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Mario Testino’s current exhibition of photography in London’s National Portrait Gallery quite rightly nails its colours to the mast as an unashamed presentation of privilege and money with all the glamour that that entails. Sun-bleached hair and dazzling whites stare dazedly out of the world of the permanent party at the less so dazzling, drab audience of cold and grey London days. That the exhibition is sponsored by Burberry and Dom Perignon in association with Vogue is no surprise either. These companies need to associate themselves with the glitzy lifestyle in order to endow their brands with the quality of conspicuous consumption, if that can be described as a quality. A coincidence maybe, but in the ‘London’ section of the exhibition, there is an iconic photograph of Darcy Bussell on pointe backstage at the house. All very dramatic. All very fashionable. Perhaps a little concerning that the Royal Ballet is associated with such an exhibition of the ephemeral and superficial?

There is an insidious force at work here. Burberry’s Winter 2001 advertising campaign used models dressed as ballerinas in order to project a smudged and fin de siècle feel of libertine excess. The ‘ballerina’s’ consort is the archetypal English dandy and although there was nothing wrong with this – it was a great image and a harmless piece of fun – it reveals some of the still rife misconceptions about what ballet means to our culture: namely, it stinks of privilege, money and social exclusivity. Vogue has also jumped on the ballet bandwagon of late and in December its celebration of royalty included an idealised shot of the students of the Royal Ballet School simpering in tutus at the feet of one of their models, dressed in a princess ballgown of course. However, the image in the magazine was one that marries the idea of aesthetic and physical beauty very clearly with exclusivity, wealth and privilege. We have to ask: is this the sort of underlying message that we wish ballet to project? If so, then fine. However, this writer believes that the best ballet, and dance more generally, makes a claim to universality and is quite capable of speaking in the strongest emotions to the widest audience, irrespective of education, class or culture.

Mario Testino’s influence is not confined to the depths of the National Portrait Gallery either. His work is also on display in the House itself and has also been adorning its brochures. It’s a fine line to walk. On the one hand, a strong, appealing and classy image ought to do the Opera House’s ‘brand’ a lot of good, signalling that it is current and trendy and one that people today feel is relevant and easy to identify with. However, it also signals incredible privilege and exclusivity. Given that thousands and thousands of people pass through Covent Garden every day, is this the kind of image that Tony Hall wishes to promote? How many people think that the Royal Opera House has been turned into a trendy wine bar?

In a recent documentary, Testino was said to have been absolutely delighted that his work has been given an exhibition in a location as illustrious as The National Portrait Gallery. And so he should. Testino may be hoping that a little of the reputation and artistic significance of the NPG brand has rubbed off on him and his work as a result of his residency. The Opera House should also beware that they may not be the major beneficiaries of this arrangement. Testino, exposing his work in such a centre of excellence is accruing the associated kudos that rightfully belongs to the Royal Ballet and Royal Opera. Rather than the photos making the house look good, is it the other way around? Is the tail wagging the dog? Sloaney, changeable, superficial? The Royal Opera House can surely do better than this.

However, this is a problem that has not only been dogging the Opera House in recent months. A glance at the ENB’s 2001 / 2002 Nutcracker programme this year revealed distinctive Mattel branding on the front cover and beyond. In a world in which it scarcely seems possible to watch the weather without having PowerGen’s Monsters Inc tie-in shoved down your throat, nothing is sacred. Imagine parents’ horror as they realised that this last bastion of the non-materialistic children’s Christmas had been colonised by Mattel. Of course, the ENB had some very good reasons for doing this. The £85,000 received must be a relatively small outlay for a corporation the size of Mattel but it has significant meaning for a ballet company. However, it is primarily Mattel that stands to benefit from its association with the ENB, a highly respected international touring company. They can tie their products to the values of hard work, integrity, commitment and physical perfection and beauty that companies like the ENB implicitly promote. Even more cynically, the children who see the ballet will then be softened up as the potential audience and customers for the Barbie in the Nutcracker film whose release was cunningly timed to coincide with the ENB’s Christmas production. This marketing strategy may have all the subtlety of a Happy Meal but, unlike Testino’s portraits, at least it can claim to be an attempt to bring a new, young audience to the ballet. It is also a marketing strategy that will bring down barriers, making ballet look less austere and exclusive to a new generation of children.

The Royal was able to pass on Mattel’s generous offer: well done. This signals that Tony Hall and Ross Stretton are very serious about increasing the popularity and not the fashionability of the House (making the signals sent out by the adoption of Testino’s photographs very confusing ones). When appointing Stretton, Sir Colin Southgate said that, ‘The Board was particularly impressed by Ross’s success in broadening the appeal of ballet in Australia resulting in significant audience growth with a tangible increase in the numbers of young people attending the company’s performances.’ In addition, Stretton himself said that, ‘My great ambition is to contribute to the future of ballet, to ensure that ballet remains an exciting and relevant art form.’ It seems that the new regime at the house is one that really is committed to working on the popularity of the ballet and not its fashionability.

Stretton’s appointment is a timely one. Tony Hall has announced the intention to broadcast Opera House performances on giant screens. A trial screening of Romeo and Juliet will take place at Victoria Park, London, in May and Swan Lake was broadcast in the Piazza over the summer. He also proposes on-line chats with ballet and opera stars as well as a possible link with a national cinema chain. These are the sorts of initiatives that we need to see to improve the appeal of ballet and opera in this country. The Royal Ballet is in a unique position; unlike the ENB they are not so dependant on the revenue from Christmas shows like The Nutcracker to survive the leaner months between Christmases. Thankfully, they are using this position to keep themselves clear of logos and association with the cynicism and artistic bankruptcy of the trans-global corporations. (On inspection of the booking period 3 brochure, not a single corporate logo could be found). This is enormously positive and allows art to remain art rather than adopt the subservient position of a blank advertising hoarding to be filled with someone else’s product.

Our companies need to be careful. We appreciate that they need to find funding where they can but they should not allow this to compromise their integrity. Similarly, if corporations wish to benefit from the priceless kudos of companies of international reputation then they should be made to pay top dollar for it and actually do something significant to help their beneficiaries. No token gestures. They should not be allowed to get something for nothing. Congratulations to the Opera House for keeping themselves free of visible corporate associations and for allowing their space to be one that promotes the arts and nothing else. Oh, and the sooner they relegate Testino to the pages of the glossies the better.