"Yondering was meant to be danced by students - only very young people are able to embody the idealistic topic and the naïve, idealistic, folk-talk atmosphere. In recent years many professional companies have left requests [to perform the work], which I have always rejected." - John Neumeier
Authenticity in Performance
Today, in addition to Canada’s National Ballet School and the Hamburg Ballet School, Yondering is danced by the Paris Opera Ballet School, the San Francisco Ballet School, the Royal Ballet School, the Houston Ballet Academy, and the Dutch National Ballet School. Neumeier still does not allow it to be performed by professional companies, holding to the belief that only students can embody its spirit; and yet, in the world of ballet, there are many examples of older dancers successfully dancing younger characters. One example is Margot Fonteyn, who began dancing Juliet when she was well into her forties, but there are many roles that do not require the dancers to actually be the age of the characters they are playing. What is different about Yondering?
Guillaume Côté on Authenticity
The question "What is different about Yondering?" was posed to Guilluame Coté, Principal Dancer of the National Ballet of Canada, who danced in Yondering in 1996 as a young student.