Clear your diary, today is World Ballet Day 2019!
Yes, that’s right, the most “ballet” day of the year is here and we can’t wait to see all the amazing ballet content that will be shared online today.
Ballet companies around the world open their digital doors on World Ballet Day, inviting us to witness hard work happening in the studio and creativity at play in rehearsals by tuning into an online live-stream.
The first ever World Ballet Day took place in October 2012 when The Royal Ballet streamed a nine- hour day of behind-the-scenes footage. This live broadcast attracted 200,000 viewers and, since then, over 3.6 million viewers have watched via the company’s YouTube archive.
Following the success of this initial celebration, The Royal Ballet united with other major ballet companies all over the world to create an annual occasion unlike any other in the dance calendar.
Boasting 24 hours of non-stop ballet from all corners of the earth, World Ballet Day offers viewers the chance to discover how different companies strut their stuff. The programme includes company class, rehearsals and interviews with dancers, directors and choreographers.
World Ballet Day 2019 is focused around the theme ‘Every Body Can Dance’.
Each company will not only connect with audiences online but will also hold its own local programme of participatory activities to demonstrate the accessibility of dance.
The Ballet Papier community is united by our love of ballet and Berenice and Ambar love seeing how the art form enriches so many people’s lives. Anyone who wants to dance can dance – and anyone who dances is a dancer!
Viewers are being asked to use the hashtag #WorldBalletDay on social media to share their love of ballet and take part in this year’s World Ballet Day challenge to upload a video of yourself dancing in an unusual location.
If you wear Ballet Papier in your World Ballet Day post, make sure you also use the hashtag #BalletPapier – we would love to see how creative you can all be!
Watch the entire World Ballet Day celebration live by visiting http://worldballetday.com/.
Georgina Butler is a journalist, a dance writer and a dance teacher who specialises in teaching classical ballet. Visit https://georginabutler.co.uk/ to learn more about Georgina and her work. Follow her on Twitter @GeorginaLButler and Instagram @glbdancewriter