I think that ballet could be in the Olympics in some ways because like u said it still has features of a sport and ik u don't want the artistry to be lost and i agree that the artistry may be lost through competition but say if we don't judge it the way u guys said by like making it more focused on tricks and stuff if we judged it like a ballet exam is judged that could work for anyone wondering if u search up RAD grading system and go onto images u can see how exams are judged and they are on both technique and artistry/ performance. Personally I would like to see ballet in the olympics but I also understand where u guys are coming from. 😊
There is another thing called chess, for those who watches Gotham. I think that it is better to put chess in the olympics than ballet. Chess has the kind of thing that you competes with the opponent which is what olympics is meant for but chess doesn't have the athletics aspect in it.
There are already ballet competitions, but my fear is that the sport would kill the art. I already find it tedious to watch the same competition pieces again and again and again. What would be the next? Opera or conducting. Judging would be difficult and it might be a competition in technique rather than a joyful experience of a whole ballet. I would not myself want to compete in performing complicated surgery, and neither would my patients. The result of a ballet is the experience of the audience, and that varies just as much or even more than the dancers.
as someone who both does figure skating and ballet, i definitly do not want ballet to become a sport. ive been watching figure skating since i was young and back in the day allot of skaters focused on artistry and connecting to the audience and judges, and nowadays all they do is focus on quads and hard spins, which i think is such a shame and waste of the sport.❤😔
I agree with you on the figure skating stuff but it does feel like the woman’s field is going back to more artistic performances since the Russians got banned. Kaori Sakamoto and Loena Hendricks are the first that come to my mind
@@abbynew4188 yess. I love loena and kaori, i even met loena irl since i skate in belgium! But from what i know wont russians come back in 2026 with the olympics? Bofh sad and happy with their return😭😭
Yes! Going back a while now, but John Curry remains for me, the ultimate skater. He had great musicality and the most beautiful lines, I thought he was a dancer more than an athlete (which he was also, of course).
Agreed. I'm an ice dancer (and ballet) beginer and I wish Ice Dance would be more of an athletic art sometimes. I have absolutely no spirit of competition and it's something that can be a strugle in some clubs. If you don't perform in competitions, they won't move you up. (Hopefully my club is not hard on competition so I'm glad, but the first one I went to... not exactly the same story)
I would say no. Ballet cannot be measured as easily as "who finished first" or "who got more points." I consider dance to be more of an art than a sport, though it does take a lot of energy.
Well, I mean Ballet is harder than any sport. It requires strength and discipline. But... ballet is a work of art. There are already competions for dance like YAGP. Ballet should make you feel joyful. You don't do ballet to win gold medals.
I told my parents today, ballet doesn't need to be in the Olympics because ballet olympics already exist...it's Prix de Lausanne lmao. But really, i feel like people who insist ballet is a sport, do so because thinking of it as a sport make it seem more masculine, thus more respected, and/or easier to recognize it as something that's hard to do...but nothing should have to be masculine to be respected, nor should it need the 'sport' title to have the hard work recognized.
@@aster_11 As i said, you shouldn't have to do that. Yes people would get the picture of the hard work more easily by calling it a sport, but for them to just get it "because it's a sport"...it's a very superficial way of thinking that i rather not feed into. Usually explaining to them why dancers start young is enough of a scare :x
Ballet is not a SPORT ballet is a branch of art Remember Ballet was originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century ballet is aesthetics and combines with other arts Music, theater architecture, costume designers
@@sharimeline3077 Im calm ¡¡¡¡ but if you know the history of ballet and the historical context There is no argument to say that ballet can be see "Like a sport" Beside Rhythmic gimnasia , ice skating Which sport has aesthetic and art elements so the next Rhythmic gimnasia championchip sholud be pressent in the Scalla or in Paris opera Because its like ballet
I've been to a high-level ballroom competition--they are INTENSE. Definitely a very strong endurance aspect, because you have, say Waltz qualifier, Tango qualifier, Foxtrot qualifier, Waltz semi-final, Tango semi-final, Foxtrot semi-final, Waltz final, Tango final, Foxtrot final, one right after another. So if you make it to finals in all three, you are going and going and going (and realistically, most "sections" of a ballroom competition have 5 or 6 styles that people would be competing in, not just three). I think ballroom belongs in ballet more than breakdancing, tbh. There is a very strict syllabus of steps that are allowed for each style, and specific ways that those steps are supposed to be executed, so there is a lot less room for subjective judging.
Truth to tell, I think a lot of the artistry in ballet has already been lost because there is so much emphasis on technique at the expense of stage presence and acting ability. Some brilliant dancers are horrible actors and don't seem to care.
I totally hope not.....there is WorldBallet Day, Prix de Lausanne, and the like for ballet lovers. I would hate to see ballet competing with the protruding backsides and UGLY hands of the gymnastic team.....There is no sport as beautiful as professional level ballet. I stand by the words of NikolaiTsiskaridze ,Rector of the Vagonova School...."My dancers do not crawl around on the floor"....I wondered if the Paris Opera Ballet Company would make an appearance at .the circus like opening of the Olympics. ThenI realized that they are probably not interested in such a display of HORRIBLE choreography, etc. They have their much deserved dignity.
The Olympics tried to make figure skating more athletic, and less subjective. Suddenly, everything had scoring points; and it forced skaters to all do the same elements that would get the most points; rather than play to their personalities, and give a little time to just being musical or dramatic or creative. I hated what it did to something that was an artistic sport. I think it would tend to do the same thing with ballet.
My biggest problem with the sport art debate is, really the not so well hidden context behind it. If men do it it’s sport, respected, praised; if women it’s art, silly, not important. Even if women do a sport it’s never as good, as a men; or she is a men or too manly to be good at it. Or if it’s art it’s better than the rudeness and simple nature of sport. It’s not so much it’s a sport it’s an art etc. it’s more so respect, and willingness to not understand.And keep things, and especially people, in a box. Coming from both sides, not that I think it’s a sport, or sports like, or seeing the artsy in a sport.
dance is a sport. people are increasingly ignoring the creative artistic purpose ~ that which can not be described in words. if an extension of 180 degrees is the only point, so what. movement is about expressing emotion and telling stories. don't confuse gymnastics with dance.
It definitely begs the question why break dancing is in the Olympics but not other dance forms with longer histories. It seems impossible to judge something like that
it’s probably because breaking was already a competitive art form from early on in its inception. dance crews functioned as sports teams and dance battles were their form of competition. competition is more of an inherent part of breaking than it is for almost any other form of dance.
Well, breaking is being dropped for the 2028 games, so its clearly a tricky decision. I would argue that if ice skating is in the winter olympics, ballet should thoretically be in the summer, because ballet is it's equivalent in SO many ways. Having said that, I've seen what it's done to ice skating and it's sad. The only good part of the comp is the ice dance, which keeps its artistry at the centre
@@Rach227204I think the most likely counterpart to figure skating for the summer games would be artistic roller skating as they're basically the same sport just on different means, but it's still not as popular.
IMO: No- Ballet should NOT be in the Olympics. While one has to be very athletic in many ways, it is a performing art. Gymnastics floor has ballet elements in it.
dance is between a sport and an art. it requires athleticism and artistic expression and understanding. something this complex and beautiful shouldn’t be an olympic sport. it should be appreciated for what it is.
I think it’s an issue of perspective. There’s sports that most people would argue require less athleticism than probably any form of dance in existence (e.g. darts), they certainly require less cardiovascular fitness. But they’re still sports because the development of that niche physical ability, however limited some might consider it, is the entire point. Which is valid but that shouldn’t be true of dance!
As much as I would hate to see ballet reduced to just its athletic side, it could still be interesting to have this kind of exposure, because many people seem to be unaware of ballet's athleticism and think of it as just pretty ports de bras
For what it's worth, many people from martial arts communities (fencing, tkd, etc) feel the same way. That since becoming an Olympic sport they have been optimized for points and the "spirit" of the martial art has been taken away. I think keeping them in the Olympics is fine as long as the original art is preserved, for example both Olympic fencing and historical fencing can exist separately. Ig it's up to the ballet comunity whether there should be a "competition-style ballet" that exists separately from ballet.
Ballet is not a SPORT ballet is a branch of art Remember Ballet was originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century ballet is aesthetics and combines with other arts Music, theater architecture, costume designers
Definitely not in my opinion!! It’s VERY athletic, but I feel like considering it a “sport” would wipe the artistry out of it even more that it’s already being done now. I hope the artistry is never lost from abllet
To me, something I LOVE about watching ballet is the pacing, the pauses, the reflective and sometimes slow and lingering pace, it makes me feel like I am floating in a dream sometimes. I do not want it to be in the Olympics because I feel that pacing could be lost because the dancers will try to stack as many 'points' laden moves together in as short a period of time as possible, sacrificing the art. I like being able to LINGER in a beautiful pose in ballet.
Oooooooo. I loved this video! The next time I go to bed before YAGP, I’ll watch it to get inspired to dance. My teacher during a class once said that when you do ballet, you learn to recognize beauty. Ballet is so much more than athleticism and art combined, and that is why I love it❤❤❤😊
I've thought about this a lot as a ballet dancer who is also a fan of artistic gymnastics. I completely agree with everything you said. Making ballet a sport would emphasise difficulty over artistry (as we have seen happen with gymnastics) and would make it barely recognisable. I also like the idea of an "athletic art" since gym, figure skating, cheer etc are seen as aesthetic sports.
Everyone underestimates Ballet. They think its easy and dumb, when really it's way harder than a lot of sports. It really hurts me when people say, "Oh you do Ballet that's dumb." When really it's a sport and art that takes a lot to do and not everyone can handle it.
As a veteran gymnastics coach and former gymnist, I can honestly say that gymnastics has changed from its original purpose and focus, which is why it looks the way it does today. It is VERY much a sport, but, (I'm dating myself) back in my day, we HAD to take ballet before entering gymnastics for the leaps and turns, which I loved. I honestly think we need to bring that back. Been following you ladies from the beginning and love what you put together. This is an excellent topic. Keep it up!😊
And yet it would be so much better than break dancing in the Olympics. It was painfully awkward to watch, and they removed any possible musicality out of it by making their music a surprise. I'd rather they just remove break dancing and leave ballet as it is.
As a ballet fan I am very pleased by the precision of movements and steps that Rebeca Andrade played at the Olympics I could only understand the art and the sport involved in her presentation because I like ballet so much.
I mean ballet isn’t PURE sport, but I would like to see ballet in the Olympics because there would finally be something I enjoy in the Olympics. I don’t really like sport myself in general. However, I enjoy dancing very much because dancing to a pieces of music makes me enjoy the music even more.
If you haven’t seen rhythmic gymnastics, you should check it out. It definitely isn’t as refined as ballet but does have some cool elements to it, and I actually think the ribbon apparatus could be incorporated into ballet to create some really incredible visuals!
I agree with you girls, Ballet has a very athletic part (which is very important) but I think that ballet doesn't have to be considered a Sport because it will lose the art and the artistry that makes a ballet come to life. Dancers will only concentrate on the technique and do more and more (just like figure skating ) and we will lose the heart of ballet
I genuinely believe ballet is an art form and not a sport. However, if getting it to Olympics means getting more people to pay attention to ballet and to take it more seriously, I'm down. I mean, there are already a million ballet competitions so why not bring it to the Olympics as well? If figure skating and break dance are already there then what are we waiting for?
i mean if they have breakdancing as an olympic event why not ballet where ballerinas from all around the world can create their own artistic piece, i think it would be innovative
I think ballet is definitely a sport but also for sure an art it’s both but at the end of the day the artistic side matter more in ballet but there is no pathing like ballet because it requires an insane amount of athleticism while requiring it to be artistic
i think it would have so many rules for it to become a "sport" that it wouldn't make any sense. I also practice taekwondo and the IOC rules for competition it's the only thing i hear from people that's "killing" taekwondo. I guess it would be the same with ballet
No, ballet does not belong in the Olympics. Sorry. It is an artform and definitely a sport but mostly performance based. The Olympics are about competition. Dance does not have a place in competitive sports. Sorry.
As a poet, avid reader, and mere artist, what drew me as a viewer of ballet is the musical storytelling through dance. Ballet is very much a symphony (especially if there's an actual orchestra in the pit, lol.), and as a symphony, it is so much more than the tricks. As incredible as Odile's 32 fouettés are, Swan Lake is so much more than that, and the more simple steps are just as important to the total whole as the complicated tricks.
I think it depends on what level a dancer is at. At first one does need to treat it almost as a sport. But if one wants to be a top tier dancer, this is where the art comes in. Artistry is a critical ADDITION that separates the best dancers from a good dancer with solid skills. Keyword, ADDITION. It has to be on top of a solid skill. Like cream on the cake. It makes a cake better. But if there's no cake to begin with... I'm not gonna call out the name, but, hypothetically, if a principal cannot physically perform that 32 fouettes, and has a technique so poor that had to change the choreo in Swan Lake. My humble opinion is that artistry might not be the primary goal of this hypothetical dancer. Take a step back and polish the technique and train like an athlete. Practice Practice Practice, get the techniques there, and then let's talk about art.
And I'd say this is true for most art forms. Take violin for example. There's intonation (play in tune). And there's musicality. Musicality is an additional to intonation. If a professional violinist cannot even play in tune, forget about musicality and pick up that dam Carl Flesch Scales System and start practicing!
Ballet is art and should remain this. You go an watch ballet not only for the technique but for the story, for the emotions. Since the code in artistic gymnastics changed all artistic part is gone. All we see is the same routine all over again. So no. Balet isn't and shouldn t be treated as sport. Is harder sometimes but should stay in the theater.
Would you ever consider talking about the toxic perfectionist culture ballet can create? How most ballet schools' program is to get students into the world of professional dancing? It would definitely be a more serious video, but it would personally help me work through my relationship with the ballet community. I don't have the physical body needed for professional ballet, but I want to continue ballet well into my life, and it's hard to find non professional options past high school.
I'm more into hip hop dancing instead of ballet (though I did technically train ballet as a kid), so that might be influencing my view point but I personally view dance as both art and sport. The competitive nature of sport comes through the desire to constantly improve the craft, find the perfect technique and push the boundaries of what is possible. My country does very well in Rhythmic Gymnastics, which also means I'm interested in it, and I couldn't not stop comparing the gymnastics code to the techniques that say, a Vaganova school would want of their students. At the same time, the artistic elements of dance doesn't go away. The art comes from the music, the energy that you put into every step. I don't think calling it a sport takes away from the art of a dance. There's a lot of sports that include more than *just* the physical part of it - gymnastics or figure skating includes artistry, martial arts include the traditions that come along with it, even chess is demanding in a different way. And on the flip side, you can obviously have art without the athletics, so dividing dance from the physical aspect of it isn't the entire truth of it either. athleticism
yes it 100% should be in the olympics-judge it like a dance comp-there’s PLENTY of technique in ballet-i take that back ballet is MOSTLY technique-there’s a right and a wrong-at least that’s what i’ve learned (i actually js got out of dance a little bit ago) also i love ur channel!!!! im so glad i got out of ballet early so i could watch the premiere lol
I've always said that ballet is a sport and an art form. Sport because of the athletic strength needed to do what we do and art from because of the beautiful story that we tell with our dancing, costumes and sets. I also agree with ballet not needing to be in the Olympics. In my opinion ballet is it's own category and if I'm being completely honest the Olympics just won't do it the justice it deserves.
@@balletreign exactly, and yes we have competitions like YAGP and Prix but those are still enjoyed competitions by ballet lovers. I feel like there would be more people more interested in the "sports" aspect of the Olympics then they would be watching and enjoying the ballet.
Ballet is, in my opinion, in the same range of the with the sport/art spectrum as Ice Dancing, Figure Skating, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Synchronised Swimming, and several other artistic sports. I absolutely do think that several of the dance forms, along with Ballet, should be in the Olympics. I am an avid fan of dance sport ballroom dancing, too. There is a lot of athleticism in dance of all types.
Balet w sporcie jest i jest nim gimnastyka artystyczna. Także taniec to taniec balet, a jest już w gimnastyce balet to nie potrzeba. Choć od dawna widać, , że taniec obecnie jest bardziej jako sport niż artystyczny taniec.
While I agree with you, you did get something wrong. In ballet and other genres of dance competitions do exist. Yes, they are not the main focus of dance, but just keep in mind that they are there. Other than that, you’re correct!
This is actually something that’s happening in France and probablement in other contries too. Everyone thinks ballet isn’t a sport actually ballet is a sport cause it’s dance (and an art form) and dancing is a sport. Sport is something that’s tiring and athletique. So people think dance isn’t tiring and athletique like bruh did u see professionnelle dancers there sweating after doing frappés,pirouettes,… etc and is NOT athletique look at the male dancers there litterally flying in the studio and so athletique. And for ballet ( any other dance) we have to make look like art and less like a sport and this is something that i struggle a lot with. PS: Love y’all are amazing ❤
On the one hand, when I see things like table tennis, golf, and breakdancing in the Games, I feel like ballet SHOULD be there because it is way more athletic and difficult than any of those. However with the way gymnastics and figure skating have been ruined, I would never want to see that happen to ballet so then my vote is, to quote Father Dowling on Father Dowling Mysteries, "Absolutely not!" IF it were, I think we would need to keep the perfect ten system artistic gymnastics used to have, with a specific amount of required difficulty and then allow a limited amount of bonus points. (Or even the old Risk Originality and Virtuosity criteria from prior to 1989.) And for a format: Round I: Prescribed ballet barre/class, much like skating's old compulsory figures Round II: Mandatory variation where you can't change anything. (However everyone can choose their variation). Round III (This is where the bonus system would be allowed): An original choreographed variation to a classical piece of the dancer's choice. Pas De Deux and Corps could also have competitions, but perhaps eliminate the class/barre in that case.
it is VERY physical by dancing, but the purpose of art is ACTING through the pain. (obiously not enough pain to INJURE you, you have to have limits and restrictions and you need breaks like a sport.) just like violin, even if you are learning a hard passage and sight reading in front of an audience, you don’t want it to seem like you’re struggling. smile through tough things. like ballet even if it’s hard that doesn’t accuse the fact that it’s still art. playing sports isn’t art, it’s competition and entertainment. art CAN be entertainment, but should NEVER be competition. IN MY OPINION. you guys said everything so so well. I 100% agree. and I don’t even perform ballet, never even tried. I play violin. lol
I think the key to preserve the artistry but allow the sport is to make sure all sport submissions are original choreography not variations. Variations were choreographed w/ the story in mind, and I'd imagine choreographed for a specific dancer's strengths. (This is the case at least in musical theater.) Like, if someone picks a pop song with no story behind it, and choreographs amazing pointe work to it, and we judge them like we do for figure skating, artistic gymnastics, ice dance, or rhythmic gymnastics, I don't think traditional ballet would suffer. I don't go out to see artistic gymnastics in theaters. But i do go out to see ballets (in my case, SF ballet). I think the competitive variations where we compromise the original intent of the choreography and story is problematic for all the reasons you said. And then, I think that would draw more people to classical music and traditional ballet. If only for the juxtaposition of the story and artistry being king above tricks/elements/athleticism.
rpopova's chat: "You don't seem to talk at all about the positives of making ballet an olympic sport - popularising it, allowing for international dancers to all come together regularly, etc." I suggest you make a case of it here in the comments!
Ballet as a sport could actually result in a lot of innovation and cool new discoveries of how much our bodies can achieve. Like in figure skating for example, where the first quad axle was landed in competition only 2 years ago! This in turn could actually benefit ballet as an art, providing new ideas and ways to convey emotion and story to an audience. However change is hard, especially for ballet, which has so much history and tradition attached to it. If ballet does become a sport there would definitely be a divide between the 'Olympic athlete' vs the 'performer' - and I feel like there would be a certain prejudice placed on the former as they are seemingly not truely doing it for the art, which is what ballet is ultimately for.
We have a lot of considerations for sport but think about this: ballet is much older than many olympic sports. Think how gymnastics was in the early 1900 and how ballet was. Why would you want such an amaizing art form to become just a sum of steps and technique. Ballet is so much more. We go to see a ballet not only for the solo variations but for all the story told by every dancer as a hole. The emotion I get when I watch the entrance of the Shadows in La Bayadere ore the willis in Giselle I don t have when I see some variations in a competition.
Great post. I will add that there's a lot of politics that goes into the Olympics. Why skateboarding, when tumbling is not an Olympic sport? And I have to add that the amount of time female gymnasts spend doing dancy things instead of actual gymnastics seems silly to me.
If ballet is ever added to the olympics, the one thing I would be careful with is setting up a good minimum age restriction from the very start (18 at least imo) because you just need to take one look at figure skating to know that sending kids to high stakes competitions like the olympics can end in heartbreaking tragedy
I firmly believe ballet is not a sport. BUT I want the respect of the dancer to be just as respected as an athlete. I don’t mind dance competitions but it shouldn’t compromise the artistry and the skills needed. I watched figure skating decrease in the artistry and become mostly technical skill and it turned into this massive jump fest because the higher level the jump, higher the points. And I don’t want that to happen with ballet. And I have seen a lot of older gymnasts say that with gymnastics where the floor portion is less about artistry and more about the technical elements. I mean that is true depending on a show vs competition but overall as a whole. But talking about just ballet, it shouldn’t be a sport but it needs to be respected for what it is and dancers themselves need to be respected just as much as an athlete
My objection to ballet and music competition is not that it kills the artistry, but that it warps the motivation of the young artist. Many prodigies lose their love for their art under the pressure to be the best.
As a ballerina ballet is kinda of art and kinda of sport burnout really but it must be seen more especially by the olympics because. Another thing skating it is art or kinda of art and it is in the Olympics so why ballet is not with them , And that's my opinion
Absolutely agreeing with all that you say here! In fact, being a lover of art and dance and story, I'm firmly on the side of wanting to see more artistry in figure skating.... In recent years, so many athletes have placed their focus on doing exactly what you described: putting in more advanced tricks to score points, and sacrificing artistry altogether (even though there is technically an artistic component in the scoring.............). Of course, one could argue that the artistry can come out in ice shows or ice dancing, and let the competitions focus on athleticism... But I think Ice shows in general are far rarer than ballet productions, probably due to the rarity of available rinks. The only silly reason I might say yes to Ballet Olympics would be because THE WORLD IS MORE THAN READY TO SEE A JEMIMA PUDDLEDUCK DANCER WINNING A MEDAL AND STANDING ON THE PODIUM IN COSTUME.... ON MAINSTREAM TV IN FRONT OF BILLIONS OF VIEWERS........!
Sport? Art? Por qué no los dos? I say this as a ballet coach and syncronised swimmer, in my opinion, the preference to performance oriented ballet does not mean that competition isn't a valid part of ballet. Dancesport is what competitive ballroom dance is called in some parts of the world, and ballroom dance has other sides as well, including performance and social dance. I think the most important discussion is the comparison in the changes in judging criteria that have happened in artistic gymnastics and in ballet competitions. Both have IMO trended towards athleticism and away from artistry, which is an issue to be discussed at all levels. The issue you both discussed together directly before deciding it's "not worth it" to lose that honestly could be regarded as the more gatekeepery side of ballet, which is a topic I'd love to see you discuss on a future podcast. Perhaps any potential Olympic scoring system could be informed by the (we aways hope) balanced scoring system in comps like YAGP and PdL with artistry keeping it's place despite ballet standing alongside less artistic sports in a potential Olympic appearance. I don't really have an opinion as to yes or no, just discussion points... Also shout out for including a clip of the Duolingo on ice commercial😂😂😂 Thanks for everything you do!
I love this video so much and how you worded everything! it's literally like you took the words out of my mind 😂 ❤ I hope that in the next few decades, maybe even centuries if we're lucky, Ballet will remain the beautiful athletic art that it is
I would love for ballet to be in the sport, it's as you said 'athletic-art' and it's incredibly hard like all the other sports, however when you compete ballet - which many people already do in ballet competitions (and more like the Olympics is YAGP) - however, I feel when people compete in ballet you lose a little bit of the artistry and quality, which is what ballet is a big part of - and the dances get repeated (such as Esmerelda variation). Overall, I don't think ballet should be in the Olympics - we already have YAGP - which is pretty similar. One day, ballet may be in the Olympics though, and I respect everyone's opinions. 🩷
When the points system in gymnastics started rewarding skills and difficulty rather than artistry there was incentive to do much less 'dance' skill. When you watch gymnasts do the 'dance' part of their routines they look like they are going through the motions 'because we're supposed to do these movements' and often look expressionless with their head just staring into space. They are also not often synched with the music on the floor exercise. I wouldn't want ballet to become a sport where the 'routines' are designed to maximize points at the expense of artistry.
yes, context! what if, in settings like the olympics, they defined it as something like “ballet technique”? maybe using the format of an exam/class for scoring and taking variations off of the table completely - leaving them for ballet-specific settings/audiences? teams could get creative with the combinations they put together (have specific positions they have to include for scoring). i think it could be an interesting way to showcase the tradition without diluting what you go to *the ballet* to see.
How about we take rhythmic gymnastics into pointe shoes instead. It would take the sport to another level and include a sports version to ballet. Most of the athletes have to take tons of ballet classes.
i’ve never heard of anyone use the term “athletic art.” i really like that!
Thank you! ☺️☺️❤️❤️
Athleticism that totally serves art just like music, sets, and costuming that totally serves the drama/art.
either athletic art of artistic sport :)
one could say "arthletic" maybe 👀👀
I would agree. It's art, but it's exercise. However it's exercise, but not a sport.
Yes, dancers are athletes, but ballet is not a sport. This is clear.
Ballet is a performing art. Not a sport.
Exactly ✨✨
I've always thought that dance is an art form, that uses elements of athletic performance for creative purposes and advancement.
I think that ballet could be in the Olympics in some ways because like u said it still has features of a sport and ik u don't want the artistry to be lost and i agree that the artistry may be lost through competition but say if we don't judge it the way u guys said by like making it more focused on tricks and stuff if we judged it like a ballet exam is judged that could work for anyone wondering if u search up RAD grading system and go onto images u can see how exams are judged and they are on both technique and artistry/ performance. Personally I would like to see ballet in the olympics but I also understand where u guys are coming from. 😊
Artistic Swimming is the best ❤( besides gymnastics)
Why did they change the name from synchronized swimming? Synchro felt more correct because everything had to be done in unison.
Ballet is so much more than „Sport „. It is art , culture, music interpretation.
100% 👏🏻✨
There is another thing called chess, for those who watches Gotham. I think that it is better to put chess in the olympics than ballet. Chess has the kind of thing that you competes with the opponent which is what olympics is meant for but chess doesn't have the athletics aspect in it.
There are already ballet competitions, but my fear is that the sport would kill the art. I already find it tedious to watch the same competition pieces again and again and again. What would be the next? Opera or conducting. Judging would be difficult and it might be a competition in technique rather than a joyful experience of a whole ballet.
I would not myself want to compete in performing complicated surgery, and neither would my patients.
The result of a ballet is the experience of the audience, and that varies just as much or even more than the dancers.
Thank you so much for sharing 👏🏻👏🏻 ballet is so much more than just steps ❤️
Pretty sure there are conducting competitions.
There *are* conducting and opera competitions, and music competitions of every kind
@@heylookitsnana Not at the Olympics. Not as a sport.
@@natashazlobinsky4662 Not at the Olympics. Not as a sport.
as someone who both does figure skating and ballet, i definitly do not want ballet to become a sport. ive been watching figure skating since i was young and back in the day allot of skaters focused on artistry and connecting to the audience and judges, and nowadays all they do is focus on quads and hard spins, which i think is such a shame and waste of the sport.❤😔
I agree with you on the figure skating stuff but it does feel like the woman’s field is going back to more artistic performances since the Russians got banned. Kaori Sakamoto and Loena Hendricks are the first that come to my mind
Oh it's been ruined! And don't even get me started on what they allow now for "music"...
@@abbynew4188 yess. I love loena and kaori, i even met loena irl since i skate in belgium! But from what i know wont russians come back in 2026 with the olympics? Bofh sad and happy with their return😭😭
Yes! Going back a while now, but John Curry remains for me, the ultimate skater. He had great musicality and the most beautiful lines, I thought he was a dancer more than an athlete (which he was also, of course).
Agreed. I'm an ice dancer (and ballet) beginer and I wish Ice Dance would be more of an athletic art sometimes. I have absolutely no spirit of competition and it's something that can be a strugle in some clubs. If you don't perform in competitions, they won't move you up. (Hopefully my club is not hard on competition so I'm glad, but the first one I went to... not exactly the same story)
I would say no. Ballet cannot be measured as easily as "who finished first" or "who got more points." I consider dance to be more of an art than a sport, though it does take a lot of energy.
Great observations 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Well, I mean Ballet is harder than any sport. It requires strength and discipline. But... ballet is a work of art. There are already competions for dance like YAGP. Ballet should make you feel joyful. You don't do ballet to win gold medals.
Ballet is an Art, why lower it to sport status?
I told my parents today, ballet doesn't need to be in the Olympics because ballet olympics already exist...it's Prix de Lausanne lmao. But really, i feel like people who insist ballet is a sport, do so because thinking of it as a sport make it seem more masculine, thus more respected, and/or easier to recognize it as something that's hard to do...but nothing should have to be masculine to be respected, nor should it need the 'sport' title to have the hard work recognized.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Personally I insist it's also a sport because by not categorising it as that people take the difficulty of it a lot less seriously.
@@aster_11 As i said, you shouldn't have to do that. Yes people would get the picture of the hard work more easily by calling it a sport, but for them to just get it "because it's a sport"...it's a very superficial way of thinking that i rather not feed into. Usually explaining to them why dancers start young is enough of a scare :x
Well, in most ballet competitions, one of the scoring criteria is artistic impression, which maintains ballet as an art form.
Ballet is like sport … except it’s harder.
Ballet is not a SPORT ballet is a branch of art Remember Ballet was originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century ballet is aesthetics and combines with other arts Music, theater architecture, costume designers
@@DavidRodriguez-fm9mi I thin quite a lot of us here know the history of ballet. And they said it was LIKE a sport, calm down.
@@sharimeline3077 Im calm ¡¡¡¡ but if you know the history of ballet and the historical context There is no argument to say that ballet can be see "Like a sport" Beside Rhythmic gimnasia , ice skating Which sport has aesthetic and art elements so the next Rhythmic gimnasia championchip sholud be pressent in the Scalla or in Paris opera Because its like ballet
because you have to look like you're not trying
I feel like some ballet dances is hard but I already achieved what twoset can do in his other video
That is why I am against the inclusion of breaking dance in Olympics....because what is next??? Salsa, Waltz, Rumba and later ballet?
These sorts of other dances as in the examples (Salsa, Waltz, Rumba) you gave is also a part of ballet do you know?
I've been to a high-level ballroom competition--they are INTENSE. Definitely a very strong endurance aspect, because you have, say Waltz qualifier, Tango qualifier, Foxtrot qualifier, Waltz semi-final, Tango semi-final, Foxtrot semi-final, Waltz final, Tango final, Foxtrot final, one right after another. So if you make it to finals in all three, you are going and going and going (and realistically, most "sections" of a ballroom competition have 5 or 6 styles that people would be competing in, not just three).
I think ballroom belongs in ballet more than breakdancing, tbh. There is a very strict syllabus of steps that are allowed for each style, and specific ways that those steps are supposed to be executed, so there is a lot less room for subjective judging.
It has been announced that they will NOT be bringing breakdancing back for the next Olympics
At my job we had a "Wear Your Favorite Team Jersey Day." So I wore my NYC Ballet sweat shirt!
Lolll love it 😆😆✨✨
Excellent LOVE IT
Truth to tell, I think a lot of the artistry in ballet has already been lost because there is so much emphasis on technique at the expense of stage presence and acting ability. Some brilliant dancers are horrible actors and don't seem to care.
YES!!
I totally hope not.....there is WorldBallet Day, Prix de Lausanne, and the like for ballet lovers. I would hate to see ballet competing with the protruding backsides and UGLY hands of the gymnastic team.....There is no sport as beautiful as professional level ballet. I stand by the words of NikolaiTsiskaridze ,Rector of the Vagonova School...."My dancers do not crawl around on the floor"....I wondered if the Paris Opera Ballet Company would make an appearance at .the circus like opening of the Olympics. ThenI realized that they are probably not interested in such a display of HORRIBLE choreography, etc. They have their much deserved dignity.
The Olympics tried to make figure skating more athletic, and less subjective. Suddenly, everything had scoring points; and it forced skaters to all do the same elements that would get the most points; rather than play to their personalities, and give a little time to just being musical or dramatic or creative. I hated what it did to something that was an artistic sport. I think it would tend to do the same thing with ballet.
My biggest problem with the sport art debate is, really the not so well hidden context behind it. If men do it it’s sport, respected, praised; if women it’s art, silly, not important. Even if women do a sport it’s never as good, as a men; or she is a men or too manly to be good at it. Or if it’s art it’s better than the rudeness and simple nature of sport. It’s not so much it’s a sport it’s an art etc. it’s more so respect, and willingness to not understand.And keep things, and especially people, in a box. Coming from both sides, not that I think it’s a sport, or sports like, or seeing the artsy in a sport.
No ! definitively no !
dance is a sport. people are increasingly ignoring the creative artistic purpose ~ that which can not be described in words. if an extension of 180 degrees is the only point, so what. movement is about expressing emotion and telling stories. don't confuse gymnastics with dance.
It definitely begs the question why break dancing is in the Olympics but not other dance forms with longer histories. It seems impossible to judge something like that
it’s probably because breaking was already a competitive art form from early on in its inception. dance crews functioned as sports teams and dance battles were their form of competition. competition is more of an inherent part of breaking than it is for almost any other form of dance.
@@journie_ That makes a lot of sense!
Well, breaking is being dropped for the 2028 games, so its clearly a tricky decision. I would argue that if ice skating is in the winter olympics, ballet should thoretically be in the summer, because ballet is it's equivalent in SO many ways. Having said that, I've seen what it's done to ice skating and it's sad. The only good part of the comp is the ice dance, which keeps its artistry at the centre
@@Rach227204I think the most likely counterpart to figure skating for the summer games would be artistic roller skating as they're basically the same sport just on different means, but it's still not as popular.
🤔Ballet has have several international competitions already: The IBCs, YAGP, Lausanne, Varna. I vote no.
IMO: No- Ballet should NOT be in the Olympics. While one has to be very athletic in many ways, it is a performing art. Gymnastics floor has ballet elements in it.
10:31 (for.. umm… personal reference)
dance is between a sport and an art. it requires athleticism and artistic expression and understanding. something this complex and beautiful shouldn’t be an olympic sport. it should be appreciated for what it is.
Well said. Thank you for your thoughts! ❤️
@@balletreign thank y’all!!
Well, in most ballet competitions, one of the scoring criteria is artistic impression, which maintains ballet as an art form.
The fact that this is being debated makes me think, has ballet become too athletic to the point that it already resembles sports?
I think it’s an issue of perspective. There’s sports that most people would argue require less athleticism than probably any form of dance in existence (e.g. darts), they certainly require less cardiovascular fitness. But they’re still sports because the development of that niche physical ability, however limited some might consider it, is the entire point. Which is valid but that shouldn’t be true of dance!
But I also agree, in some cases the athleticism has been prioritised at the expense of the art instead of in service to the art
As much as I would hate to see ballet reduced to just its athletic side, it could still be interesting to have this kind of exposure, because many people seem to be unaware of ballet's athleticism and think of it as just pretty ports de bras
The story telling and beauty are so much more valuable than scoring!
For what it's worth, many people from martial arts communities (fencing, tkd, etc) feel the same way. That since becoming an Olympic sport they have been optimized for points and the "spirit" of the martial art has been taken away.
I think keeping them in the Olympics is fine as long as the original art is preserved, for example both Olympic fencing and historical fencing can exist separately.
Ig it's up to the ballet comunity whether there should be a "competition-style ballet" that exists separately from ballet.
Speaking of unusual things that got in the Olympics though, chess managed to get in the Olympic esports so make of it what you will :P
Ballet is not a SPORT ballet is a branch of art Remember Ballet was originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century ballet is aesthetics and combines with other arts Music, theater architecture, costume designers
Albert Einstein has been attributed with this thought: "Dancers are the athletes of God." 'Nuf said?😊
Love that quote ✨✨
@@balletreign me too!
OMG no! How many times do we all have to say WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO!? Enjoy the art of dance my fellow performers!
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Definitely not in my opinion!! It’s VERY athletic, but I feel like considering it a “sport” would wipe the artistry out of it even more that it’s already being done now. I hope the artistry is never lost from abllet
To me, something I LOVE about watching ballet is the pacing, the pauses, the reflective and sometimes slow and lingering pace, it makes me feel like I am floating in a dream sometimes. I do not want it to be in the Olympics because I feel that pacing could be lost because the dancers will try to stack as many 'points' laden moves together in as short a period of time as possible, sacrificing the art. I like being able to LINGER in a beautiful pose in ballet.
Oooooooo. I loved this video! The next time I go to bed before YAGP, I’ll watch it to get inspired to dance. My teacher during a class once said that when you do ballet, you learn to recognize beauty. Ballet is so much more than athleticism and art combined, and that is why I love it❤❤❤😊
I've thought about this a lot as a ballet dancer who is also a fan of artistic gymnastics. I completely agree with everything you said. Making ballet a sport would emphasise difficulty over artistry (as we have seen happen with gymnastics) and would make it barely recognisable. I also like the idea of an "athletic art" since gym, figure skating, cheer etc are seen as aesthetic sports.
Everyone underestimates Ballet. They think its easy and dumb, when really it's way harder than a lot of sports. It really hurts me when people say, "Oh you do Ballet that's dumb." When really it's a sport and art that takes a lot to do and not everyone can handle it.
As a veteran gymnastics coach and former gymnist, I can honestly say that gymnastics has changed from its original purpose and focus, which is why it looks the way it does today. It is VERY much a sport, but, (I'm dating myself) back in my day, we HAD to take ballet before entering gymnastics for the leaps and turns, which I loved. I honestly think we need to bring that back. Been following you ladies from the beginning and love what you put together. This is an excellent topic. Keep it up!😊
And yet it would be so much better than break dancing in the Olympics. It was painfully awkward to watch, and they removed any possible musicality out of it by making their music a surprise. I'd rather they just remove break dancing and leave ballet as it is.
As a ballet fan I am very pleased by the precision of movements and steps that Rebeca Andrade played at the Olympics
I could only understand the art and the sport involved in her presentation because I like ballet so much.
I mean ballet isn’t PURE sport, but I would like to see ballet in the Olympics because there would finally be something I enjoy in the Olympics. I don’t really like sport myself in general. However, I enjoy dancing very much because dancing to a pieces of music makes me enjoy the music even more.
If you haven’t seen rhythmic gymnastics, you should check it out. It definitely isn’t as refined as ballet but does have some cool elements to it, and I actually think the ribbon apparatus could be incorporated into ballet to create some really incredible visuals!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We love ballet so much🫰🏻🫰🏻
Exactly as the other comment said: try rhythmic gymnastics (not be confused with artistic gymnastics), synchronised swimming and figure skating ;)
You should really check out figure skating, I enjoy it a lot. Yuzuru Hanyu is probably my favourite, his musicality is really good.
By the way ballet reign what are all the music played in the background?
I agree with you girls, Ballet has a very athletic part (which is very important) but I think that ballet doesn't have to be considered a Sport because it will lose the art and the artistry that makes a ballet come to life. Dancers will only concentrate on the technique and do more and more (just like figure skating ) and we will lose the heart of ballet
Marianela is a wonderful example of how great technique allows an artist to express individual style.
I'm also a BIG Marianela Nunez fan
I genuinely believe ballet is an art form and not a sport. However, if getting it to Olympics means getting more people to pay attention to ballet and to take it more seriously, I'm down. I mean, there are already a million ballet competitions so why not bring it to the Olympics as well? If figure skating and break dance are already there then what are we waiting for?
If ballet was I sport I would have to stop dancing and stop watching if as I HATE sport. Art all the way for me.
i mean if they have breakdancing as an olympic event why not ballet where ballerinas from all around the world can create their own artistic piece, i think it would be innovative
I think ballet is definitely a sport but also for sure an art it’s both but at the end of the day the artistic side matter more in ballet but there is no pathing like ballet because it requires an insane amount of athleticism while requiring it to be artistic
i think it would have so many rules for it to become a "sport" that it wouldn't make any sense. I also practice taekwondo and the IOC rules for competition it's the only thing i hear from people that's "killing" taekwondo. I guess it would be the same with ballet
No, ballet does not belong in the Olympics. Sorry. It is an artform and definitely a sport but mostly performance based. The Olympics are about competition. Dance does not have a place in competitive sports. Sorry.
i lowkey searched this up 5 minutes before this was posted 😭🙏
The use of subjective and exquisite on this channel though. 😂
As a poet, avid reader, and mere artist, what drew me as a viewer of ballet is the musical storytelling through dance. Ballet is very much a symphony (especially if there's an actual orchestra in the pit, lol.), and as a symphony, it is so much more than the tricks. As incredible as Odile's 32 fouettés are, Swan Lake is so much more than that, and the more simple steps are just as important to the total whole as the complicated tricks.
I think it depends on what level a dancer is at.
At first one does need to treat it almost as a sport. But if one wants to be a top tier dancer, this is where the art comes in. Artistry is a critical ADDITION that separates the best dancers from a good dancer with solid skills. Keyword, ADDITION. It has to be on top of a solid skill.
Like cream on the cake. It makes a cake better. But if there's no cake to begin with...
I'm not gonna call out the name, but, hypothetically, if a principal cannot physically perform that 32 fouettes, and has a technique so poor that had to change the choreo in Swan Lake. My humble opinion is that artistry might not be the primary goal of this hypothetical dancer. Take a step back and polish the technique and train like an athlete. Practice Practice Practice, get the techniques there, and then let's talk about art.
And I'd say this is true for most art forms. Take violin for example. There's intonation (play in tune). And there's musicality. Musicality is an additional to intonation. If a professional violinist cannot even play in tune, forget about musicality and pick up that dam Carl Flesch Scales System and start practicing!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Solid technique is definitely sooo important, it enables the dancer to express and emote more freely ✨✨
Ballet is art and should remain this. You go an watch ballet not only for the technique but for the story, for the emotions. Since the code in artistic gymnastics changed all artistic part is gone. All we see is the same routine all over again. So no. Balet isn't and shouldn t be treated as sport. Is harder sometimes but should stay in the theater.
Would you ever consider talking about the toxic perfectionist culture ballet can create? How most ballet schools' program is to get students into the world of professional dancing? It would definitely be a more serious video, but it would personally help me work through my relationship with the ballet community. I don't have the physical body needed for professional ballet, but I want to continue ballet well into my life, and it's hard to find non professional options past high school.
I'm more into hip hop dancing instead of ballet (though I did technically train ballet as a kid), so that might be influencing my view point but I personally view dance as both art and sport. The competitive nature of sport comes through the desire to constantly improve the craft, find the perfect technique and push the boundaries of what is possible. My country does very well in Rhythmic Gymnastics, which also means I'm interested in it, and I couldn't not stop comparing the gymnastics code to the techniques that say, a Vaganova school would want of their students.
At the same time, the artistic elements of dance doesn't go away. The art comes from the music, the energy that you put into every step. I don't think calling it a sport takes away from the art of a dance. There's a lot of sports that include more than *just* the physical part of it - gymnastics or figure skating includes artistry, martial arts include the traditions that come along with it, even chess is demanding in a different way. And on the flip side, you can obviously have art without the athletics, so dividing dance from the physical aspect of it isn't the entire truth of it either.
athleticism
yes it 100% should be in the olympics-judge it like a dance comp-there’s PLENTY of technique in ballet-i take that back ballet is MOSTLY technique-there’s a right and a wrong-at least that’s what i’ve learned (i actually js got out of dance a little bit ago) also i love ur channel!!!!
im so glad i got out of ballet early so i could watch the premiere lol
Thanks for joining us today and for sharing your thoughts! 🩷✨
Break dancing and gymnastics are Olympic sports, so why not ballet ? Or have a preforming arts category.
**** onto from the perspective that many many ballet moves (especially on danseurs behalf’s) that require INCREDIBLE athletic ability
Only*^
I don’t think ballet should be in the Olympics I think it would take away the art of it
Ballet is an Art, to me it is. It’s better than the Olympics too.
I've always said that ballet is a sport and an art form. Sport because of the athletic strength needed to do what we do and art from because of the beautiful story that we tell with our dancing, costumes and sets. I also agree with ballet not needing to be in the Olympics. In my opinion ballet is it's own category and if I'm being completely honest the Olympics just won't do it the justice it deserves.
Thank you for sharing this! Art should be enjoyed, not compared ✨✨
@@balletreign exactly, and yes we have competitions like YAGP and Prix but those are still enjoyed competitions by ballet lovers. I feel like there would be more people more interested in the "sports" aspect of the Olympics then they would be watching and enjoying the ballet.
Ballet is a lot of physical activity, but still I want ballet to remain an art form.. not a sport
NO
hahahaha. but that's me
Omg Jordan looks so cute with bangs
Ballet is, in my opinion, in the same range of the with the sport/art spectrum as Ice Dancing, Figure Skating, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Synchronised Swimming, and several other artistic sports. I absolutely do think that several of the dance forms, along with Ballet, should be in the Olympics. I am an avid fan of dance sport ballroom dancing, too. There is a lot of athleticism in dance of all types.
Ballet... not a competition and NOT a sport. Dancers who treat it like a sport are ruining ballet.
Balet w sporcie jest i jest nim gimnastyka artystyczna. Także taniec to taniec balet, a jest już w gimnastyce balet to nie potrzeba. Choć od dawna widać, , że taniec obecnie jest bardziej jako sport niż artystyczny taniec.
@kabardinka1 THANK U SO MUCH FOR THIS COMMENT
AGREED!!! Of course it’s athletic, but it’s not a traditional “sport “😊
While I agree with you, you did get something wrong. In ballet and other genres of dance competitions do exist. Yes, they are not the main focus of dance, but just keep in mind that they are there. Other than that, you’re correct!
@@yourlilllamabud1714 sa konkursy, ale artystyczne i osobne. To nie jest sport.
This is actually something that’s happening in France and probablement in other contries too.
Everyone thinks ballet isn’t a sport actually ballet is a sport cause it’s dance (and an art form) and dancing is a sport.
Sport is something that’s tiring and athletique.
So people think dance isn’t tiring and athletique like bruh did u see professionnelle dancers there sweating after doing frappés,pirouettes,… etc and is NOT athletique look at the male dancers there litterally flying in the studio and so athletique. And for ballet ( any other dance) we have to make look like art and less like a sport and this is something that i struggle a lot with.
PS: Love y’all are amazing ❤
Exactlyyy ballet is and art form but it is also incredibly athletic! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for watching today ✨✨
so unrelated question, are you guys twins?
On the one hand, when I see things like table tennis, golf, and breakdancing in the Games, I feel like ballet SHOULD be there because it is way more athletic and difficult than any of those.
However with the way gymnastics and figure skating have been ruined, I would never want to see that happen to ballet so then my vote is, to quote Father Dowling on Father Dowling Mysteries, "Absolutely not!"
IF it were, I think we would need to keep the perfect ten system artistic gymnastics used to have, with a specific amount of required difficulty and then allow a limited amount of bonus points. (Or even the old Risk Originality and Virtuosity criteria from prior to 1989.) And for a format:
Round I: Prescribed ballet barre/class, much like skating's old compulsory figures
Round II: Mandatory variation where you can't change anything. (However everyone can choose their variation).
Round III (This is where the bonus system would be allowed): An original choreographed variation to a classical piece of the dancer's choice.
Pas De Deux and Corps could also have competitions, but perhaps eliminate the class/barre in that case.
it is VERY physical by dancing, but the purpose of art is ACTING through the pain. (obiously not enough pain to INJURE you, you have to have limits and restrictions and you need breaks like a sport.) just like violin, even if you are learning a hard passage and sight reading in front of an audience, you don’t want it to seem like you’re struggling. smile through tough things. like ballet even if it’s hard that doesn’t accuse the fact that it’s still art. playing sports isn’t art, it’s competition and entertainment. art CAN be entertainment, but should NEVER be competition. IN MY OPINION. you guys said everything so so well. I 100% agree. and I don’t even perform ballet, never even tried. I play violin. lol
I think the sport aspect has taken a lot away from the artistry of figure skating and gymnastics. It has pushed them more towards the physical aspect
I think the key to preserve the artistry but allow the sport is to make sure all sport submissions are original choreography not variations. Variations were choreographed w/ the story in mind, and I'd imagine choreographed for a specific dancer's strengths. (This is the case at least in musical theater.) Like, if someone picks a pop song with no story behind it, and choreographs amazing pointe work to it, and we judge them like we do for figure skating, artistic gymnastics, ice dance, or rhythmic gymnastics, I don't think traditional ballet would suffer. I don't go out to see artistic gymnastics in theaters. But i do go out to see ballets (in my case, SF ballet). I think the competitive variations where we compromise the original intent of the choreography and story is problematic for all the reasons you said.
And then, I think that would draw more people to classical music and traditional ballet. If only for the juxtaposition of the story and artistry being king above tricks/elements/athleticism.
I agree with everything you say here!
rpopova's chat: "You don't seem to talk at all about the positives of making ballet an olympic sport - popularising it, allowing for international dancers to all come together regularly, etc."
I suggest you make a case of it here in the comments!
Ballet as a sport could actually result in a lot of innovation and cool new discoveries of how much our bodies can achieve. Like in figure skating for example, where the first quad axle was landed in competition only 2 years ago! This in turn could actually benefit ballet as an art, providing new ideas and ways to convey emotion and story to an audience.
However change is hard, especially for ballet, which has so much history and tradition attached to it. If ballet does become a sport there would definitely be a divide between the 'Olympic athlete' vs the 'performer' - and I feel like there would be a certain prejudice placed on the former as they are seemingly not truely doing it for the art, which is what ballet is ultimately for.
No
We have a lot of considerations for sport but think about this: ballet is much older than many olympic sports. Think how gymnastics was in the early 1900 and how ballet was. Why would you want such an amaizing art form to become just a sum of steps and technique. Ballet is so much more. We go to see a ballet not only for the solo variations but for all the story told by every dancer as a hole. The emotion I get when I watch the entrance of the Shadows in La Bayadere ore the willis in Giselle I don t have when I see some variations in a competition.
Noo
Great post. I will add that there's a lot of politics that goes into the Olympics. Why skateboarding, when tumbling is not an Olympic sport? And I have to add that the amount of time female gymnasts spend doing dancy things instead of actual gymnastics seems silly to me.
If ballet is ever added to the olympics, the one thing I would be careful with is setting up a good minimum age restriction from the very start (18 at least imo) because you just need to take one look at figure skating to know that sending kids to high stakes competitions like the olympics can end in heartbreaking tragedy
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I firmly believe ballet is not a sport. BUT I want the respect of the dancer to be just as respected as an athlete. I don’t mind dance competitions but it shouldn’t compromise the artistry and the skills needed. I watched figure skating decrease in the artistry and become mostly technical skill and it turned into this massive jump fest because the higher level the jump, higher the points. And I don’t want that to happen with ballet. And I have seen a lot of older gymnasts say that with gymnastics where the floor portion is less about artistry and more about the technical elements. I mean that is true depending on a show vs competition but overall as a whole. But talking about just ballet, it shouldn’t be a sport but it needs to be respected for what it is and dancers themselves need to be respected just as much as an athlete
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.........keep acrobatics out of ballet...................
My objection to ballet and music competition is not that it kills the artistry, but that it warps the motivation of the young artist. Many prodigies lose their love for their art under the pressure to be the best.
As a ballerina ballet is kinda of art and kinda of sport burnout really
but it must be seen more especially by the olympics because.
Another thing skating it is art or kinda of art and it is in the Olympics so why ballet is not with them , And that's my opinion
Can we pose the same question to Competitive Ballroom Dancing and other dance forms?
Absolutely agreeing with all that you say here!
In fact, being a lover of art and dance and story, I'm firmly on the side of wanting to see more artistry in figure skating.... In recent years, so many athletes have placed their focus on doing exactly what you described: putting in more advanced tricks to score points, and sacrificing artistry altogether (even though there is technically an artistic component in the scoring.............). Of course, one could argue that the artistry can come out in ice shows or ice dancing, and let the competitions focus on athleticism... But I think Ice shows in general are far rarer than ballet productions, probably due to the rarity of available rinks.
The only silly reason I might say yes to Ballet Olympics would be because THE WORLD IS MORE THAN READY TO SEE A JEMIMA PUDDLEDUCK DANCER WINNING A MEDAL AND STANDING ON THE PODIUM IN COSTUME.... ON MAINSTREAM TV IN FRONT OF BILLIONS OF VIEWERS........!
Fr figure skating has lost so much artistry. I'm loving Yuzuru's ice shows after retiring because he's bring so much of the art figure skating is back
Well, in most ballet competitions, one of the scoring criteria is artistic impression, which maintains ballet as an art form.
Aw, I would LOVE to see you two volunteer for football experiment!
Sport? Art? Por qué no los dos?
I say this as a ballet coach and syncronised swimmer, in my opinion, the preference to performance oriented ballet does not mean that competition isn't a valid part of ballet.
Dancesport is what competitive ballroom dance is called in some parts of the world, and ballroom dance has other sides as well, including performance and social dance.
I think the most important discussion is the comparison in the changes in judging criteria that have happened in artistic gymnastics and in ballet competitions. Both have IMO trended towards athleticism and away from artistry, which is an issue to be discussed at all levels.
The issue you both discussed together directly before deciding it's "not worth it" to lose that honestly could be regarded as the more gatekeepery side of ballet, which is a topic I'd love to see you discuss on a future podcast.
Perhaps any potential Olympic scoring system could be informed by the (we aways hope) balanced scoring system in comps like YAGP and PdL with artistry keeping it's place despite ballet standing alongside less artistic sports in a potential Olympic appearance.
I don't really have an opinion as to yes or no, just discussion points...
Also shout out for including a clip of the Duolingo on ice commercial😂😂😂
Thanks for everything you do!
It could be a rule that you have to make a new choreography so that the old traditional pieces wouldn't get tainted
I love this video so much and how you worded everything! it's literally like you took the words out of my mind 😂 ❤ I hope that in the next few decades, maybe even centuries if we're lucky, Ballet will remain the beautiful athletic art that it is
Ballet is very nearly what Richard Wagner called the "total work of art".
I would love for ballet to be in the sport, it's as you said 'athletic-art' and it's incredibly hard like all the other sports, however when you compete ballet - which many people already do in ballet competitions (and more like the Olympics is YAGP) - however, I feel when people compete in ballet you lose a little bit of the artistry and quality, which is what ballet is a big part of - and the dances get repeated (such as Esmerelda variation). Overall, I don't think ballet should be in the Olympics - we already have YAGP - which is pretty similar. One day, ballet may be in the Olympics though, and I respect everyone's opinions. 🩷
When the points system in gymnastics started rewarding skills and difficulty rather than artistry there was incentive to do much less 'dance' skill. When you watch gymnasts do the 'dance' part of their routines they look like they are going through the motions 'because we're supposed to do these movements' and often look expressionless with their head just staring into space. They are also not often synched with the music on the floor exercise. I wouldn't want ballet to become a sport where the 'routines' are designed to maximize points at the expense of artistry.
I literally believe every word coming out of your mouths, keep up the optimistic pov on ballet!
yes, context! what if, in settings like the olympics, they defined it as something like “ballet technique”? maybe using the format of an exam/class for scoring and taking variations off of the table completely - leaving them for ballet-specific settings/audiences?
teams could get creative with the combinations they put together (have specific positions they have to include for scoring). i think it could be an interesting way to showcase the tradition without diluting what you go to *the ballet* to see.
i’ve called ballet an “athletic art form” so many times!
How about we take rhythmic gymnastics into pointe shoes instead. It would take the sport to another level and include a sports version to ballet. Most of the athletes have to take tons of ballet classes.