Not Your Typical Ballet Experience
Other than my high school’s talent shows, I have never seen dancers performing live, and I definitely never saw professional dancing on stage. Because of this, I tried to approach the experience with an open mind, yet I still couldn’t help but keep thinking how hard it might be for me to stay awake, especially since Wednesdays are my longest schools days. Aside from this, everyone else seemed to be getting themselves ready for a challenge of not falling asleep during the performance, so I wasn’t really expecting anything thrilling.
Like everyone else, I was clearly wrong. This was, quite possibly, one of my favorite live performances I ever saw, of any kind. From the moment the curtain was lifted, and a weird noise/woman’s voice started coming from the speakers, I got excited. The first performance, The Curve, was also one of my favorite performances of that night (though a lot of people might disagree!). I thought it really set the tone for the entire night. The sounds played during it were completely unexpected (as I assumed typical ballet music would be the main theme of the night, and that it would dominate the performance) which, mixed with the dancers’ talent, produced a very intense and powerful outcome.
Being so close to the stage played a part in my fascination with the dancers, and to my surprise with the entire experience. I was able to hear them breathing, see their sweat, and even hear their cues to change position. I particularly tried paying attention to their faces and facial expressions. They were all so serious during The Curve, and as the show progressed it seemed as if the mood shifted to a more positive feeling, with even the lights becoming brighter and warmer in color. This made me think that these performers, besides having the exceptional talent when it comes to dancing, also partake in certain aspects of acting, in a sense. The way they move, the way they look out into the crowd, their facial expressions, all attribute to their personality on stage, with all of this having to be perfected.
The second performance that really stuck out to me was the solo part with the really, really buff guy. He definitely did not look like a typical male ballet dancer; far from it, he actually looked more like a body builder than anything. Yet, despite of his physique, he appeared graceful and was very entertaining. The entire performance that night seemed to be a sort of celebration of defying the typical, expected aspects of ballet. There were even several female dancers who really looked like women, curves and everything, who danced as gracefully as any thin, petite ballerina would. Furthermore, the performance with the buff guy made me realize another big theme that night – it seemed to celebrate the male body, and majority of the dances either focused on men alone, the relationship between male and female bodies, or relationship between two male bodies. Either way, each were filled with intense emotion, and seemed to have a hidden story, each story subject to change depending on how the viewer related to it.
Overall, this was definitely an experience I would love to repeat. It was such a pleasant surprise; it felt like there was some weird familiarity throughout the performance. Aside from the amazing dancing, I was excited about the music they chose (I recognized three songs; “Time After Time”, “I Put a Spell on You”, and a piano rendition of a Linkin Park song, which I ABSOLUTELY loved!), and the entire atmosphere of that night. It helped me gain a newfound passion, respect, and excitement when it comes to art and modern dance.
Posted: November 21st, 2012 under Modern Dance, Reviews.
