Open the window and ask someone outside who Paris Hilton is and it would be a rare find for someone to respond ignorantly. After all she has done well to establish herself as a household name. By many she is considered "fabulous" and leads an "idyllic" lifestyle, though in all fairness, she is comparatively and genuinely talent-free. At least compared with say, Ballet dancers, who thrash themselves indefatigably in the studio for hours in the hope of seeing themselves one day, on stage.
 
Now open that same window again and ask someone outside who Carlos Acosta is and it would be a rare find for someone to respond knowledgably. A man born in the slums of Cuba who rose to international stardom (in the dancing world) simply through sheer diligence and hard work, watching him dance even for non-dance lovers is truly mesmerising.
 
But why is this the case? There was once a time when ballet was popular when Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev would be out hounded by paparazzi and would spend many an evening with Andy Warhol and Freddie Mercury in Studio 54. Public awareness was not an issue; they were stars not simply in dance but in all professions. And Mikhail Baryshnikov made a small break onto our television sets in Sex And The City, but apart from that, there's not much else.
 
Less and less children are wanting to become the next Darcey Bussell, or Carlos Acosta. Instead we ask young girls what they would like to achieve from life and their response is the soul destroying, seemingly ubiquitous line: "Oh, I'll just marry a footballer". I don't understand why people don't wish to make a true success of themselves. Such as the Vivienne Westwood's or the Condoleezza Rices or even the Sylvie Guillems.
 
I would like to see more alternative minds having an input in ballet, it really has a lot to offer. If in the right hands, ballet can be used to produce some outstanding results. I recently worked with the Photographic Artist, Mathew Stone, who used my slightly more supple body to produce some incredible pictures. There really is so much more to ballet than just camp men and tutus.
 
Now don't get me wrong, I think Paris Hilton's antics are as much fun as the next guy (as do my gay neighbours), but is it really justice to celebrate this lifestyle of underachievement and mediocrity? We all possess a talent for something it's just a case of finding what it is. And Paris, I'm sure we won't be waiting too long until we see yours.

Alexander Loxton

London Kicks 2008

Written by:
charlie

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