This is Ballet

**Can ballet’s structural issues be addressed systemically and choreographically?**

MFA Choreographic Thesis by Julianne Cerreta

I’d like to note that the use of language in this documentation is very binary. Not every dancer in This is Ballet is cis gender and they use a variety of pronouns. However, the word “woman” still resonates with all of these individuals and I’ve been given permission to use it while discussing the work.

Mini Ballets

My motivation for creating a series of mini ballets instead of a single act work is in the title: This is Ballet. Everything you saw is a part of ballet. Cutting Act 4 leaves too many structural issues unaddressed, while removing Act 1 allows the audience to forget what they normally witness at a classical ballet performance. Subconsciously, audiences categorize and separate works in their minds. In my format, viewers must confront every aspect of the genre in the same piece. As the work progresses, layers of our unspoken realities are peeled back and encourage the audience to consider this multifaceted realm.