American Ballet Theatre Performance Reflection

Going to the American Ballet Theatre was really enjoyable since I haven’t experienced ballet in many years, almost since I used to dance ballet when I was in elementary school. The fact that we were that close to the stage blew me away since I’ve never seen a ballet at Lincoln Center from that close. The first performance was very elegant and I liked it as an introduction to the rest of the night. I really liked the second and third performances though because of the incorporation of a plot and set into both. “Jardin aux Lilas” was backed by a beautiful night sky and forest, in which the characters engaged in two separate love affairs which were never fulfilled. “Fancy Free” was also very engaging as it used elements of humor to showcase a lighter side of ballet many people don’t necessarily associate with it. I feel that it fell a little short in comparison with “Jardin aux Lilas” because it seemed almost more like a musical without vocals than a ballet with thematic elements. The dancers in all the performances, however, were magnificent and were very in sync with one another and the music.