American Ballet Theatre

It’s hard for me to formulate my thoughts on the ballet performance properly. Ultimately, I’d like to say that I enjoyed this ballet far more than I had expected. I’ve never been one who appreciates art on more than just a surface level, but this seminar has definitely changed that. The performances left me wowed by the beautiful dances and the aesthetic beauty of the dancers.

However, the first act- though I appreciated the skill and dedication that was evident in every movement made- was my least favorite. To be fair I’ll say that the first act was the only type of ballet I had known to exist before Thursday night, so I had expected it to be a bit more moving and inspiring, since ballet is supposedly an amazing form of art. I didn’t realize that some of the more moving and inspiring dances came in totally different forms, like the second act. That first act had expectations way too high to meet. I didn’t realize that there were so many different types of ballet, each with its own purpose.

In all honesty, I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the idea that the third act was actually a ballet. I feel more inclined to call it a performance that incorporates ballet but is not a ballet in itself. I just don’t feel comfortable calling that a ballet. Does that make sense?

Also, regarding something Prof. Ugoretz mentioned in class: ballet is soooooooo about the physical beauty and movement of the human body. That sounds like a really simple statement, but what I mean to say is that all of the dance moves skillfully and beautifully communicated different feelings, and many of them were very suggestive. There’s just so much more to ballet than I have ever or probably will ever understand!

SIDE POINT: Why is “theater” spelled “theatre” if it is clearly the American Ballet Theatre!? It is clearly not the British Ballet Theatre. These spelling things confuse me sometimes.