Alright, time for our next question of the week here at Pas de Trois. But first, we want to thank all the people that has joined us so far! It’s great to see so many people sharing their views and expiriences!
This week, we would love to hear you opinion on the following:
How can you get someone into watching dance?
Have any ideas? Please do share them with us!
As usual, we will join in with our answers spread out the week, but don’t hesitate to start the conversation in the comment field below straight away!
Check Out our Answers:
Catherine’s Answer: posted at 4dancers
Henrik’s Answer: Posted at Tights and Tiaras
David’s Answer: Posted at BalletForMen
Answers from other great blogs:
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Okay, I’ll go. Personally, I love to share anything that I adore with others whether it’s my love for dance, science or sweet potato puffs! Dance, unfortunately but realistically, has a perception of not being terribly accessible, and perception is often mistaken for reality. I thought the Joffrey’s foray into Goupon for discounted tickets was awesome! LA Opera is doing tons of specials and I would love to see our dance program do the same. People have the idea that ballet is expensive and it can be but not always, or at least, it doesn’t always have to be. Part of that inaccessibility is a notion of “stuffiness” an image of old ladies in even older fur coats (I adore the blue hair crowd myself!), another myth that needs to be updated. Dancers and companies on twitter, facebook, and blogs can show people that dance is alive & well and not just old and stogy. Billy Elliot, SYTYCD, and these sort of things are making dance more available to people and even though I don’t really like the dance shows on TV (Darcy Bussell, nooooooooooo!) I have to admit that they are bringing dance to the public.
My methodology has been to look at what appeals to a person and then find a suitable foray into dance theatre. The first ballet I took my husband to (his 1st ever) was Swan Lake. My suggestion to him was to watch the mechanical & technical aspects of group movement, something that appeals to him. Another friend, who is more of a Broadway musical kind of girl, I took to see DQ, appealing to her like for flashy tricks and colorful musical numbers. My literature professor pal to R&J, which we tore apart after but that’s something else entirely. Sometimes they like it, sometimes they don’t, but they don’t get dinner unless they stay for the whole thing!!!
Hi, and thanks for your post! Like Steve also mentioned below (and I did as well in my answer), I think it is important that, if bringing someone to a dance performance, you try to think about what that person would like to see! Great to hear you bring so many people to ballet performances! Thumbs up!
For me, it’s all about two things, the first being the “diagnosis,” which means knowing exactly what kinds of things appeal to a person. It’s comes down to asking someone what kinds of things they like to get direct feedback and of course intuition. The latter of course comes from knowing many ballets and choreographers and having a general sense of the history.
The second thing is having a sense of humor about it all. There are many wonderful critics but too much knowledge can make some reviews seem almost alien. When I talk about ballet with other people, I try to talk about it in a way that is casual yet thoughtful and inserting a humorous quip or two I find makes it approachable.
I know I said two things but I thought of a small, third one…that enthusiasm is infectious! I like to think that if people see me and the way I enjoy ballet, how happy it makes me, that they’d want in on the fun too. If I were overly critical of it and picked apart flaws in various performances I don’t think anyone would be all that interested.
Just wanted to second your second there
To remember who you are writing for is alpha and omega when reviewing dance. Even I get sick of reading some reviews, not that they are not excellently written, because they are, but the writer knows to much, or, more specifically, writes for people that needs to already know a lot about dance. Ballet to the people! 
(or like David would have said: Legalize Ballet!!!) H
i agree with “bead” that shows like sytycd and dancing with the stars are making dance more accessible to the general public- (tho i’ve never seen dwts and tend to get annoyed w/ sytycd.) at least they are exposing the general public to dance and i think they have done a lot for contemporary dance, if not for ballet. it would be nice if ballerinas weren’t portrayed as snobby b*tches in movies and tv tho. hopefully movies like mao’s last dancer and black swan will intrigue some people to see an actual ballet!
it would be great if ballet dancers were guests on talk shows such as ellen ( my fave) and the general public could see how gorgeous and charming they are, as well as showing dance clips. (c’mon ellen, you love dancing! get some ballerinas on the show!!) when veronika part was on letterman, that was great!
also, it would be wonderful if dance were offered in schools as a phys ed option. my kids have a dance unit in elementary school, but it is not taught by trained dancers but by the regular phys ed staff. not everyone loves competitive sports, why not offer dance as an option and expose kids to dance from a young age? perhaps if they were learning it they would also want to watch.
also agree that matching the person to ballet can’t hurt- i took my husband to corella ballet and he liked it okay but said he’d prefer to see a story ballet than a mixed bill. so then i tried to romeo & juliet since he’s a martial artist i thought he might like the sword fights, which he did. not sure how much he liked the rest tho! :/
But Robin, they are snobby b”tches!
Of course I’m just kidding, just had to say that! 
I agree, it would be great to get the ballet out to the masses, into TV shows and other public spots where people could see us without necessarily looking for ballet. But to achieve that, someone’s got to make ballet cool. Maybe, just maybe, the Black Swan will be a step in right direction – an alternative take on ballet and those performing it. But it better be a good movie, not something everyone just go around and laugh of, that’d be horrible..
hahaha, well some of them probably are, but certainly not all!
and ballet IS cool, people just don’t KNOW it’s cool!
word!
For me, I love to go see dancers that I know about. If dancers will share a bit of themselves and formulate a bond with potential audience members, you want to see them perform because you have made a connection with them on some type of personal level. I have such respect for my ballet teachers. One of them continues to dance professionally, as well. I see him come into class excited and giving 110% and I admire that work ethic so much- since he has work and reahearsed at his company from 8-5 already. He works hard to truly teach us and make sure that we are advancing toward our own goals. This glimpse into my teacher, the person, makes me want to support and give back . I go see every one of his and his girl friend’s performances. I think that social media helps too! The people that really share of themselves personally, even to a 13 yr old still training dancer, tells me a lot about them. Their sharing with me makes me want to support them-give back to them. It makes me want to see them dance- to know more about them and their passion to dance. So, maybe in reaching out in your cities, wherever you are, just as a real approachable human beings (which I find dancers are some of the most real benevolent human beings around
) You will draw others to yourself, and since dancing is your heart -they will care about what you care about:) Well, this is just the view of one 13yr old ordinary girl who dreams of dancing professioanally one day! Thanks to all those who have been so kind to me! 
I hope more and more come to the ballet and other dance performances 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Alison!
I think it’s great when people is open and approachable, as you write, although I don’t necessarily think I rather watch a performance with someone I know. When I see a performance with dancers I’ve never seen before, it’s kind of like I’m meeting someone for the first time – the excitement, discovering a new person, how he or she acts, thinks moves – I love it
Maybe it’s different for me, being a dancer, knowing a lot of dancers – I’m going for the new, the exciting. But it is definitely a good quality for a dancer to be open and inviting towards his (potential) audience. I guess ballet will never be a 9-5 job – people define you by what you do, so you are a ballet dancer full-time
Keep looking back for more stuff here on PdT, and on our separate blogs as well!
Henrik
Thanks for your insight.Henrik..yes I see where if you know so many dancers it can be exciting to see someone new and fresh! I think the main thing is that when a dancer dances with passion it draws others to want to see. I think when any artist performs from their heart others want to be a part of that experience. Once I was in the subway in NYC and this gp of cellists were playing. I don’t even like cello music! They played w/ such conviction and passion I found myself stopping for a long time just to listen and be a part.
I liked the post by balletformen about educating others too!
Thanks for this blog site-I learn so much being such a young dancer that I would never have thought about otherwise! Cheers!
glad to hear that you enjoy our site – it’s great to get positive feedback. And if we can help you learn more about the world of dance out there, I’d say it’s well worth the time!!
H
I posted mine at http://www.balletformen.com/2010/09/19/how-can-you-get-someone-into-watching-dance-pas-de-trois/
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