A 360-Degree Peek Behind the Scenes
Sarah Lane, photo by Nathan Sayers
What’s cooler than behind-the-scenes photos or videos? How about virtual reality? The Wall Street Journal‘s virtual reality video—featuring American Ballet Theatre soloist Sarah Lane in rehearsal for The Sleeping Beauty—is pretty incredible. Not only does it give the viewer expected backstage access, but it does so in 360 degrees.
The newspaper used a 360-degree virtual reality camera to record the action, which includes some priceless footage of Lane and Herman Cornejo rehearsing and receiving corrections from Alexei Ratmansky. Lane’s charming voice-over gives insight into what’s happening—nothing unfamiliar to a dancer, but her warm personality shines through.
Virtual reality filming has the potential to change the way people relate to performance, since the major criticism of dance on camera is that it lacks the emotional connection of “being there.” But what if the camera can make it feel like you’re in the audience—that you’re “there”? These WSJ efforts are a step toward figuring that out.
