YouTube 'Alchemist' Makes Ballet Legend Dance

Americans are more and more likely to have watched shows online

(NEWSER) - More and more Americans are watching television exclusively online and ditching their cable or satellite service. One-quarter of families have tuned in online, and 25% of those viewers have watched a full-length show on a computer—a 67% jump just since 2007. “The idea that you come home and your entertainment choices are dictated on what some entertainment channel decides is not for me,” a tech-savvy early adapter tells the Los Angeles Times. More»

Nope, Kevin and Jill weren't the first

(NEWSER) - Jill and Kevin Heinz made a splash when their wedding-entrance dance video went viral—but they weren’t the first couple to surprise guests with their groove. E! runs down some of the most popular YouTube wedding dance clips:

• Thriller: Brian and Sandy Lundmark managed to impress the King of Pop himself, landing on his list of favorite clips.

(NEWSER) - Television is still churning out Michael Jackson-related content, but Web surfers quickly lost interest after his death, Jeff Jarvis writes for BuzzMachine. “We had consuming interest in Jackson when the news came out but that quickly faded,” Jarvis writes, citing Blogpulse and Google Trends data on Jackson traffic. “Yet cable news and the network morning shows especially are still ODing on MJ.” More»

San Francisco's Newsom goes in-depth on subjects he'd otherwise trim from annual address

(NEWSER) - San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is living up to his chatty reputation with a 7½-hour state-of-the-city speech—on YouTube. The mayor, who is averse to speaking with the city’s board of supervisors and enamored of policy, will release the detailed address in 45-minute chunks. Why watch, wonders the Chronicle? “The good news is no one has to,” Newsom says. “For those that don’t want to, don’t.” More»

But teachers are 'horrified', cite potential for injury

(NEWSER) - Formal ballet is one of the most rigid education systems in art—dancers spend years doing exercises before they are even allowed to purchase pointe shoes. But some students are abandoning the hierarchy and turning to a less-stringent, modern master—YouTube. The Wall Street Journal takes a look at aspiring ballerinas who record their home practices and critique each other’s videos online. More»