Classical ballet is a monster. Its physical technique is one of the most rigorous. Its tradition is unshakeable. It lives in a world of its own. During the Cold War, the Olympian proponents of the art - and defectors - Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov measured themselves on its stage. They brought a classical dance from East to West which has been attacked by modern dance - whose baby it is - ever since its emergence. Classical ballet, you see, did not come into being until the decline of Weimar Classicism.

In this edition of the ballet-tanz yearbook, we take a closer look at the myths surrounding ballet, set right some popular misconceptions and gaze through the lens of Joachim Manuel Riederer's camera at an unvarnished image of this art which worships stars, encourages democratic dancing and treats the ever relevant subject of youthful (initiation) rituals, as Dorion Weickmann, author of the definitive cultural history of ballet "Der dressierte Leib", shows. Of course this edition also contains the results of the critics' survey (from page 110), asking who is the choreographer of the year (a darling of classical dance), who is the female dancer of the year (an emancipated classical dancer), and which is the production of the year (one that has what it takes to become a classic)? The year 2009 proves once again that the classics are as unassailable and immortal as their very own Wilis and Sylphides. Glimpse the hard training behind it all on our video of the month at ballet-tanz.de