Category — Dance/The Body/Sport

I was a part of my high school choir and had the opportunity to familiarize myself with classical music and music that was not considered to be modern or popular. It was a valuable experience because I gained an appreciation for classical choral pieces as well as the typical orchestra pieces. Listening to Mutter was an experience that I appreciated. I do not get an opportunity to listen to classical music often so this trip was something I looked forward to. It was an opportunity to listen to classical music which I could not devote time to since high school.

What I loved about this performance was the passion that the musicians had as they played the pieces. Mutter and her students had a command of the pieces and conveyed through their instruments as well as the way in which they used their bodies. As a musician myself I believe that instruments are an extension of one’s body. The art of music is an art form of the human body. Its draining to passionately sing or play an instrument which is exactly what Mutter did. Performing in this way definitely leaves an impact on the audience.

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.

Due to religious reasons, I was unable to attend the class where the guest, Amanda, came to introduce the art of opera to us. Therefore, my perception of the opera before that Thursday made a complete 180 degree change once I actually saw it. I expected to watch a single woman dressed in an elegant attire sing “opera” for three hours straight without any interaction with other characters. I thought the ONLY pre-requisite to perform in the opera was to just be able to sing with a distinctly powerful voice. But I was so wrong.

When the curtain was raised, I was confused to see multiple men on stage. Already I knew that this performance was not going to meet my expectations in any way. There were so many aspects that I appreciated at the end of the show- the acting, the obvious vocal talent, the scenery, the costumes, the dances, and most importantly, the perfectly captured emotions. I enjoyed my time in the opera more than I thought I would. I really appreciated that the venue provided us with subtitles in front of us because without them, it would have been way too difficult for me to understand what was going on. However, our seats were rather high and so I didn’t have such a great view of the actual performance.

[The woman who played] Carmen’s ability to show her emotions was undeniable. Even though we were so high up, I still felt her passion. She was a little too provocative for my taste (giggle), but she was really able t0 insert so much drama into the performance. Don Jose bothered me a little with his constant mentioning of his homeland and his mother, but he too was able to give his character the appropriate emotion he deserved.

In class we discussed how the opera being in French obstructed our understanding of the content. I definitely agree with that concept, but would like to just add that this language is so beautiful that I think if it were to be in English, it wouldn’t be as audibly pleasing.

I honestly don’t think I’ll be running with excitement to my next opera experience because of its length and my preference of broadway shows. However, it feels incredible that I can say that I’ve been to an opera at all. It’s something that I’ve always been curious about and I feel very accomplished that I did it. I feel more cultured in a way and it’s really awesome. Thanks Professor Ugoretz!

The American Ballet Theatre was absolutely beautiful. From the sets, to the dancers, to the music, everything was beautiful. Every single “act” brought something new to the performance and I enjoyed every single one.

The first act, “Sinfonietta,” seemed to be about symmetry. There was no real set during this act, which made me think that the focus must really be the dancing. The choreography seemed to alternate between one, to two, to a group of dancers. The dancers did a lot of running and jumping in this act. I noticed that they made the choreography look so easy, when I know it is not. I know that the dancers have to be in control of almost every muscle in their body during the dance. I cannot imagine the work and hours of practice that went into each practice. However, something I did notice that bothered me was the actual sound of the dancers shoes hitting the stage. For some reason, the sound of the ballerinas coming down on their feet distracted me from the actual dancing and the orchestra too. I know it is foolish to be bothered by it because these dancers are coming down on their feet with their full body weight and coming down after being so high off the stage. Still, the sound bothered me and I found myself paying attention to it often. The music in “Sinfonietta” was high-spirited and mimicked the high-energy dancing. I was heavily relying on the orchestra for some kind of story line, but then again, I think this act was meant to focus more on the actual dancing and choreography and not on a story line.

The second act, “Jardin aux Lilas,” was the most emotionally touching act of the entire night. This act’s story line was taking place in a garden, which was beautifully created on the stage, where there is a farewell party. The garden party is meant to celebrate or focus on a soon to be married couple, however, it ended up focusing on the tension between lovers. The bride appeared to be set up, or arranged to marry a much older gentleman, whose costumes varied much differently from the rest of the dancers. There was a longing between the bride and the man she truly loved and wanted to be with. The audience is left hoping and expecting a final kiss between the bride and the man she wants to be with. Unfortunately, this final, farewell kiss never comes. There is also tension and a different sense of longing between the groom and his mistress. The theme that rang through this act was yearning and longing. I also thought that this choreography told the story of how unfortunate life can be. Both the groom and the bride seemed to be aware that they would not be happy in this forced union and wanted to be with other people. This specific act, more so the scenery and set, reminded me of Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Nights Dream. I actually think someone(s) in the class mentioned it during the act. Something I think that is important to notice is that the title of this act, “Jardin aux Lilas,” means “Lilac Garden” when translated into English. The thing to note is that lilacs represent the emotions of love, which I see very fitting for this act. The dancing obviously mimicked longing and orchestra played softly. The music made me feelsad and almost depressed.

The third and final act, “Fancy Free,” was my personal favorite. This specific act seemed to be more along the lines of modern ballet, not that I would know (this was my first time seeing a ballet). The story was about three, humor-filled sailors. The sailors were spending “a night on the town” when they started competing for the attention of two dames. The sailors were competing for their attention and almost asking the women, “Pick me, pick me, pick me.” Their dancing was high-spirited. I almost forgot that I was watching a ballet when one of the dancers jumped on the bar table and jumped back off. The choreography of the dancing captured the humor between the sailors. At one point the sailors burst into fighting each other in a very sill manner that was hard to take seriously. The orchestra, of course captured this silliness. The music was light-hearted and I think it was also meant to capture the time period in which this story would take place, perhaps the 1940s or 50s. The way the act ended was neither woman choosing a sailor, I think they just walked out of the bar and in the middle of their fighting, the sailors did not notice. However, a third woman comes out and the cycle starts again.

     I definitely see myself going to another ballet in future. The only things I did not like about the ballet were the actual sound of the dancers shoes hitting the stage floor and the amount of clapping the dancers received. I did notice that the curtain was lifted around three times and the clapping continued for quite a long time. I thought this was basically feeding the dancers’ egos. However, after I thought about it, I think they deserved it. They made each movement and motion look so graceful and beautiful. I cannot imagine the amount of energy that went into each performance and I think that it is appropriate that their hard work be appreciated with a few rounds of clapping.

One ting that surprised me at the ballet was how easy all the dancers made the performance seem. Only after maybe the first 15-20 minutes into the performance was when I realized how hard what they were doing was, and these dancers were some of the best in the world and have been training ti do this for practically their whole lives. The costumes of the first performance was one of my favorites because they were what i picture in my head when I hear the word ballet. Also, I loved the solo performances in the first dance, especially one selection performed by a brunette ballerina and the duet between the other two ballerinas. The first section I felt was more “classy” and traditional ballet and demonstrated the skill of the ballerinas. The second performance I felt was the dramatic and theatre-esque representation of ballet and I thought was beautiful. I was happy that i read the synopsis of the dance before the actual performance or else I would have been a bit lost. The scenery was amazing and I didn’t think there was going to be props and stuff at all. The third performance was by-far my favorite (and not just because of the Brazilian danseur (term for a male ballerina) even though he added so much to the performance and my entertainment.) It was funny, and entertaining, but you could also see the level of skill and talent each dancer had and I just had a great time.

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

I’ve never seen a ballet performance on any scale, amateur or professional. My limited knowledge of the ballet is from television and seeing characters on different shows attending the ballet. The ballet was my first experience with a formal aspect of “arts in New York City.”

What stood out to me first was the atmosphere of the ballet. I loved how everyone respected the performers and the ballet itself. The audience was extremely respectful and nothing really distracted me from the ballet. I felt that there was an understood reverence for the ballet from the way in which people watched it. The show itself was extremely diverse. The three shows covered a broad spectrum of emotions which really gave me the full experience of the ballet as an art from. I personally loved the last show because the music was composed by a Leonard Bernstein who is a personal favorite of mine. The dancers did an amazing job bringing this wonderful music to life. The dance and music aspects were not independent but went perfectly hand in hand with each other which I loved.

The past 2 weeks the Macaulay honors class visited the Lincoln Center to appreciate the art forms of ballet and Opera

BALLET

Although my younger sister is a dancer, going into the ballet I honestly did not know what to truly expect. That said when we first began to walk into the building as a class I was definitely astounded. It is by no means an architectural marvel yet the building gave up a sophisticated vibe. When the Ballet started I certainly wasnt expecting the silence that came right after the band started playing. The three dances were absolutely impressive and I was clearly able to see the amount of talent and practice that needed to go into the performance and make it as great as it was. I preferred the second dance about the temptress because I really enjoyed the orchestras slow songs and felt at ease during the performance as opposed to the first which i simply did not like as much and the third which i was surprised about because it wasnt the classic ballet. The Ballet truly opened up my eyes to a new classical world, as previously stated i did not know if i would have enjoyed the show but overall, I can say that it broadened my horizons. If i was given another opportunity I will most certainly go again.

OPERA

Without a doubt the Opera was a huge surprise for me. Walking in I believed I would hate every second of it. That said I took the advice the Professor and Amanda Hicks said and “let it in”. I was astouunded by the performance of Carmen and really loved the story. Being surrounded by friends helped ease me into the situation but i enjoyed the opera much more than i thought i wouldve. 2 things really stuck out to me; If the show was shorter I wouldve liked it much more and that my favorite part was the interactive stage that moved in a circular motion to fit the scene of the show. As Previously stated, I did not believe I would like the opera yet i think the mix of classical music (something i have an affinity towards) and a beautifully written story truly broke through my personal barrier. I loved seeing how every word had true meaning and how their connotations were expressed through the show. I also loved the foreshadowing and was able to really follow along making me know for a fact that I would go to another opera if given the chance and if it is not 3.5 hours long.

While I genuinely like the art of dance, I was nervous to see if I would find Ballet exciting and beautiful. I had always assumed that the strict form and slow classical movements of it would make it slightly boring and less artistic. After seeing the Ballet, I found it to be better than what I expected, and I really enjoyed.  That is not to say that I found all parts equally exciting (the Sailors kinda stole the show for me), but I feel like I gained an appreciation for the form of Ballet; in that it lent to a certain beauty in the purity of movement that I hadn’t ever seen before.

I appreciated the variety of the ballets we saw.  I liked that they represented different styles; the first two ballets were the more conventional type (even within that category was the difference in that one was a series of solos and duets while the other was an ongoing story) and the last ballet was something I had never envisioned as something I would see at a Ballet.  I liked each type of ballet for different reasons.

The first two ballets showed off the beauty of the human body in a simple, innocent way.  The fluidity of the movements, especially when done in a duet, reflected such an agility and graceful strength that you don’t really see elsewhere.  The dancers moved like gravity didn’t effect them completely, as though they were connected by strings.  Although they followed a form and there was repetition of moves, I felt that it aided in unifying the performance and made it whole and polished.

The last ballet, Fancy Free ( the sailors on shore), was my favorite.  Now, if I hadn’t been looking out for the art in ballet, I would have also chosen this as my favorite, but probably just because it was more broadway-show-like and exciting in contrast to the ones before it.  However, while I did find it exciting, I also liked it from an artistic perspective.  I was amazed by how creative they were within the boundaries of ballet etiquette.  They made it less stiff, more real.  The music choice was more vibrant, but the movements were similar to the ones in the preceding ballets, albeit faster or more dramatized.  My favorite part was when the soldiers threw their heads back, downed their shots, and slammed the glasses on the table in sync.  I found it quite artistically pleasing 🙂

Watching people perform in the ballet made me question a force that has been present in all our lives since birth- and before birth, gravity. I found it amazing how they were able to create the illusion of levitation when I’m sure that they were all human. When I entered the auditorium, everything seemed extremely high-class. It felt as if whatever went on in the theatre would be something that only the rich and wealthy of America would watch. Even the slightest movements from a person that looked as if they earned less money than one of the upperclass would warrant an apparent gesture to stop breathing. The first act was what I was expecting for the whole ballet performance. I believed that it would be a set of performers who danced to soothing music and forced the people to forge a story of what was going on. But then the music helped immensely with the first act. The use of different chords and different structural composition assisted the emotions that were supposed to be experienced with each act. Everything fell into place.

The second act was completely different. The costumes weren’t the stereotypical ballet costumes that I was aware of. And the stage was most certainly not a blank wall that had nothing to do with the story. This time, the performers were dressed in garb that accurately depicted the type of people they were in the performance. It assisted with character development. By wearing certain types of clothing, it made it easier to figure out what each person was and how that helped determine what they were doing in the story. The set also helped. It gave a sense of eeriness that something has gone awry. And since it was set in the night, it was made easy to tell that something bad was happening.

The third act was something I wouldn’t have expected if the person to my right hadn’t told me that I would like the last act the best. Like the second act, the third one had a set and clothing that helped it immensely. The sailor outfits created a sense of playfulness that helped the story. It made it more enjoyable. The bar made it seem like everything was playful. There was nothing serious going on. And ANYTHING could happen. But no matter what happened, the story was supposed to be funny and enjoyable. I liked this act the best.