On Ballet TikTok, a place for young dancers to come true

“TikTok is so carefree, why not have a little fun with it?” Watters said. “Highlighting these comments also creates a bit of pressure: Talking to dancers this way is not good, and perhaps you can get exposed for that behavior as well.”

One of the reasons Watters feels comfortable getting things going on TikTok is because he doesn’t have to worry about his boss moving over. “I have a hard time finding an art director who truly understands what TikTok is,” he said. But the “Mom and Dad are not home” atmosphere may not last long.

Professional ballet is beginning to enter. The American Ballet Theater, one of the country’s leading companies, offered its dancers a TikTok course last spring. The company has been posting discovery videos to @americanballettheatre since August and is set to be the first major ballet company to officially launch a TikTok account. Where the Ballet Theater goes, other troupes are sure to follow, a change that could change the app’s ballet ecosystem.

Or maybe not. Current residents of TikTok ballet may simply skip the company’s offerings, especially if the corporate accounts end up as a technical showcase. “When I glance at TikTok, I don’t really want to see Isabella Boylston perform six pirouettes,” said McCloskey, referring to a lead dancer at the Ballet Theater. “She is obviously incredibly talented, but it’s boring. It’s not creative content that I use TikTok ”.

Akamine also noted that some young TikTok ballet stars feel no urge to seek approval from the organization. “In this day and age, on this platform, we have as much power and value as big companies,” she said.

Connor Holloway, 26, a member of an irrespective ballet troupe who runs the Ballet Theater’s TikTok account, said the company wants to introduce a version of itself that feels true to his culture. pear TikTok. Last year, Holloway successfully campaigned for the Ballet Theater to remove the limited label from corporate classes. Holloway said the ballet sex challenge would be “purely” part of the Ballet Theater’s TikTok presence, mentioning the company’s ability to account for a source ballet. crowds, with choreography and design contributed by young creators, like “Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical. “