On January 22nd, ballet companies around the world will celebrate George Balanchine's birthday. They will post videos of his choreography, share quotes they feel are inspirational, or tell sugar-coated histories that paint a picture of a great man. 

​

At Ballet Nocturne, we don't believe in the importance of Balanchine. We believe, rather, in the importance of the women he mistreated and the countless women in the dance industry still suffering from the unattainable standard he created that still dominates the dance world. 

​

We are not pretending here that the fetish of an old man 100 years ago is any reliable basis to tell women whether they are valuable or not, and we are not pretending any art of his is valuable enough to undo the damage women still suffer from.

​

Instead, we are using the day to celebrate those women.

​

Join us on January 22nd as we aim to flood social media with posts that promote diversity in ballet and encourage dancers towards self-love.

​

What are we posting?

It can be a picture or a video of you dancing, or just a message.

​

What are we captioning?

You can share some of your dance journey that may inspire other dancers, a quote that speaks to you, truths you've learned, etc. Or no caption!

​

What is the goal?

On January 22nd, many people will be posting messages that promote a very narrow vision of what kind of people can do ballet. 

When dancers open up social media Saturday, they should see something that tells them their bodies are perfect for ballet as they are.