Last Night at the IU Ballet

Last night was the end my eleventh year as a IU Ballet Theater season ticket holder. I think that qualifies me to write a critical review of the performance of New York. New York, a trilogy of ballets. The first act, titled Cloven Kingdom, was very difficult for Mother and me to understand. I just couldn't get my arms around male dancers in tuxedos performing like animals or female dancers wearing strange headgear that kept reminding me of Blue Man Group. Conversely, the dancing spotlighted not only the performers' ballet skills, but the gymnastic abilities as well. With all that said, I just couldn't figure out the story. Whew, intermission.

On to act two, the Lilac Garden that thank goodness was a return to toe shoes and more classical ballet. The featured solosist, Brett Benedict's parents were sitting next to me and I could sense her mother holding her breath as the curtain went up and Brett began to dance. As the dancers performed,  I couldn't help but pay particular attention to the beautiful music they danced to. The featured violinist, Benjamin Hoffman, had a starring role in his own right. The act ended as perfect as it began, and I could hear the muffled sigh of relief, as Brett's mother relaxed and began to breath normally.



Caitlin Kirschenbaum,
 Principle, Who Cares?



The last act was a George Ballanchine ballet peformed to George Gershwin. I can't say it any other way, I loved it. And I could sense the audience did as well as applause errupted after each performance. But I have to say that over the 11 years, I have never seen a ballerina more expressive and graceful as Caitlin Kirschenbaum, except for Julie Kent a professional lead dancer from the American Ballet Company. I loved watching Caitlin dance and her body language was so easy to interpret. At times, as I watched her with her partner Paul Danndridge, I was having mind flashes of Gene Kelley and Leslie Caron as they too danced to Gerswin in "An American in Paris." Caitlin, I will miss you and your toe shoes will be difficult to fill as you move onto what hopefully will be a stellar career in professional dance.

So the curtain fell on the 2010/2010 Indiana University Ballet Theater season. To all the students, if you're leaving IU, goodbye and good luck. You've given my Mother and me many hours of pleasure. If you're staying for another year, we'll be back in the center of row 11 and look forward to more great performances.