World's First Virtual Reality Ballet Will Take You On A Magical Ride

People who love ballet will now be treated with a unique experience. The first ever Virtual Reality Ballet will enable them to be a part of the dance session while watching it.

According to The Creators Project, this incredible feat has been achieved by the Netherlands' National Opera and Ballet, Amsterdam which has created a spectacle in the world of Ballet dancing. Their debut VR ballet named "Night Fall" is the first of its kind, as it transfers the viewers into a different world altogether by means of imaginative effects of light and sound consisting of a single violinist along with "specialized choreography". It even uses some CGI effects to enhance the experience.

The marketing manager of National Opera, Harm Jan-Kaizer revealed that after watching a piece by New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the idea of using VR in ballet came into their mind. According to him, the viewer will feel like standing right inside the stage. "You felt like you were a ghost in a place where you didn't really belong. Nobody was looking at you," he added. So the company has decided to make a 360-degree video in which the dancers perform as well as interact directly with the viewers, depending on their position in the room. For the intended stimulation, a completely new style of ballet dancing was introduced by the company.

As reported by Digital Trends, press manager for the institution Richard Heideman in an interview said that a 360 camera with eight lenses was installed to ensure that the viewer not only sees on all sides but also experiences up and down views. The sole purpose of this production was to attract more people towards ballet dancing. "[We intended to] reach out to people who would normally not buy a ticket to a theater or ballet performance, but are willing to try the VR project - and we hope it gets them inspired and excited to also try the live on stage experience one day, " Heideman said.

The National Ballet has always acted as an "early adopter" to new technologies. Way back in 1979, the famous choreographer Hans Van Manen had introduced the concept of using a live camera on the stage. The introduction of Virtual Reality in ballet is just a continuation of their rich heritage of experimenting with technology.

TagsBallet, Dance, Virtual Reality, VR, Amsterdam, Netherland