Sleeping Beauty

This week marks the closing season for The American Ballet Theater at Lincoln Center. With my dance enthusiast Russian born friend having grown up watching the Bolshoi Ballet it's in Anastasia's blood. Together we swoon over every pirouette and get glassy eyed watching the fluttering tutus move. 

Sleeping Beauty a story we all know well.  It's light, full of joy and a perfect conclusion to a season like an easy summer read. Irina Dvorovenko as Princess Aurora held weightless on point with every precise gesture and beaming stage presence she made the audience recognize the performance of an expert principal dancer. What makes it sweeter is the fact that Aurora's Prince Desire, Maxim Beloserkovsky are actually married.

True magnetism in such a duo is breathtaking!

Princess Florine and The Bluebird dance was a delight as was the Lilac Fairy and her attendant Fairy of Valor, Misty Copeland. Anastasia treated me to the best seats third row to the right which if you care for such things I would make note of these seats because being front and angled right was the best for this show. 

I particularly loved the grand curtsies from the ballerinas while holding massive bouquets of long stemmed roses. 

What a night!

May Day

Let us dance around a ribbon filled Maypole for the festival of Flora, the Roman Goddess of flowers! 

Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps. The basket giver would ring the bell and run away. The person receiving the basket would try to catch the fleeing giver. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged.

Forget the ding dong ditch em' and get yourself a vase filled with fresh flowers to mark the occasion!

Don't forget Mother's Day is the 8th.

If You Like Flowers, You Must Like Pretty Things

...and if you like pretty things you probably have love for the ballet. 

 So that is precisely why you should see Black Swan, not to be confused with the book my husband is reading by, Nassim Nicholas Taleb ,  who know's maybe the two correlate in some way.

Black Swan is a visual masterpiece,  the physically driven, horrified face of Natalie Portman gives a fragile stength-ridden performance of a young woman striving for absolute perfection.

 Her inner demons translate into her mother played by Barbara Hershey, ballett director Vincent Cassel, and her nemesis/black swan enticer "Lilly" Mila Kunis.  All of the supporting cast hit a brilliant mark.   

 ..and we  certainly don't want to forget to tip our hats to the incredible costume designers & sisters Rodarte. 

This artist sketch courtesy of Rodarte shows design for the "Demon" ballet costume in the film "Black Swan". (Rodarte/AP)

It's raining a lot in New York these days...

...but i have tidbits to remind me why I struggle to live here. 

Dear Pina Baush, 

Thank you for searing your vision into my subconscious. 

Pina Bausch at BAM

GO SEE IT IF YOU LIVE HERE.