Post Gazette: Ballet is about as transparent as the federal government, which means that a very small percentage of its backstage business makes it into the public eye. Author Stephen Manes is about to change all of that with his new book, "Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear: Inside the Land of Ballet."
Sunday, October 02, 2011
'Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear': Backstage look at ballet steps on a few toes
Post Gazette: Ballet is about as transparent as the federal government, which means that a very small percentage of its backstage business makes it into the public eye. Author Stephen Manes is about to change all of that with his new book, "Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear: Inside the Land of Ballet."
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9 comments:
Opening up the backstage operation of the performing arts has always been a goal of marketing and development departments in the regional theater. Donors and theater-goers are always begging for a chance to see how the magic happens. While the article has little detail about the content of the book, it is exciting to see that an author is interested in getting the word out about the magic. Getting people interested not only in the performance, but in everything that it takes to get to that point will get donors and audiences excited and invested in what is going on. It will explain to them why their tickets are so expensive and all the little thing that go into putting on a production.
Hi, Chris. I'm the guy who wrote the book. And you can get some sense of it at the book's Web site: http://wheresnowflakesdanceandswear.com
Artistic director Peter Boal and executive director D. David Brown granted me access that was, I think, unprecedented. You'll meet the dancers, choreographers, stagers, and ballet masters, but you'll also see the stagehands, costumers, stage managers, musicians, music librarian, donors--even the house manager and the ushers. I'm hoping this will be of great interest not just to ballet fans, but also to arts adminstrators and donors. Making performing art is a matter of a million little decisions executed well and on deadline; this book literally covers several thousand of them.
First of all, I think that it is really awesome that Stephen Manes replied to the first comment. This only further supports my point in saying that Manes really wants to show people the inside world of Ballet. However confusing or secretive it may be. I don't think that there is an incredibly huge audience for ballet in general so I think that making it more personable is beneficial to Ballet. In the end, we all just want to see something a little relatable, that has the same effects on our emotions as something a little more literal. Dance is very expressive and emotional and I think that to really understand it, one needs only to learn more about how a ballet works and the work that is put into a single show. There might be some more respect at the end of the road and the dedication and lifestyle that being a part of the ballet has.
I'm glad to see Mr. Manes on this comment list! I think this project offers a unique look at the world of ballet, as well as the operation of the performing arts in general. Typically in any performing art, we aim to make our productions look flawless. Unfortunately, the general public doesn't know just how much work goes into making that idea an achievable goal. I'm thrilled to see a writer interested in pulling back that mask and revealing the backstage inner workings of the performing arts. I believe that a book like this will enlighten our audiences and maybe bring in those who'd be surprised to see that they might actually appreciate theater for the things that make the magic from real resources.
>js144
You may be surprised to learn (as I was) that a 2009 National Endowment for the Arts survey said 6.6 million people attended at least one ballet in the prior year--and that didn't count children.
And you and DPswag may be surprised (as I was) to read George Balanchine's comment from something like 1952 (which I used as one of the book's epigraphs):
"Ballet isn't any harder to enjoy than a novel, a play or a poem--it's as simple to like as a baseball game."
I've got to say, I was absolutely stunned to learn the immense contributions of the backstage folks. Lighting design, costuming, set wrangling, stage management--the average person in the seats has no idea how crucial all these are to his or her enjoyment.
Being able to work on the Nutcracker and a few tours with PBT gave me a brief glimpse into the world of ballet. I was able, from a stage management perspective, to see the triumphs and struggles of the dancers through rehearsals and performances. After reading some of these comments and the article, I would be interested to learn more about your experience, Stephen. Not only your experience with the Pittsburgh Ballet, but how that experience translates to the ballet industry as a whole. Were other companies examined?
I won't be surprised if this books sells very well. Audiences usually seem incredibly interested in the backstage or behind-the-scenes world of theatre, opera, dance, etc.
What would interest me personally about the text is how ballet differs from other theatrical art forms. Is the tech week structured differently? Do dancers have vastly different rules about the length of breaks than actors and technicians do? What kind of different materials are used in ballet productions?
I'm also very pleased to hear Mr. Manes' comment that "6.6 million people attended at least one ballet in the prior year--and that didn't count children." How fantastic! I think ballet is beautiful, and I am endlessly envious of those who are able to dance that well. It's great that so many people are watching what is so often misconceived as a boring art form. Ballet is fun, moving, and exciting to watch. Hopefully this book will inspire even more people to attend at least one performance next year!
Liz, most of the book is actually about Seattle's Pacific Northwest Ballet, which is among the country's top five companies. From what I've seen elsewhere, including Pittsburgh, it's highly representative of top-flight companies throughout the US. (Europe and elsewhere would be a slightly different story, largely because of state funding.)
Pia, you'll get a lot of your questions answered in my book even though tech isn't the main focus. But there's a lot of tech in the book, including a comparison between wood-frame and steel-frame sets, and a great deal on lighting with fixed and moving instruments.
One thing I talk about in the book is ballet's living quality compared with other musical forms. You can't name many operas in the repertory that were written after 1950, and the same goes for classical music. But except for the big Tchaikovsky ballets and a few others, MOST of what's performed today comes from the second half of the 20th century, and some of it even from the 21st, and new ballets come along all the time. People whose experience of the ballet is limited to the Nutcracker have no idea of this, which is why that ballet is such a two-edged sword when it comes to audience development.
Stephen, I am interested in going into Ballet after school. Are there any companies in particular that you would suggest I look into?
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