They’re checking bags once again at the Hummingbird Centre! I recollect they did this last year as well but not to the same extent. I was carrying my TravelPro Tote shoulder bag. I had quite a few errands to attend to before the ballet and hence the following was discovered: Hockey Night in Canada rugby shirt, new supply of content lenses, Before Sunset DVD, Toronto Star newspaper, Pentax 9 x 17 FB Lite opera glasses, a small notebook, as well as my National Ballet of Canada Yearbook and program. I had attended the matinée performance earlier that day without incident.

I hope the above revealed my good taste! They were even stopping seniors and inspecting their packages! The gentleman who inspected my bag was very courteous explaining they were looking for recording devices and cameras. Well, if you wanted to you could easily smuggle a digital camera in your pocket. The new cameras are so small you could even swallow it and try the human mule route.

By the way, after the performance I noticed a few flashes as the cast were taking their bows. I believe they were more concerned with possible terrorism. I guess you can’t take any chances post 9/11. What a sad society we live in. Perhaps at the Four Seasons Centre, they will have some sort of Airline scanner to pass through saving us the trouble of having our bags inspected. At least that would be a little more thorough and none evasive.

Has anyone else experienced the above?

* If picture taking is indeed a big problem, why not make them available via a gallery on the NBoC’s website or for sale at the ballet boutique?

At Batsheva Dance Company's performances last year at UCLA, there were several very serious looking men in suits wearing little earpieces scanning the audience throughout the night. No metal detectors or searches, though.

Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles has several armed guards walking around.

--Andre

Greetings
They've been searching bags at the NY State Theatre ever since 9/11, though not over at the Met. It's definately for security reasons, though they may warn people if they see cameras in the bags.

I don't think that having pictures for sale would necessarily stop the problem of picture taking. Often because of copyright issues it's not possible to sell pictures and/or at a reasonable cost, and there will always be people who want to take pictures, but aren't interested in buying them.
However, it does seems like European companies are more likely to have postcards and posters of performances for sale. The Royal Ballet has a large selection of relatively inexpensive postcards and posters, while the Royal Danish Ballet sells a number of postcards and the promotional posters of almost all their productions. I wonder if there are differences in copyright between the US/Canada & Europe that make it easier to sell images of performances or whether it's just something that European companies have always done.

Kate

The National does sell many posters and photos of dancers. Perhaps a little more variety would deter picture takers. Though I believe the security was there to prevent possible terrorism. I guess you can never be too careful. Well, at least for ‘the contract’ I don’t think many will try to smuggle in cameras! So fret not, no German Shepard dogs will sniff your bags for that performance.


Future Ballet Security?

<small>[ 20 November 2004, 09:41 AM: Message edited by: Michael Goldbarth ]</small>