In 2010, Jennifer Homans, Ph.D., wrote a book titled:  “Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet”. A former dancer herself, Ms. Homans is now a dance historian and a dance critic for the New Republic. In this monumental work, she follows the history of the ballet from the 17th century to the present and gives the future of ballet dismaying marks when she states:   “For those of us who were there at the end of the last great era, and who experienced its vigour and its decline, the change has been momentous…” and further, “After years of trying to convince myself otherwise, I now feel sure that ballet is dying… we are watching ballet go.” As she writes “Ballet is an art of high ideals and self-control in which proportion and grace stand for an inner truth and elevated state of being”. She makes an intriguing case for her stance, giving the reader the sense that the last great era ended with the death of George Balanchine in 1983.

Recently I came across this video, in which Ms. Homans is not only giving a presentation of material from her book, but also of her own experiences in the dance world and her view on the current state of affairs in the world of ballet. I invite you to listen and form your own conclusions….