British ballet gets tights in a twist over advert

Dancer's of The Royal Ballet perform a scene from the new production of Swan Lake at The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, in this file photo from February 2, 2007. Britain's Royal Ballet has been accused of ''cheapening'' dance with an advertisement featuring a close-up portrait of a smouldering male dancer accompanied by the tagline: ''Superheroes really do wear tights''.

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Britain's Royal Ballet has been accused of "cheapening" dance with an advertisement featuring a close-up portrait of a smouldering male dancer accompanied by the tagline: "Superheroes really do wear tights".

The photograph of 31-year-old principal dancer Ed Watson appears on the new brochure for the autumn season at the Royal Ballet and Royal Opera.

"Superhuman," it reads. "Meet Ed. Fact: When he's dancing, pound for pound, he's stronger than a rhino."

Caroline Bailey, director of marketing at the Royal Opera House, defended the advertisement, saying it was a deliberate attempt to appeal to a wider audience.

"From the Royal Opera House's point of view, for every one of those (negative) comments there will be dozens of others who recognize how important it is to make artists and art approachable.

"We don't compromise the quality of the artists' work. We do compromise the notion that high art should be roped off and reserved for certain sections of society."

In a commentary on the advertisement in the Independent newspaper, writer David Lister linked it to using sex to sell tickets.

"If selling dance on goods looks, pseudo celebrity and an impossible promise of sex brings in a new audience, then whatever the cringe factor, it's worth a try," he wrote.

Not everyone is impressed.

Mary Clarke, editor of Dancing Times, called the change in marketing approach a "sellout".

"What distresses me is that he (Watson) is a great artist, really fine, and this just cheapens the whole thing."

When asked about the quality of the Royal Ballet today, she replied: "It's higher than it ever has been. They don't need to do it at all. It's a sellout."