World Ballet Day 2017

World Ballet Day

Thursday the 5th of October is World Ballet Day 2017, a day to celebrate the beauty, power and elegance of this age old art form. Based on the success of the 2012 Royal Ballet livestream on Youtube, this year’s celebration will be the fourth World Ballet Day in a row.

World Ballet Day 2017’s festivity will see five of the biggest ballet companies in the world come together to create an in depth live stream that will reveal some behind-the-scenes secrets, as well as display the finished product that comes from hours of rehearsal. The Australian Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, and San Francisco Ballet will form the majority of this year’s livestream, each displaying their unique take on the world of ballet and their own techniques for rehearsal and performance, giving audiences an exclusive peak behind the scenes of some of the world’s biggest ballet companies.

On previous World Ballet Day, dancers wear GoPros to allow the audience to (quite literally) see things from the perspective of the dancers, a rare glimpse into the extensive rehearsal process that goes into creating the polished performance audiences are used to seeing in grand theatres all over the world. Anyone who dances knows the relentless work that goes into making the performance look effortless, and the World Ballet Day 2017 event truly celebrates all aspects of the art form, not just the finished product.

Last year’s livestream on Facebook lasted for over 20 hours (the longest livestream ever on the platform!) and had a reach of over 6.7 million people - a staggering number that only goes to show how the rapid expansion of social media and the internet has increased the ability to share traditional art forms to a wider audience than ever. This year’s event will be the fourth World Ballet Day, and certainly won’t be the last.

This event is a wonderful way to share the wonderful world of dance across all platforms. The five main companies taking part cover a multitude of timezones, and that’s even before you consider the many smaller companies also contributing to the celebration. Tony Followell, executive producer for World Ballet Day, said,

"Since the first World Ballet Day in 2014, the event has grown strength upon strength. Our aim is to demonstrate how accessible ballet can be. By allowing viewers behind-the-scenes to some of the top ballet companies in the world, we hope to show that ballet is for everyone."

Make sure you've got an elegant look for World Ballet Day, start with a elegant dance leotard, next add some convertible ballet tights. Finally finish with some ballet shoes or pointe shoes. 

World Ballet Day 2017 will be streaming live to facebook on the 5th of October - you don’t need a Facebook account to watch, as the link will be on the event’s main website http://worldballetday.com/. Join us in celebrating the wonderful world of ballet this October.