Our policy is that no direct links to YouTube can be posted to the board, but instructions on how to find specific ballet-related content may, with the caveat that if we receive a request from an organization, we will remove references from Ballet Talk, which is only fair.

Edited to add, 9 January 07: Direct links to YouTube that are ballet-related are now allowed, as long as they have a context: what the video contains, who's in it, etc.

Please note that this is a double-edged sword: while Google owns YouTube and is responsible for content, there are organizations that are vigilant about protecting their intellectual property and take the position that versions on YouTube violate copyright, and any public "outing" of content on YouTube may get that video yanked from the site faster than a speeding bullet.

The copyright issue is a very serious one, more than many people realise. However, I wish more dancers, ballet companies and dvd distributors would put their own clips on YouTube. This would be one way to promote and generate interest in ballet. For example, I would imagine that there are others like myself who have purchased a dvd after discovering its existence through YouTube.

Opus Arte (channel "opusarte") is doing that.

I do that a lot.

This is probably "off topic" but...

YouTube's attraction is it is a free central place for clips. But aside from the fact that almost all of the clips are not put there legally, there is the issue of incomplete and incorrect descriptions. Also, the information and key words can be intentionally misleading. I have seen one clip which claims to be of a famous male dancer when it is not and have heard of another clip involving plagiarism of choreography.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone had the time and money to make a legal "YouTube" type database just of short ballet clips. A central place to go for clips of interviews, of discussion about technique, of reviews and criticism, of ballet classes, of the ballet vocabulary of steps, of dress rehearsals of productions, clips from commercial videos/dvds/television programs. Perhaps it could even contain photographs and pdf articles about ballet or descriptions of ballet resources for students, teachers and researchers. Surely there would be enough people that would give copyright permission if they saw the educational and promotional value in such project. Perhaps the video clips could have links to the copyright owners, the publishers, amazon or ballet companies. Some of these clips exist legally on the web but there is no central linking point. .... Does something like this exist already?

I'm a big YouTube fan. But the reality is, despite the few examples like Opus Arte, the studio clips from commercially released ballet films and shown on TV productions are there illegally. I would suggest that people who enjoy these clips on YouTube occasionally purchase a DVD. If sales decline, the already lean ballet DVD releases market will become even rarer. Just something to think about.

innopac wrote:
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone had the time and money to make a legal "YouTube" type database just of short ballet clips. A central place to go for clips of interviews, of discussion about technique, of reviews and criticism, of ballet classes, of the ballet vocabulary of steps, of dress rehearsals of productions, clips from commercial videos/dvds/television programs. Perhaps it could even contain photographs and pdf articles about ballet or descriptions of ballet resources for students, teachers and researchers. Surely there would be enough people that would give copyright permission if they saw the educational and promotional value in such project. Perhaps the video clips could have links to the copyright owners, the publishers, amazon or ballet companies. Some of these clips exist legally on the web but there is no central linking point. .... Does something like this exist already?"

Yes, why isn't NYCB in the forefront in doing this? Or NYPL? I think in this day and age it's just self-defeating for a visual art like dance not to engage with new media.

Ray, NYCB and ABT have engaged in new media. ABT had a multi-clip preview before debuting Raymonda a few years ago and NYCB did the same with Kristian Sloan's videos of the making of Romeo+Juliet.

I don't mean to seem greedy, but I want and expect more from companies that have such large repertories and deep traditions. I think they've only dipped their toes in.

Perhaps it is because of complex contracts involving recording rights that would have to be re-negotiated. My guess is that it is too costly to justify the expense. (Unfortunately).

Sure, I imagine that this could be true. But I also wonder if any conversations on this have even been broached--conversations that would reveal to all parties involved the mutual benefits of letting more material on the Internet. The musicians union is very strong, and individual star musicians have a lot of control over what recordings get released, yet we can hear many pieces of music on the web.

My cynical guess is that no one has even begun to do any proposing, much less negotiating.