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Artistry or mere technique? The value of the ballet competition

2008; Routledge; Volume: 9; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/14647890801924550

1470-1111

Geraldine Morris,

Sports, Gender, and Society

Abstract In recent years there has been a remarkable proliferation of ballet competitions. This prompts a number of questions, in particular how much are they affecting current training and performance practice and, more fundamentally, whether the notion of competition may be antithetical to dance as art. Underlying these questions is the issue of judgement. On what basis are decisions made by dance adjudicators and how do they differ from those made by judges of the ‘aesthetic sports’ such as gymnastic or ice skating competitions? In the following article, I examine two prestigious competitions, to try to find some answers to these questions. This leads me to explore the problems that are caused by equating classroom vocabulary with choreographed movement and also to discuss whether the use of nineteenth century dances as the dominant, designated competition variation is leading both judges and competitors to value technical achievement over artistic performance. To do this, I draw on aesthetic theory, which offers a way of distinguishing between aesthetic and artistic judgements. My aim is to instigate a discussion between philosophy and dance, in order to shed light on some of the problems that arise as a result of ballet competitions and to discover whether in fact they can be considered damaging to the future of ballet. Keywords: ballet competitionperformance practiceaesthetic judgementsartistic judgements Notes 1. There was also a BBC2 screening of the competition shown on 29 December 1968 and filmed by Margaret Dale and Colin Nears. No more information is available about it. 2. I use the term classical ballet here because it is used by the organisers of the competitions but the term is not straightforward and needs analysis. This, unfortunately, is beyond the scope of this essay. 3. As early as 1968 Allan Fridericia complained that artistry was being replaced by ‘an orgy of tastelessness and circus tricks’ (Anon Citation1968). 4. Ninette de Valois considered that the ‘traditional classical and romantic works … constitute(s) the foundation‐stone, technical standard, and historical knowledge that is demanded as a ‘means test’ by which the abilities of young dancers are both developed and inspired’ (de Vallois 1937, reprinted Citation1947). 5. The point is supported by the concerns surrounding the authenticity of the versions danced at Varna and the resulting seminars that were subsequently held. See Warren (Citation1978). 6. This procedure has changed over the years and candidates are now initially selected from video material sent prior to the competition. 7. This material comes from the Varna website but at present, it no longer appears to be running. 8. From the Varna competition website: http://www.bulgarianspace.com/music/varna/varna_ibc. 9. I use the term classical because it is used by the organisers of the competitions and the majority of the ballet profession. It needs extensive discussion but that is beyond the scope of this article. 10. See websites for the following competitions: Seoul; Shanghai; Young British Dancer; New York Jackson and Tokyo 11. Competitions vary in their use of terminology. 12. The year’s tuition is paid for by the host school. 13. Press conference 3 February 2007. 14. The point is also made by Paola Salosaari (Citation2002). 15. At present ballet teachers are not required to be proficient in notation but this need not be the case. If notation was taught to 10‐year‐olds in professional schools, they would have no difficulty in sight reading by the time they reach sixteen or seventeen. In music, five‐ and six‐year‐olds learn to read music and ballet notation is no more complicated. While I am aware that this could not happen immediately, but if the Prix required it teachers could become dance literate. On the Royal Ballet School Teachers diploma all students were required to learn notation, and became very proficient, and this could be the case with all teacher training courses. 16. There are many arguments against the use of notation, but as a tool for memorising the dance quickly, it is highly efficient and its use allows more time for exploring the qualitative elements of the dance. 17. www.prixdelausanne.org/en/general_information/B22History.asp. 18. Programme for 35th International Competition for Young Dancers, 3–4 February 2007. 19. There is a DVD/video of the 2007 Prix which testifies to this and there is no doubt of the technical competence of the winners. 20. His name can be spelt with an s or x but in Lausanne, the x was used. 21. Author’s interview with Mavis Staines, 4 February 2007. 22. Author’s interview with Irina Sitnikova, 4 February 2007 23. Author’s interview, February 2007. 24. Author’s interview, February 2007. 25. Interview, February 2007. 26. Having watched a recent performance of Ashton’s La fille mal gardée at the Paris Opera Garnier, I can confirm this. While the dancers’ technical capabilities were beyond reproach, many of the stylistic elements were missing: such as, precision of footwork in the Chicken dance and a fluid and fluent upper body movement in all the dancers, many of the contrasting features of short movement phrase, something Ashton was very particular about, were also missing. 27. For an analysis of ballet communities see Wulff (Citation1998). 28. All the forgoing material is from my interview with Staines, February 2007. 29. Graham McFee makes the point slightly differently in Understanding Dance, 206. 30. Interview, February 2007. 31. The majority of the dances on the designated list are attributed to Petipa and the variation from Giselle Act I is also by Petipa, though not attributed on the programme. Of the second variation list three of the seven are by Petipa, one by Bournonville, one by Fokine, one by Cecchetti/de Valois (though other versions of this dance are also acceptable) and one by Gsovsky. The latter solo displays virtuoso technical achievement. 32. When reconstructing Auguste Bournonville’s technical studies, Hans Beck brought together sequences from Bournonville’s classes and dance variations to create the Bournonville classes. See Ralov and Vessel Schluter (Citation2005) and Scholl (Citation1994) for a discussion of Petipa’s relationship to the danse d’ecole. 33. Also see Komleva (1994) ‘Why Petipa is Losing at Competitions’. Komleva believes that dancers trained in the Vaganova School are the only true interpreters of the Petipa heritage. 34. Interview, Sitnikova, February 2007. 35. According to Ashton, both Pavlova and Karsavina had this ability; see Kavanagh (Citation1996). 36. This is evident from the catalogue of Dance Books and other dance book publishers. 37. The following quote is taken from the website of the Leeds piano competition: ‘ Musicianship and artistry are of greater importance than sheer virtuosity and in particular we are looking for young artists whose playing has the following attributes: beauty of tone, fine technique, musical understanding, judgement and integrity, rhythmic vitality, inspiration, passion, artistry and magic’; www.leedspiano.com. Whilst it could be argued that these are dependent on technical ability, criteria like musical understanding and rhythmic vitality suggest knowledge of the art form. 38. McFee (Citation1992, 242–59) deals extensively with this subject in the foregoing pages. I am not, however, suggesting some split between mind and body which is a different problem. 39. De Valois was always adamant that she had not imposed a system on the school but she did insist on a very definite approach to training which she varied from time to time and allowed her teachers a degree of freedom within her overall plan. Interview between the author and Pamela, May, June, 1999. There is also some evidence too to suggest that she organised the style to suit Ashton’s choreography. 40. The argument as to what art is and whether dance is art or indeed whether there is such a concept as art is beyond the scope of this article. But theorists such as Jacques Derrida or Pierre Bourdieu would argue that art is merely a human construct and as such is no different from other human activities. 41. For this reason, I have chosen to deal more fully with McFee’s work, and I merely outline Best’s approach. 42. I am thinking of figure‐skating as opposed to dance ice‐skating, since some suggest there could be a case made for the latter as art. 43. Kendall Walton’s ‘Categories of art’ (Citation1987), Danto (Citation1981), Carroll (Citation1997). 44. There are many arguments about the nature of art, a discussion of which is beyond the scope of this article. My object in using the notion of art is to allow for differences to be made between movement which is based on biomechanical principles and that which takes note of a choreographer’s style. 45. This point is taken from Arthur Danto (Citation1981) who argues that when commonplace objects are conceived as art they no longer retain their common status but need to be seen under artistic concepts. 46. With the emphasis now on dance science, this is even more the case, since each exercise is used for its biomechanical properties as opposed to its origin in social or performance dance. 47. Toby Bennett has written extensively on Cecchetti, and in Elvira Olga Preobrazhenskaya: a Portrait (New York, Dekker, 1978) Roné gives much detail on the values of the era seen though Preobrazhenskaya’s eyes. 48. Twenty‐seven of the 61 competitors come from schools who claim to use the Vaganova system (2007), Press Pack. 49. See too Morris Chapman (Citation1997). This is a video of Leslie Edwards interpreting the Foxtrot and teaching it to students from the Royal Ballet School.