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Post by Feologild Oakes on Jan 29, 2020 17:56:36 GMT
Do you consider ballet to be elitist or do you think its for everybody?
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Post by sadsaak on Jan 29, 2020 21:44:50 GMT
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Post by Catman on Jan 29, 2020 21:51:14 GMT
Catman likes ballet.
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Post by divtal on Jan 29, 2020 22:45:50 GMT
Ballet is my favorite of the performing arts, especially when presented live. We have an excellent civic ballet, and an outstanding private company.
Some may think it to be elitist, and confined to serious, classical works. But, there are many high-spirited, jazzy, even comic programs. When the late Michael Smuin was the director of the San Francisco Ballet, he spent many months in negotiations with The Beatles, to use their actual recordings to a program he subsequently choreographed called "To The Beatles." It was a great presentation, that even featured a "tap" routine that was performed to "When I'm Sixty-Four."
Ballet can be fun, as well as beautiful.
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Post by divtal on Jan 30, 2020 4:17:00 GMT
I don't know much about ballet. I do like Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, and I've seen the dance, but beyond that I know little. Gay males do tend to have more sophisticated tastes regardless of class. They may, but lets not compartmentalize. I know of gay guys that aren't into ballet.
I saw the Bolshoi last year, Spartacus, and my was I gobsmacked. I had a cheap seat up in the Gods, but close to the front and the formation and choreography were just far superior to anything else I had witnessed. The score of course by Khachaturian was divine too. I envy you having seen the Bolshoi. I've seen the Royal Ballet, with Dame Margot Fonteyn as Juilet. But, the Bolshoi ... Wow.
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Post by dirtypillows on Jan 30, 2020 8:41:08 GMT
I envy you having seen the Bolshoi. I've seen the Royal Ballet, with Dame Margot Fonteyn as Juilet. But, the Bolshoi ... Wow. Yes, very fortunate and they had an exclusive visit to one state only in Oz funded by the arts and tourism bodies. They apparently brought out their best as well. I had wanted to see Spartacus for over 2 decades and when they finally did come, I hesitated in going because I didn't want to spend the price of an expensive seat. I was content with where I was sitting though and it only cost about $80.00 and can't believe I procrastinated. I couldn't convince anyone to go with me, so I guess it was on my own. I guess people didn't really understand the high art behind it and one would ordinarily have to go to Russia to see the Bolshoi. It was a gift.
I have seen the Hamburg company perform Midsummer Nights Dream several years ago which was quite extraordinary too and American Ballet Theatre Swan Lake, which was superb as well. Other than that, it has just been domestic companies, Australian Ballet and Queensland Ballet, which always deliver. That's cool that you enjoy the finer arts, Toasted Cheese. I saw The Nutcracker once (performed by some ballet troupe in Albuequerque, NM) and was kind of indifferent. I did see the opera "The Magic Flute" at Indiana University,known for its music department, and my good friend got to play the enormously difficult part of "Queen of the Night". She was wonderfully gifted. I lost touch with her, but hope that she is a great singing success right now. What a neat person she was.
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Post by dirtypillows on Jan 30, 2020 8:43:45 GMT
Nah, this thread is about elitism. Gay males tend to be snobbish about music. I'm saying that it's more about subculture than economic class. It is asking is it elitism in relation to liking ballet. That is all subjective, because how does any one person feel about themselves and their standing in the world, while watching the ballet. If they feel elitist, they may feel this way about everything else they do. Arrogance then reigns supreme.
Quality of art could be considered snobbish, but that is perhaps just for those that don't get it, or want to broaden their horizons. I guess it can contain a sense of superiority, but people will like what they like.
"Music is the highest of the arts. It needs no reference to the figurative or corporeal, it is therefore of all the arts, the closest to death." This was quoted in the film version of E.M. Foster's Maurice. Not sure if it something he quoted in his book though.
I like that quote quite a bit and have never heard it before. It is thought-provoking and eloquently stated.
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Post by dirtypillows on Jan 30, 2020 8:50:59 GMT
It is too much of redundant, or perhaps too much of a loaded question. What if one likes both? Common sense tells us that most Tchikovsky fans don't listen to AC/DC and most AC/DC fans don't listen to Tchaikovsky. I don't think we need to do a poll to determine that. I'm not necessarily a fan of either, but I have enjoyed "Nutcracker Suite" and "Sleeping Beauty" more than once and I love every song "Back in Black" LP. (It's really the only AC/DC album I like.)
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Post by Stammerhead on Jan 30, 2020 9:32:05 GMT
My mum and a couple of my siblings went to see the ballet on occasions so I guess it’s not too elitist. Cinemas are occasional showing live transmissions from performances so that’s opened it up a bit for us common folk.
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Post by Catman on Jan 30, 2020 12:49:09 GMT
For those interested, there are a number of ballet videos on YouTube. For example, this rather nice production of Stravinsky's Petrushka:
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Post by amyghost on Jan 30, 2020 13:21:21 GMT
Frankly, for those sports fans who enjoy the aesthetic side of sports, i.e. those incredibly trained and honed bodies sculpted to perform almost super-human shows of strength, endurance, and mobility, ballet ought to be a treat. I've never been certain why the 'elitist' label should adhere so strongly to it but for the fact that many indelibly associate it with 'classical' music, which is silly. And if the music isn't to your taste, turn down the sound or put in earplugs and enjoy it as a purely visual and athletic show.
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Post by lenlenlen1 on Jan 30, 2020 15:40:57 GMT
Do you consider ballet to be elitist or do you think its for everybody? Strangely, its both.
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Post by Tristan's Journal on Jan 30, 2020 15:56:09 GMT
I am more a fan of the music, especially the Russians S Prokofjew (Romeo & Juliet), Stravinski (Rite, Firebird) than the dancing, just not into choreographed movement.
Ballet is elitist in the sense that it's usually (classical) high art and not just mass entertainment. But is it negative to prefer high quality food over junk food, quite the contrary.
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Post by politicidal on Jan 31, 2020 0:40:01 GMT
Either way it's still boring to me.
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rogerthat
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Post by rogerthat on Jan 31, 2020 1:14:08 GMT
I don't know if it is elitist, but I've met many people from different backgrounds who have enjoyed it though I admit most are very arts orientated or higher income.
Personally I prefer modern dance akin to Martha Graham or Pilobulus.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Jan 31, 2020 3:05:14 GMT
I'd associate ballet with the wealthier sections of society, so in that sense I suppose one could class it as elitist.
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