A kick in the ballets
Watching dance costs less than Arsenal.. and the footwork’s better
Art heals, art helps. We need it out there for everybody. And it is reachable for everybody
MARIANELA NUNEZ
ONE of the world’s leading ballerinas claims it is now cheaper for a family to see her in a show than go to a football match.
Asked about ballet being too elitist, Marianela Nunez, a principal dancer at The Royal Ballet, said: “This question has been raised so many times.
“I know people talk about ticket prices, and then to watch a football game it’s probably even more expensive, sometimes, than coming to see a performance.”
Going to watch musicals is likely to be just as pricey as ballet, she said, adding: “People don’t say that football games are elitist.”
Argentine-born Nunez, 39, is set to star in The Royal Ballet’s new production of Giselle,
which opens on November 4. Tickets for the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in London start at £6 for a restricted view or a standing spot. The most expensive are £125. Meanwhile, Arsenal have the priciest season tickets in the Premier League, at £891, while the cheapest matchday ticket is £26 for an adult. Nunez told the Sunday Times: “Art heals, art helps and we just need it out there for everybody. And it is reachable for everybody.”
The youngest of four children, she grew up in Buenos Aires and started ballet lessons aged three. Nunez has been with The Royal Ballet for 23 years and is widely regarded as one of the world’s best dancers. She was speaking before World Ballet Day tomorrow, where 51 international dance companies will stream 24 hours of rehearsals. The stars are encouraging viewers to post videos of themselves doing a “jump for joy” while performing their favourite moves. jeremy.armstrong@mirror.co.uk