Moderator
Site Moderator
Posts: 7205
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:54 pm

Re: Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

Post by kport »

Another story from the CBC about the increasing number of boys in its course.
'The popular stage show and movie Billy Elliot — about a boy ballet dancer — may have helped.'
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/b ... -1.2519504
User avatar
LiamM
Technical Advisor
Technical Advisor
Posts: 549
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:42 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

Post by LiamM »

That is a good story, but when they mentioned the show, they really should have included a clip of one of the NBS Billys.
User avatar
ERinVA
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 17964
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:33 am
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia, USA

Re: Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

Post by ERinVA »

Yes, it makes you wonder why they didn't, doesn't it?
Ellen



"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


To follow the forum's Twitter at http://twitter.com/BEForum, click on the direct link in Applies to All Forums above.
User avatar
tomtorfan
Small Boy
Posts: 78
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:26 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

Post by tomtorfan »

Allow me to explain why they didn't use performance shots of the 4 National Ballet School students who have performed in Billy Elliot...

Well, I can't, since I have no idea. What is especially curious is that this same network did a story three years ago on the real-life Mrs. Wilkinson (who still works at the NBS) who taught 3 of the Billys profiled in that earlier story (Cesar Corrales, Marcus Pei and Myles Erlick. Liam Redhead from the Broadway production was also an NBS student.)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/4-billy-ell ... -1.1020600

Click on the video embedded in the story and you'll see that it had performance footage of all the Toronto Billys. It's almost like the producer/reporter of yesterday's story didn't know about this earlier story. More likely...is that they just had a minute and 45 seconds to tell their story...and opted (wrongly) to leave out the ballet school's Billys. What is beyond doubt is that the NBS is incredibly proud of its connection to Billy Elliot the Musical and has always acknowledged that the movie and musical have played key roles in increasing the number of boys in their program. They even used the 2011 TV story in the school's fundraising.

And don't Myles, J.P., Cesar and Marcus all look so young! None of us ever age, of course, but they somehow manage to. Another curious thing.
We will find a new tomorrow
When we come to rest at last...
kport
Site Moderator
Site Moderator
Posts: 7205
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:54 pm

Re: Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

Post by kport »

Another lad, who is living the Billy Elliot story, from Blackpool:

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/ ... -1-6500090

Stories such as this were rarely reported in the press before a certain film hit the nation's attention in 2000.
User avatar
ERinVA
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 17964
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:33 am
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia, USA

Re: Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

Post by ERinVA »

If you thought ballet was all about tutus and pointe shoes, think again:

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/10/showb ... pt=ieu_bn3
Ellen



"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


To follow the forum's Twitter at http://twitter.com/BEForum, click on the direct link in Applies to All Forums above.
kport
Site Moderator
Site Moderator
Posts: 7205
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:54 pm

Re: Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

Post by kport »

I wish it were possible for Her Majesty to confer an OBE...or an MBE.....on Billy Elliot the film, and Billy Elliot the Musical,for 'Services to Dance......and Society in general'.

Compared to many who are thus honoured, this film and this musical have had a most definite effect on public, and private, perception of dance.........and much, much more. Imagine where 'things' would stand today, if Billy Elliot the Film had never been made? I is an interesting thought.

History will sort out its honours.
User avatar
Eltonjohn
Miner
Posts: 370
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:57 am

Re: Boys Breaking Ballet Stereotypes

Post by Eltonjohn »

http://www.nbs-enb.ca/media/pdfAboutNew ... f#zoom=100

tomtorfan wrote:What is beyond doubt is that the NBS is incredibly proud of its connection to Billy Elliot the Musical and has always acknowledged that the movie and musical have played key roles in increasing the number of boys in their program.
BETM: "the most expensive school play ever."
Lee Hall
in Playbill October 2008
Post Reply

Return to “General Chat”