Just came back from the ballet. Wow

[maxvintage]

Our daughter, 15, is really serious about ballet. We watch her performances and I'm always really impressed with what high school kids can accomplish

But man o man we went to the Kennedy Center and saw the National Ballet of Canada do "Sleeping Beauty." A full orchestra in the pit. Just astonishing at every level. The musicianship. The dancing, the costumes, the sets, the lighting.

I'm not a ballet guy. I grew up in a house with five boys--football, hoops, baseball. I knew nothing about it till our daughter got into it. But you don't have to know much to be astonished.

People are like the worst thing on the planet, and also the best. People are incredible. I you ever get a chance to see a world class ballet, check it out.

 

[Rockinvet]

Our daughter, 15, is really serious about ballet. We watch her performances and I'm always really impressed with what high school kids can accomplish

But man o man we went to the Kennedy Center and saw the National Ballet of Canada do "Sleeping Beauty." A full orchestra in the pit. Just astonishing at every level. The musicianship. The dancing, the costumes, the sets, the lighting.

I'm not a ballet guy. I grew up in a house with five boys--football, hoops, baseball. I knew nothing about it till out daughter got into it. But you don't have to know much to be astonished.

People are like the worst thing on the planet, and also the best. People are incredible. I you ever get a chance to see a world class ballet, check it out.

Artistry and world class talent in any of the arts is always impressive.

 

[maxvintage]

Artistry and world class talent in any of the arts is always impressive.

Exactly right. ANY art form, you can see it. People can be amazing

 

[RodeoTex]

There is NOTHING like an awesome production.

 

[Bluego1]

Our daughter, 15, is really serious about ballet. We watch her performances and I'm always really impressed with what high school kids can accomplish

But man o man we went to the Kennedy Center and saw the National Ballet of Canada do "Sleeping Beauty." A full orchestra in the pit. Just astonishing at every level. The musicianship. The dancing, the costumes, the sets, the lighting.

I'm not a ballet guy. I grew up in a house with five boys--football, hoops, baseball. I knew nothing about it till out daughter got into it. But you don't have to know much to be astonished.

People are like the worst thing on the planet, and also the best. People are incredible. I you ever get a chance to see a world class ballet, check it out.

My little sister was Prima Ballerina for the State of Alabama Ballet for several years. I was her first partner, growing up! She’s performed with Baryshnikov when he guested with her company. My big sister was even better, but ate her way out of it.

 

[joebloggs13]

I remember my parents taking us to see the Nutcracker one year for Christmas because my mother really wanted to see it. It was magical. I have always been exposed to classical music, as that is all my parents listen too.
There is a reason that genre has been around for hundreds of years. It's timeless and will always be in my music library.

 

[JimInMO]

For many years I worked in a theatre that the local ballet company performed in. Saw lots of performances and behind the scene activities. Those folks are extremely hard working dedicated artists. They are also world class athletes. They train, rehearse and perform with painful injuries. Saw Rudolph Nureyev in the early 70's. He was past his prime by then but was awesome and I certainly wasn't a fan at the time. I could feel I was in the presence of a master.

 

[1300 E Valencia]

Why is everyone dancing on their tippy-toes? Can't they just hire taller dancers?

 

[Moriarty]

I'm glad you posted this. Last month my girlfriend took me and her youngest daughter (my little buddy, the only one of her children I've really bonded with) to see a "modern interpretation" ballet performance of The Nutcracker.
I didn't know what to expect exactly, and it wasn't exactly in my wheelhouse, but I really enjoyed it.
I still don't know exactly what it was I saw, but it was very cool.

 

[maxvintage]

Why is everyone dancing on their tippy-toes? Can't they just hire taller dancers?

Only the women. The guys get high enough to dunk but they land like a butterfly and they hoist the women like they're made of feathers

 

[nojazzhere]

Our daughter, 15, is really serious about ballet. We watch her performances and I'm always really impressed with what high school kids can accomplish

But man o man we went to the Kennedy Center and saw the National Ballet of Canada do "Sleeping Beauty." A full orchestra in the pit. Just astonishing at every level. The musicianship. The dancing, the costumes, the sets, the lighting.

I'm not a ballet guy. I grew up in a house with five boys--football, hoops, baseball. I knew nothing about it till our daughter got into it. But you don't have to know much to be astonished.

People are like the worst thing on the planet, and also the best. People are incredible. I you ever get a chance to see a world class ballet, check it out.

Back in the early eighties I was involved with a ballet dancer. Since this is a "family friendly" forum I won't go into how her flexibility and physical prowess impressed me......I'll just say I gained a real appreciation for the dedication and hard work those folks (men and women) put themselves through. She was an incredibly "high maintenance" girlfriend, but I still miss her sometimes.

 

[Guitarteach]

Best of luck to your daughter.

A world class production is something else.

Theatre was my first career as a youngster. I worked at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for 4 years on both the ballet and opera productions and toured with the Royal Ballet and the Kirov from St. Petersburg. At the opera house, I often slept over on the ballet rehearsal room sofas rather than go home mid week as it was so incredibly busy being a full repertory theatre with three to five full productions in rotation and one or two in rehearsal on stage during the day.

It was an amazing experience for a young guy. The stories I could tell!

When it closed for a four year refit, i went back to Uni for another qualification and only worked provincial stuff part time after that. An Xmas pantomime is not quite Turandot or La Corsaire

They stream live performances to cinemas in high def. these days though which is amazing as the cameras capture the acting so much better.

 

[ce24]

You have a right to be VERY proud. My mother banded in the NYC ballet in the 30s.... Then became a dance teacher. So I had to take dancing....ballet, tap and tumbling.
It helped me a ton in all sports. Body awareness is a good thing to have.

 

[archetype]

My buddy's son got interested in ballet at age 12. I saw him dance at 14 and he absolutely had "it." Now he's 21ish and is in the Corps de Ballet with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, WA. Ballet is incredibly physical and the kids's an eating machine.