The Ballet and Opera

THE BALLET

The ballet was very surprising to me. I was of the impression that ballet was stiff, boring, and only for old people. When I saw Fancy Free about the sailors having a night on the town, I was totally impressed. Although it wasn’t the traditional form of ballet and reminded more of regular dance, it was funny, lighthearted and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My favorite though, was the Lilac Garden. The dancers played their parts so well and it was incredibly easy to follow the story even though there were no words. The end was really sad when she ends up actually going through with the marriage. The only thing that bothered me was the wardrobe for the women. They were all wearing long dresses that went down to their ankles. I though this took away from the grace and technique that characterizes ballet. All in all i though it was great. I would have never expected to enjoy it. Ballet is definitely a beautiful form of art.

THE OPERA 

The opera was actually a really interesting experience. The opera house itself is the largest of the three buildings in Lincoln Center. The sheer size and look of the building was really beautiful. The day Amanda came to teach us about opera, when she sang it was amazing. Her voice reverberated throughout the entire floor of the building. Our seats were really high up and the singers’ voices did not have the same power and effect as that day in the classroom. Even so I was very impressed at the various elements that are incorporated into an opera; singing, acting, and even dancing were a part of the show. I honestly think it was a bit long however. The story seemed to drag on in various parts and by the end I was getting a bit restless. Nevertheless Carmen was a really great show the emotion that is so characteristic of opera is what made me fall in love with it. I will definitely go back if I ever get the chance