American Ballet Theatre is currently in DC and I attended 2 of their performances of Giselle. What amazes me about ballet in general is the power of both music and choreography. Although I have seen this ballet countless times, I am always moved. The audiences for both performances were extremely attentive and appreciative. Jose Manuel Carreno danced the two times I saw it. He partnered Julie Kent and Paloma Herrera. They were all wonderful both in the dancing and acting department.
Just wanted to share.
Hey Dottie!
Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany
I was never a fan of ballet until I actually worked on one. I had never actually seen one live.. But let me tell you after working with a pro ballet company I would love to see one.
"All work and no smut makes Cammy lose her edge." ~DG
"Someday I'm going to have a baby and I'm gonna name her L'il Mimi Marquez and I and will sing to her every day and when she's a toddler I will say "L'il Mimi Marquez, clad only in a bubble diaper, will perform her famous play pen handcuff dance to the sounds of breast milk being pumped!" ~Kringas
I adore ballet and have seen most of the standard repertoire at City Ballet and ABT. I try to see two or three ballets a year, but would like to see more.
"What a story........ everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end." -- Birdie
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"The Devil Be Hittin' Me" -- Whitney
me myself doing ballet is a horrid site but yes i love how they make it look so easy!
A dancer might dream to see her name in lights and mean it,
but all she really dreams is to make someone
else feel the way she did when she first saw a dancer.
And that is so beautiful-Anonymous
I love going to the ballet... though I prefer when it's a collection of dances rather than a full lenght ballet. I tend to get bored during full-length ballets.
The first professional company I saw was the Bolshoi in the early 80's in Costa Rica, where I grew up. I saved for months and invited my parents. We were in the nosebleed section of the National Theater. It was spectacular!
Happy, smile! Sad, frown! Use the corresponding face with the corresponding emotion! - Kate (Meg Ryan), French Kiss
I'm a also a balletomane. Absolutely adore it -- especially the classic Petipa repertoire. I'm a sucker for a SWAN LAKE or a GISELLE or COPPELIA or SLEEPING BEAUTY.
Love the score to CINDERELLA. Prokofiev's work -- especially the waltz -- is so haunting. However, I hated the San Francisco Ballet's version of it that was aired on PBS. I thought Evelyn Cisneros was less than impressive in the lead.
I sort of had to learn to love Balanchine. I can see a parallel with Sondheim in that they both departed from the conventions of their genres and created works that are more astringent and less romantic.
I guess. It's just one of those things. In Seattle PNB is very Balanchine influenced, and I've TRIED to enjoy them, to no avail. Of course, that's not to say that I'll always feel that way.
Happy, smile! Sad, frown! Use the corresponding face with the corresponding emotion! - Kate (Meg Ryan), French Kiss
I love ballet...it is so graceful, yet athletic...I would LOVE to be able to dance like that...but the sight of me in a leotard would send people running away in fear..so...
As a child, my mother took me several times to Lincoln Center to the ballet. My favorite will always be the Nutcracker. I also took ballet for about three years when I was in elementary school. Ok, I was the worst klutz in my class , but I looked adorable in my tutu!
"Friends are the people you chose as family."....Me.
"everything ... is beautiful ... at the ballet ..."
ballet music has always been my favorite form of classical music. the tchaikovsky scores, especially SLEEPING BEAUTY, are just terrific. and prokofiev's ROMEO AND JULIET - brilliant.
seeing the movie THE TURNING POINT back in the 70s really "turned" me on to watching dance. (and i see that it has FINALLY been released on DVD! yay!)
ATLANTA BALLET has a good company. too bad their repertoire is limited. seeing MISHA in atlanta years ago was such a thrill. i FINALLY saw ABT for the first time a couple of years ago. ethan was hot. one day i'll see NYCB!!
Dottie -- I am pretty certain the NYC Ballet is coming to DC this winter/spring -- if you can get tickets to see a performance with "Thou Swell" -- DO IT!
It is a great piece -- about 15 - 20 Rodgers and Hart songs (with a full orchestra) and spectacular choreography....
Ballet is a perfect eveing regardless of the program...a perfect combination of art, music and things the body does for pure joy!
"Sir K, the Viscount of Uppity-shire...." -- kissmycookie
I love ballet!!!! It's so beautiful. I just wish I had better feet. Yeah, it's just great.
"Did you know that if you take the first two vowels in Olive and rearrange them it spells I-Love?"-Spelling Bee
"It's night like this that hotel bars were specifically made." Light In The Piazza
Dottie- Funny you should ask. I'm a theater/opera queen, but was taken to see Coppelia by friends while on holiday in Ft Lauderdale this weekend. It was fun to see Edward Villella and the Miami Ballet. The production was competent and the Performing Arts Center was beautiful, but ballet just doesn't speak to me. I miss singing/voices/talking. It didn't help that there was no orchestra-blasphemy!
Midtown, it's all about the live music. Too bad it was pre-recorded. If you get an opportunity, try ABT. They are wonderful.
KMF - I plan on seeing NYCB when they're in DC. I'd like to see the West Side Story suite. They were here last year as well (for the first time in about 17 years). Thanks for the suggestion.
Addy - I hear you!!!
Hey Dottie!
Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany
I am a season ticketholder for The Pennsylvania Ballet. Their staging of Slaughter on Tenth Avenue this past November was superb. I'm very excited to see La Fille mal gardee coming in March.