a Ballet Education Issue 15 | Page 6

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR The Social Culture Issue Ballet across the world is growing, no not growing, changing, no, the best word to describe this series of changes in ballet is evolving. Thanks to the internet and social media, ballet is now becoming even more connected. We have global events like world ballet day, and mass distributed performances via Bolshoi and Royal Ballet, and we now are live casting everything. We are becoming more and more consumed with social media and statistically, by 2020 85% of all online purchases will be influenced via Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. (Consumer Reporting and MarTech, original source Vandita Grover) So how is this connecting all of us? From Social Media superstars in ballet with hundreds of thousands of followers to business being born and taking off via social media, how is this going to impact ballet around us? I am taking an in-depth look at Social Media and how it is affecting ballet. It isn’t a secret that many dancers (students and professionals) are taking advantage of social media, specifically Instagram. Instagram worldwide now has over 1 billion active users, and those are converting into clicks, follows, and ultimately money in one way or another. Whether it is being endorsed by a major brand, or garnering a coveted “ambassadorship” to a ballet brand, to being recruited to perform in a gala or even a company job, Instagram is becoming everyone’s instant audition reel. In this issue, we are going to look at what is going on in the world of Social Media and how dancers should be prepared in this age of instant technology. This issue is also filled with the amazing story and work behind Elite Classical Coaching.