Sunday, November 3, 2013

I'm confused

Just got home from the Washington Ballet's production of Giselle. I really enjoyed it. We had great seats, center orchestra just a tiny bit stage left of center, far enough back so that our eye level was above the stage by a couple of feet but not so far back that I felt distant from the stage. Such a sad story, though. And why did Albrecht get to live while both Giselle and Hilarion end up dead? I guess royalty has its privileges.

I am confused about what it is about six clean piqué turns performed by a professional dancer that drives the audience to applaud and shout "Brava!", yet a developpé that starts from a sous sus en pointe and slowly develops to a very high extension with no support and nary a waiver is met with silence. Yeah, the turns are flashy. Maybe it's just that I can do six piqué turns, but can't hold a simple retiré balance for half that long even without the weight shifts.

I saw one slip in the entire performance, by the Wili Queen, and she recovered very well. I'm not sure anyone else even noticed it.

There was one moment where the Wilis exit stage right in groups of four that reminded me of my classes where we dance across the studio in groups of four. I don't know that I'd look good in a romantic tutu though.

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