I love going to the ballet. I grew up dancing and I love to watch it as an adult. I've had season tickets to the Pacific Northwest Ballet for years.
Every few years, PNB trots out Swan Lake, the grande dame of classical ballet. I bought a DVD of Swan Lake performed by a German ballet company, and I had it going in the background when the kids were little. I love listening to the Tchaikovsky score. The pas de quatre or the Dance of the Little Swans is one of my favorites. So beautiful.
And yet...
The past three times I've seen Swan Lake, I've fallen asleep when the swans come on stage in Act II. It is just because I am sitting in a dark and warm theater after a big dinner and a glass of wine that makes me nod off? The music is slow, as is the dancing. (The exciting leaps and jumps come in Act III where the Black Swan shows up.) The first time I fell asleep during Swan Lake, I thought I was just tired. The same with the second time. But the third? I see a pattern. Or do I just not like the swan lake part of Swan Lake?
Is there there something wrong with me? Can I call myself a true ballet fan when I think the best known and best part of ballet is...boring? Maybe I should give the ballet a full chance in the morning after brisk walk and a cappuccino.
Aside from falling asleep when the swans come on stage, I still had fun at the performance last night. This is a big ballet where the stage is filled with dancers. This was the first time I've seen a full house since the pandemic. The crowd was loud and appreciative. In Act III with black swan, the crowd was wild. (Well, wild for a ballet crowd. We are not talking about English Premier League hooligan wild.) I could tell the dancers could feel the crowd's excitement. They must have been happy to perform for people instead of a camera.
* The real term for someone who loves ballet is "balletomane." I discovered that when I googled "balletophile."
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