#SweatBeauty

So let's talk Wikipedia... don't fret this will be ballet related, I promise.

Wikipedia is an extremely useful tool when you need to look up something really fast. Mostly, because it is usually the first thing that pops up as a search result. Just yesterday I ended up on Wikipedia because I was googling Gelsey Kirkland. I just finished her out-of-print autobiography, Dancing on My Grave, and I wanted to find out what she has been up to. That is the benefit of Wikipedia, the information is up to date because any one person can edit at any point in time. Also why it is sometimes unreliable. But, I digress.  

The Wikipedia entry on Ms. Kirkland led me down the rabbit hole (as most wiki searches do) and I found myself bouncing from page to page dedicated to educating the masses about the world of ballet. This is when I happened across the PUMA Wikipedia page (devoted to the athletic brand not the jungle cat). 

I was interested in this page because PUMA for the past two years has been the major athletic sponsor of the New York City Ballet. We even used their ath-leisure wear in our most recent 2018/2019 season campaign. I ended up on their Wikipedia page, because I was hoping to see the name of my company next to the names of the celebrities that PUMA also sponsors. 

However, I was extremely disappointed. I didn't see our name anywhere! This corporate agreement has been contracted for two years already. On top of that, various women's collections have been designed in our name and image for the women who are looking for a ballet inspired gym look. 

I am proud of this collaboration, but also sad to see that it wasn't mainstream enough to make it on the brand's Wikipedia page. So, I took it upon myself to remedy that. 

Below is the last paragraph under the sponsorship headline on PUMA's Wikipedia page:

In order to support its women’s business, PUMA endorses supermodel Cara Delevingne and actress Selena Gomez.^[19][20] In December 2014, Rihanna was also named Creative Director, overseeing direction of the womenswear line.^[21] Puma is now also a proud sponsor of the Korean boy band, BTS, as of February 28, 2018, they are now one of Puma's many global ambassadors due to the band's major rise in fame. Singers The Weeknd and Big Sean are also brand ambassadors, having created their own collections.^[1][2]

Those are some big names! I decided to add my excerpt after these celebrity names to draw even more attention to the collaboration between PUMA and the New York City Ballet. I also kept it as short as possible so readers would take the time to glance at my submission. Below is my contribution:

To expand their horizons even further, PUMA began sponsoring a major internationally known ballet company, The New York City Ballet.[1] The two year sponsorship agreement began between the companies in 2016. In spring/summer of 2017, their first collaborative collection the Swan Pack arrived on the scene. Since then, further collaborations have ensued, including New York City Ballet's most recent advertising campaign #SweatBeauty. This campaign is based on the famous quote by George Balanchine (the company's founder), "First comes the sweat. Then comes the beauty." 

I have to say that I am quite proud of my first Wikipedia edit. Hopefully, this will help the collaboration become more mainstream. Click this link to see it live.