Ballet never interested me. Even when we saw videos of it in class, I still was not too engaged. This applies to dancing in general, but ballet especially never appealed to me. My reaction to the ballet completely transformed upon actually watching it at the theatre. It is really a testament to the fact you need to experience something with your own eyes, and not a screen, to really appreciate it.

At first, I was mesmerized by the body movements. When I put on my binoculars and payed close attention to  individuals, I actually felt physically hurt upon observing some of their movements. The way they stretched and moved their bodies is really a feat of human ability.  The quality of their movements wasn’t the only amazing thing, but the quantity as well. It is beyond me how they memorized all the diverse set of moves as elegantly as they did.

The music element of the ballet performance was in my opinion essential. The dance choreography fitting with the beat of the music made it all the more powerful. It also helped to tell the story more. Often it was difficult to make out the story from the choreography, but the music added that extra information (via atmosphere and tension) for me to better understand and contemplate.

It was not only the ballet itself that caught my attention. Often I found myself taking the binoculars and focusing on the conductor’s (of the orchestra) hand movements. That was an art by itself and it was really entertaining to see just how engaged and in tune the conductor was with the music.

I really appreciate being able to experience this. I doubt I would have ever gone to the ballet on my own initiative. I’m glad I was there.

I had a much more enjoyable experience at Thursday night’s ballet than I thought I would. I have never been a big fan of dance, particularly ballet, which was why I was very much surprised that there were certain parts and aspects that I enjoyed.

The third part, The Green Table, was my favorite. I liked this part so much because it focused on a story. The other parts seemed to focus around the music and coordination with other ballet dancers to perform difficult techniques. After watching the ballet and doing a little research I came to understand The Green Table revolved around the idea that Death inevitably becomes everyone’s partner, and convinces them to dance on the same terms by which they lived their lives. Story in dance for me is very important because it creates a sense of purpose and understanding. For example, for me, it was difficult to identify a story line in the first part, The Brahms-Haydn Variations. The lack of a clear story made it challenging for me to understand what was going on.

I also enjoyed the second part, Monotones I and II, because I feel that it best connected with the music. Each individual step and dance move would coordinate to some sound or beat of the music. I found this synchronization between the ballet dancers and orchestra fascinating.

The first part, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, of the performance, however, was my least favorite. I found that the huge number of ballet dancers performing on stage, all at the same time made it tough to keep track of what was going on. Furthermore, it was virtually impossible to use the binoculars during this part without missing something that was going on the other parts of the stage. Nevertheless, I did appreciate the complexity of the dances moves and cooperation of the dancers throughout this part.

Hello friends! It’s a Saturday night and I should be sleeping, but I got home an hour ago and decided to bang out this blog post like a good student. I think I’m a good student? Feel free to disagree.

On Thursday we went to see the American Ballet Theatre and I thought it was pretty awesome. I’ve been doing ballet/lyrical/contemporary for the past 13 years so I was excited to see professionals on stage. I’ll admit it made me self-conscious about my own skills, but I don’t think I’d ever have the patience, heart, or drive to practice for as long as they do so there’s that. I’m a recreational dancer. They’re the big deals.

Anyways. While I loved all the performances, my favorite by far was The Green Table. I think the subject of war is intriguing on its own, but it was even more interesting to see those horrors translated into dance. The opening routine with the diplomats was captivating, and their costumes (and terrifying masks) added to the overall mood of the piece. I also loved how each segment of the ballet focused on specific aspects of war. There were the displaced soldiers, the lonely loved ones, and then Marcelo Gomes as death claiming lives along the way. The fact that it ended with the diplomats once again—encountering similar chaos as they had before—made the frustration and futility of negotiation even more palpable to me. Overall, I was very, very impressed.

Some things I noticed I thought were worth mentioning:

1. The dancers’ bodies are so controlled and their movements are so sharp. You’re able to tell exactly what step they’re doing and how they intend to do it. It’s not as easy as it looks, especially if you’re practicing such control for literally 20 minutes. I get lazy doing my bar warmups (sometimes), so props to these guys. That’s dedication.
2. The music was really, really important. One thing I especially learned that night was how every element of a performance works together. When there’s a drop in the music there’s a pause in the movement or a harsh step to make the drop stand out. If the music is fast, so are the dancers. If the music is sad or depressing, the movements are elongated or more elegant. Dance is an art, man.
3. The dancers are really talented. Of course there are a number of justifications for this but one especially is that I was able to sense what emotion they were trying to evoke even from all the way up in the second ring. I could see their smiles from my seat or their dramatized hand swishes and what not. I didn’t even need the binoculars! It was awesome.

That’s just about all I have to say. Here’s a picture I took of the stage if you want to see it. Rock on!