@balletclub_ is an Instagram account created by a Dominican dancer Daniela Colón, who developed a new initiative based on her global digital experience and different contacts with social media ambassadors from over 16 different nationalities, all linked to ballet and dance in general. The purpose is to reunite them under the form of a community club of friends in order to support one another on an artistic level in times of the pandemic.
With more than 175,000 followers, the account has grown exponentially, becoming a real help for many interpreters, creators and fans who have seen in this type of initiative a possibility to make their way into the new world scene on an artistic level, in a context that has transformed the digital and remote into a new and auspicious path for the scenic showcase.
“Ballet Club arose a normal day between classes in 2014, in order to upload photos of dancers from all over the world,” Colón says. “Gradually, the account grew until it reached what it is now. We no longer only introduce dancers but also brands and small companies related to dance.”
The club is a bilingual multicultural group that does not discriminate race or artistic level and that works as a connection for both young performers and experienced artists, so that they mutually support their publications, inviting fraternity between dancers and helping to share technique, training and experience, as well as viralize publications, hashtags and more.
The account has played an important role in the development of dance solidarity campaigns worldwide, being an active participant in Swans for Relief, an act that managed to raise more than $20,000, carried out in the midst of COVID-19 with dancers and dance companies from 14 countries, organized by American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland. In addition, the Ballet Club has stood out for its support of dancers with physical disabilities and the visibility of young talents with financial problems, such as the case of a Dominican boy who was offered a scholarship to study at The Washington Ballet, after the publication of his case in @balletcub_.
Chelsea MacDougall, a Ballet Club ambassador, says of the club, “My world opened up to a dance family from across the globe. It was an immediate connection, and to this day we have each other in our corner. I call so many incredible dancers by their first names following their journeys, knowing full well everyone’s is halted by this pandemic. We give each other encouragement and support. We feel the same sadness and hold our breath with the same dream. Ballet Club is our family. Ballet Club is our bubble, and together no pressure will break us.”
These new networks have been able to create an important connection between a diversity of artists to support one another in a creative and technical way during the time of the pandemic, as well as contribute to the launch of small businesses, online classes and creating special publications for seasons and important holidays on the calendar. Chosen curatorially through various raffles, the idea is that each artist can use the account for one day, to show their life and the development of their training during the COVID pandemic.
You can follow Ballet Club on Instagram: @balletclub_.
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