This Virtual Reality Ballet Will Blow Your Mind

Need something to cure your back-to-school blues? Oh, have we got you covered. Or, rather, Dutch National Ballet has got you covered: They’ve created the world’s first-ever virtual reality ballet, Night Fall, in collaboration with &samhoud media and Chester Music. And you can watch it right now on your very own smartphone.

Via the DNB website

What is a virtual reality ballet, exactly? It’s a dance work created specifically for VR, designed to be viewed not from a single perspective, but from any angle—360 degrees of beautiful ballet goodness. Choreographed by Peter Leung, Night Fall is a bit of a classical mashup, inspired by the “white acts” of both Swan Lake and La Bayadère. That dreamy premise works especially well with the otherworldly VR experience: As you explore the fantastical piece, you feel completely transported.

The easiest way to watch Night Fall is on your phone, using your fingers to navigate the 360-degree experience. But for the especially motivated/technologically inclined/fancypants of you, there are two more immersive options: using Cardboard with the YouTube mobile app, or using the Samsung Gear VR headset. Dutch National Ballet has even provided handy instructions for those advanced viewing methods.

Watch Night Fall below—and then check out DNB’s fascinating “making of” video, which includes interviews with Leung and principal dancer Anna Tsygankova.

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