We are going to the ballet this evening.  The ballet is a relatively new experience for me.

I don’t recall when or why we first went. Perhaps it was because I wanted to see The Nutcracker one Christmas time. We liked it, and so kept going.   So we have a subscription for the Arizona Ballet.

After years of attending the Symphony and the Opera, I think I have a good ‘ear’ for them. In contrast I don’t have enough experience to appreciate all the nuances of Ballet; my enjoyment is on a superficial level.  We sit in the balcony so it is hard for me to make out the individuals, let alone remember who did what when. But we  enjoy going. We just renewed our subscription.

I like the ‘modern’ productions, which have great costumes and abstract (to me) movements set to contempory music.  In contrast the ‘classical’ productions have the cliche graceful gals in white shoes and ballerina tutus.  I haven’t learned enough about any of them to keep performances separate in my memory.

No surprise, I like to watch the male dancers, for the all have amazing builds and absolutely no body fat. And their legs! Besides their physiques I am intrigued by their grace. They have to pick up woman, throw her around a bit, and look graceful doing it all.  They must be in excellent shape.

I always nod off in live performances, and the ballet is no better. In fact, it is worse.  We sit in the warm dark balcony, usual after a long work week. I will probably plummet tonight like a dropped prima donna.

In the lobby there are various ballet related items for sale. There is a children’s book “The Only Boy in Ballet Class”. It is a story about a young lad who loves to dance but is chastised by family and schoolmates for being a pansy. He finally ‘wins in the end’ by combining dance techniques with a football victory.  I look at the book in every intermission.  I should just buy it for Pete’s sake.

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