Sunday, April 14, 2002

Celluloid Power

Anyone who thinks movies don't influence viewers -- life imitating art so to speak -- is silly.

When the outcome is similar to this Reuters report, its a good thing.

Evidently boys out number girls (14 to 10) at the Royal Ballet for the first time in 76 years.

The most excellent movie, Billy Elliot, is credited.

For those who have not had the pleasure, Billy Elliot is a miner's son who overcomes financial hardship and social disapproval to dream and become a student at the Royal Ballet.

Billy's father gives a heart breaking performance as a striking miner who truly loves his son, but cannot understand his desire to dance. Instead wanting him to box.

Billy's father's attitude -- that only the effeminate dance -- was a product of ignorance -- like most bigoted stereotypes. Ballet was beyond his experiences. But this changes.

One of the best moments is when Billy and his father are taking the bus to London for an audition and his father admits he has never been to London before. It makes the father's journey years later to watch adult Billy perform the lead in Swan Lake that much more of a triumph for them both.

But back to reality:

There has been a significant increase in the number of boys who want full-time training and are willing to take on ballet as a vocation, said Gailene Stock, director of the Royal Ballet School in west London.

The film has certainly had some effect on the younger boys. A number of boys at the school have said that "Billy Elliot" made them feel more comfortable about telling people they are ballet dancers.

She said stars such as Rudolf Nureyev and all male ballets such as "Swan Lake" -- choreographed by Matthew Bourne -- proved male dancers were more than mere "porteurs" (carriers) for ballerinas.

People have realized that male dancers can be equally stunning to watch.

posted by Bohica at 9:39 AM