October 4th, 2016 marked the third annual World Ballet Day, on which five of the most elite ballet companies across the globe live streamed their daily activities for nearly 24 hours non-stop. For the first time World Ballet Day was live streamed on Facebook Live, making it the longest live broadcast to be shown on the social media giant to date.
Twenty hours of real-time video were streamed with each featured ballet company broadcasting for four hours each. Hosted by The Australian Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, and San Francisco Ballet, who partnered again this year to bring audiences unfiltered access to the often elusive world of professional ballet.
The featured five companies invited other area companies; Hong Kong Ballet, Queensland Ballet, West Australian Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo and Nederlands Dans Theater to take part in the live video stream.
World Ballet Day Highlights from around the world, 2015.
Not just for ballet or other dance enthusiasts, this is also a way for anyone who’s curious what a day in the life of a ballet dancer is like to get a sneak peak into this rarely seen world. In addition to a behind the scenes look into preparations leading up to show days, viewers are also treated to exclusive rehearsals and specialized classes that they otherwise wouldn’t get to see. From morning training through rigorous private coaching, viewers are taken through the ups and downs of this under recognized sport that requires the same level of dedication, physical demand and sacrifice of any other professional sport. This gives anyone with a computer an idea of what it takes to be a professional ballet dancer and direct access to the ins and outs of the ballet world.
For those who’ve always wondered what it would be like to train with a master of the art, The Australian Ballet’s ballet master Tristan Message treated viewers with a quick how-to video tutorial demonstrating ballet barre basics that they could follow along with at home. Allowing audiences a glimpse into a misunderstood world like no other, by following the real time, daily activity of some of the world’s top ballet professionals opens a rare window into an art that’s been around since the 15th century.
World Ballet Day Barre Exercises with National Ballet of Canada.
Archived footage from previous Ballet Days are available at WorldBalletDay.com, where you can also find more information on World Ballet Day and the participating companies.
