Not enough ballet on TV

[filteredgrime]

Why is ballet seemingly only on tv at Christmas? Why not all year around?

Lots of other sports are on - and take up lots of the telly schedule. TV mostly seems centered around football, cricket, golf, rugby, reality TV and the news.

Isn’t there room for more beautiful exciting or gentle and meditative ballets? Like other sports it’s all wonderful escapism.

If there was a ballet World Cup / national or international dance event then maybe it would get more traction!

Is it just me who wants more ballet - or would others like to see more ballets too?

I love going to see the ballet but I'm not a fan of watching it on tv, it's just not the same for me

The comparisons with sport are bogus. The reason audiences are gripped by sports - quite apart from the physical skills - is because it's a live event with the drama unfolded and the outcome unknown. Ballet is the complete opposite - for the most part it's very rigidly choreographed to a specific routine and score. So while all football matches or gymnastic routines or golf tournaments will be different, there's only so many Nutcrackers and Swan Lakes a person can take. And those are the shows that the mainstream go see, like panto, at Christmas. Not because they love 'the ballet', just for 'a treat'.

Sure there's newer ballets and modern dance but then you're getting even more niche. Lots of little girls may do ballet but very few consistently want to watch it. And ime its audience is as much gay men as women, and largely wealthier people as it's not cheap to see it live so it's not about sexism as much as a niche. TV is a populist mass medium. But there's never been more ways to watch things for your niche so YouTube would be the place to head I'd have thought. It's just not in broadcasters interests to programme more ballet.

Sure there's newer ballets and modern dance but then you're getting even more niche.

I saw Scottish Ballet's recent Coppélia. It was clever, but I think I prefer the more traditional interpretations.

The sports/art definition is tricky. I've done competitive ballroom for a long time, and there are people who would argue very strongly for one or the other. We seem to have settled on "performance sport" recently. When I danced at university I know that it was about 50/50 whether a ballroom dance club was under the sports union or classed as a society.

I think ballet probably isn't a sport though because it's missing that competition or tournament structure. Bridge, darts and chess all have that, but not so much of the physical side!

The main problem with watching ballet on tv is that the cameras treat it as if it's a scripted drama, zooming in on a particular dancer's upper body and face regularly so you can't even enjoy their dancing, let alone anyone else's. It ruins any immersion as you need to be able to see the whole stage throughout. If they had the sense to set the cameras to capture the stage then left them alone, tv ballet would actually be watchable and might become more popular.

If they had the sense to set the cameras to capture the stage then left them alone, tv ballet would actually be watchable and might become more popular.

I find this so interesting and wonder whether choreographers and designers will respond to the rise in filming/streaming by creating productions which make the most of the camera's ability to zoom in, rather than it detracting from a production designed to be viewed by a theatre audience- rather like the move towards naturalistic acting which followed the birth of cinema.

Its MN of course you would think its sexism 🙄

Probably nothing to do with lack of demand

This is nonsense.

Building dream homes, travelling the world and Michelin star cooking are all stereotypically middle/upper class pursuits and fill the peak time schedules.

Meanwhile, snooker and darts also used to fill the peak schedules and are resolutely working class pub sports that are no longer seen on mainstream TV.

Niche sports are not on primetime TV any more because niche sports do not draw an audience in a fragmented TV market. When there were only three TV channels in the 70s, you could stick any old shit on - even posh people falling off horses - and people would watch it.

It's very odd that in this country ballet is regarded as an elitist activity and only for girls. Very different in Russia, I believe. I always wanted ballet lessons as a child but we couldn't afford them. (Looking back now, possibly for the best, as I had two left feet and would probably have been rubbish.) I enjoy watching ballet on TV on the rare occasions one is scheduled. 25 years ago we had a VHS tape of a production of The Nutcracker by Birmingham Royal Ballet which my daughter and I watched many times. It probably helps if you like classical music, which I do.

Op I agree about a million per cent. I love ballet- the classics and also contemporary dance. Yes, why is it not on TV more? It was in my childhood. I remember watching whole ballets and particularly the incredible Ballet Rambert production 'Ghost Dances' by Christopher Bruce, using S American folk music and folklore. I've never forgotten it. Also - ballet is something the UK is a world leader in, or was once. We should be proud of our ballet/dance companies.

I fear someone somewhere (some horrible Big Cheese in the BBC) has decided it's elitist. So the schedules are full of rubbish naff talent shows and, when dance or singing is featured, it just HAS to be some kind of competition. It's as if they think the public can't cope with watching an actual ballet performance.

(While we're at it - what happened to the extremely popular Horse of the Year Show? That just disappeared - or has it stopped completely?? Again, I think the reasoning was 'it's elitist'. Well, that attitude certainly ensures that these things remain the preserve of the elite...hmmm.

My kids go to a semi- rural state school. Pretty much all the girls (and one lonely boy) do ballet till about p5 when half seem to find different hobbies. It’s £4.50 a class term time only. Standard uniform for shows, exams optional. I don’t think it’s very elitist, it’s actually very inclusive and social. Maybe ballet is fancier in cities.

As lots of PPs have said- no it’s not a sport, even though the dancers are very physically athletic. Dancers in a ballet company are called artists and that’s how they see themselves. They use their bodies to tell stories and convey moods and emotions. I’m sure nobody has watched a full length dramatic ballet and thought they’ve been watching sport!

Sky Arts 2 was the channel that used to have ballet in the programming regularly, but it was axed.

For those saying they don’t like it, fair enough but surely you wouldn’t begrudge a tiny few more ballets on TV now and then, one one of the many channels that you can chose not to watch?

Ballet is a very broad form of dance, varying from the traditional classical “tutu ballets” like Sleeping Beauty, to more modern story ballets, to plotless contemporary pieces that are much more like modern dance. Unfortunately it still has an image of twirling in tutus and prancing princes. These days saying you don’t like any ballet is a bit like saying you don’t like classical music, because you’ve heard some Beethoven and Mozart and didn’t like it - not realising that there’s a wealth of modern classics out there and that some of the music you like is in fact classical- it’s just not old, well known classical.

I adore ballet but hate watching it on TV. Any dance in fact. I don't know why but they don't seem to understand that people don't want close ups of the faces or arms or legs - show us the whole stage and maybe hone in on solos.

The Royal Opera broadcasts both opera and ballet live to cinemas, which is the next best thing to seeing it live. Easily googled.

Look online for children’s ballet performances/ events. I saw some before Covid. Professional ballet company perform a child friendly ballet and the kids in the audience are encouraged to join in, twirl in the aisles etc..

@Eileen101 depending on where you live, I found these
www.londonchildrensballet.com/outreach/ballet-1/
northernballet.com/ballets-for-children
www.roh.org.uk/learning/families

How does ballet on TV once or twice a year inconvenience you? There's 100s of other TV channels and streaming services for you to choose from.

How does ballet on TV once or twice a year inconvenience you? There's 100s of other TV channels and streaming services for you to choose from.

If you go into the settings menu you can check a box which will highlight light-hearted posts for you.

Part of the issue with ballet as with other arts has been the marginalisation on tv.

Because it's boring af?

Seriously though. If it got decent viewing figures when it IS on, it would be more air time. But it clearly doesn't.

There's loads of ballet on YouTube.

When I was a teen in the 80s BBC2 used to show loads of opera, ballet, classical music etc. (Look at the old Radio Times at genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ - I'm not making this up.)

Now you barely get anything, even on BBC4. As for Sky 'Arts', nothing but documentaries about Pink Floyd.

I think it is the idiotic perception that 'only posh people like it' that has pushed it off the screen. I'm not posh AT ALL, but I've been a fan of that kind of thing since I was in primary school and we did a little dance to the Swan Lake music for assembly. But no, I should get back in my box and watch Eastenders .

Try Arte for opera and ballet, by the way. Any commentary will be in French or German but that doesn't really matter for ballet...

www.arte.tv/en/arte-concert/most-recent/?genres=classical%2Copera%2Cperforming-arts

It's not a ballet as such but On Pointe (Disney plus) is a really interesting documentary about the School of American Ballet which feeds into the New York City Ballet.

I find one on sky occasionally too, it's pretty niche I admit. I love opera too, thankfully can stream these days

I'd say there is almost too much ballet on the TV

Others have already made that hilarious comment.