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.



A Night at the Ballet. Christimas Can Come Now.

Let Christimas time in Bloomington officially begin. For some people,the holiday season begins with the flipping of the switch on the canopy of lights on the Bloomington courthouse square. But for me, it's the Mother-Daughter night at the yearly debut of the Nutcracker ballet at the IU Jacobs School of Music. Last night was the ninth year my mother and I have seen the holiday spectacular and in some cases, watched the community young dancers grow from small candle fairies to important dancers in the company. We've also been fortunate to sit next to parents' from as far away as California who come to see their daughters dance on point to a complete, live orchestra with the direction of some of the world's finest choreographers, costume designers and stage managers.

But for me, its an evening and a holiday tradition my mother and I share like so many other mothers and daughters (and fathers) in the audience. Many times over the years, I've been tired from a stressful week at work, saddened by events out of my control or just wanting to be somewhere else. But then, once I see the towering Nutcracker in the theatre's lobby and see my mother waiting patiently, dressed for a night out, I realize, the evening is about the beautiful music, the wonderful dancers and most of all the Mother-Daughter holiday tradition. I'm so fortunate to be able to share it with my mommy.