2nd rural retreat

Twenty-six leading directors of ballet companies from around the world met in Hertfordshire, England for the second “Rural Retreat: Ballet Into the 21st Century,“ organised by Dance East. The conference resolved to “Communicate to governments, funding bodies and opinion formers and the broader community, the value, creativity and vitality of ballet and its relevance to today’s society.

“ They also agreed that high quality training for professional dancers was essential to the future of ballet and that they would “give priority to the career development and well-being of dancers“ as well as working in partnership “with other companies and organisations to campaign for increased investment in the creative process.“
After the first Rural Retreat in 2003, the general mood seemed to be one of euphoria, as the directors suddenly discovered a spirit of solidarity among their counterparts and a realisation that they were not alone in confronting the problems they faced. This mood has now firmed up into something more evangelical, with a determination to act together to promote their art form. At the think-tank’s press conference, held on the Terrace of the House of Commons in the Palace of ...