A Ballet Magazine is making the bold move to A Ballet Education’s website. With September Issue fast approaching we here at A Ballet Magazine thought of sustainability. Sustaining something is not about holding on to the modes that no longer serve the overall community, but rather the necessary push for adaptation and change. David King created A Ballet Magazine as a labor of love that blossomed into 24 uniquely crafted issues. When he passed the magazine onto Elizabeth Weldon and Ashley Baker the world was in an extreme moment of flux and the ballet world was forced to go again into metamorphosis. Just like the industry we love to talk about the organization that is A Ballet Magazine must adapt. We believe nothing would be better than to transition onto the website you come to for your information . Elizabeth Weldon, Ashley Baker, and David King would each like to open this new chapter with a letter from the editor in chief , the creative director, and the founder.
Dear A Ballet Magazine Readers,
For over a year now, it has been such a pleasure to connect with you all through our digital publication. I have so enjoyed the opportunity to create content and to be able to share the wisdom and unique paths of so many incredible artists in our industry through the magazine. I am grateful to David King for entrusting me with the stewardship of A Ballet Magazine, knowing how deeply he cares for this publication, which was born out of his own love and passion.
Little did I know when creating “The Crossover” issue that it would be our last and that the magazine would be experiencing its own crossover. The internet, with free and easily accessible content, has made it difficult for the world of publishing. (For a sobering dose of reality, read William Deresiewicz’s The Death of The Artist: How Creators are Struggling to Survive in the Age of Billionaires and Big Tech) Like many publications, our magazine has felt the effect of this shift. Knowing what we were up against when I came on as Editor in Chief, I knew it was a risk. I wasn’t sure how long we could last, but I knew that whatever happened, it would be an opportunity to learn and grow regardless of the outcome. While I’m sad the magazine is coming to a close, I am grateful for the experience.
I am continually reminded that change is the only constant and that we must continually evolve in life. Things will not always work out the way we hope, and artists, in particular, will experience many crossovers if we want to continue on in the arts industry. Always on the pulse of innovation, A Ballet Education will continue to share quality content and valuable insider information through the blog and other mediums.
As always, I am grateful to David for his friendship, support, and belief in me as a writer and to Ashley Baker, as magazine co-creator, and incredibly talented, patient, and innovative Creative Director. I look forward to contributing to The Ballet Education Blog and continue connecting with you all there.
Happy dancing and wishing you all many blessings
Xoxo
Elizabeth Weldon
Dear Cherished ABM Readers
Change is the only constant in digital media. In our digital age, we have all become quicker to create, faster to digest, and hungrier to explore the next nugget of digital content. The A Ballet Education brand has always been dedicated to delivering the relevant, timely, informed and thoughtful ballet-world images and analysis our supporters seek. It is from this commitment each word, image, and layout in an issue of A Ballet Magazine is crafted. As Creative Director, developing a forward-looking layout of the magazine and direction of the photography has been integral to delivering the most up to date content to our readers.
The ballet world came to a screeching halt during the early stages of the pandemic. There was a steady stream of painful disappointment and heartache to report. In this time of disruption to our everyday routines, an understanding of what ballet was capable of enduring emerged and the answer rang out clearly; an intentional expansion into the digital world with more intention. The ballet world’s institutions were bending to the next generation of dancers who found comfort in the connections we could make online. Though jobs and acceptance may have laid dormant in this time the groundwork for ballet’s new relationship with media raged on. Stagnancy is in the past, and ballet is now moving forward at a lightning pace. There is such an abundance of rapid development and creation overflowing on ballet’s horizon, it has become clear that a quarterly publication of A Ballet Magazine is not the most efficient platform to deliver our content to you.
We are excited to announce that beginning immediately, A Ballet Magazine will continue to deliver the excellent, ballet-focused content you have come to expect on the platform you already know and love, A Ballet Education’s website, through a multitude of sub genres. This will allow us to deliver in real-time the ballet news, trends, analysis, fashion, and general beauty and appreciation for the art. You may have noticed that we have already begun the process of sharing past A Ballet Magazine creative work on A Ballet Education’s website and the response we’ve received has been overwhelmingly positive! The immediacy of the platform is where ballet is headed, indeed.
Elizabeth Weldon and I are beyond grateful for the support we’ve enjoyed from our readership over the past 5 issues of the A Ballet Magazine . I am excited to continue to provide visual stories that interest and inspire you, and I know that David and Elizabeth will continue to inform and capture you with written content that expands your interest in and understanding of the ballet world. We thank you for your readership and look forward to continuing to grow with you on this journey that is A Ballet Education on our new platform!
Xoxo,
Ashley
Dear ABM Readers,
A Ballet Magazine was my baby. It was the combination of my life in publishing and my life in ballet coming together as one. But, as every teacher knows and parent knows, there comes a time to let go. As we close this chapter of A Ballet Magazine, I am excited to see the future of publishing content.
I am also excited that all of the content for A Ballet Education is going to be FREE! This change is fantastic because now we can make ballet even more accessible to the masses. So, as we enter the new phase of A Ballet Education, A Ballet Network, and A Ballet Foundation, I hope you are patient with us as an organization as we work out the bugs. Ashley Baker will be taking a larger role at A Ballet Education. Elizabeth Weldon will still be writing for the website. We will also now be hiring freelance writers and photographers who would like their work published.
I am also excited that all of the content for A Ballet Education is going to be FREE! This change is fantastic because now we can make ballet even more accessible to the masses. So, as we enter the new phase of A Ballet Education, A Ballet Network, and A Ballet Foundation, I hope you are patient with us as an organization as we work out the bugs. We will also now be hiring freelance writers and photographers who would like their work published.
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