Ballet history app for iPhone and iPad; $2.99 in the iTunes store
Ballet Society, a nonprofit branch of the School of American Ballet, has created an app on dance history and theory tailored to classical ballet students. Conversations on Dance, as its title suggests, encourages students to talk about ballet—in a new way. For example, on the topic of classicism, users have access to stunning images and short texts. They can tap on a brain icon to introduce a critical thinking question: A photo of Rudolf Nureyev in La Bayadère, for instance, prompts students to consider if one can achieve perfection in ballet. A sleek, interactive interface and inclusion of today’s ballet greats, like Julie Kent and William Forsythe, make the app particularly attractive to teenagers. (Ballet Society worked with SAB students for two years to design Conversations on Dance.)
Current topics include classicism, art and stage arts, with new ones added three times a year. Look for choreography and world cultures this October, with plans for photography, music, technology and literature topics in the future.