>Ever been to ballet ? I'm not a great fan but I was fascinated by the physicality of it. Its very graceful but when the corps de ballet moves en masse across the stage it sounds like a herd of buffalo.
I had dress circle season tickets for the San Francisco Ballet for ten years. My nephew is currently in his 6th season with the San Jose Ballet ( first ballet company to tour China since the 20s. On his 23rd birthday danced 2 lead roles on opening night in Shanghai ) I still never miss Kirov, ABT and Joffrey when they tour.
Go to the symphony a lot here in Cleveland. Not much of a live opera fan ( at $200 + a ticket for the Met ) but have been known to shell out for Puccini.
The amazing thing about ballet - like professional athletics - is how good you can be and not even be able to get a spot in a company.
But for sheer physical conditioning, my nephew continually astounds me. ( he's been doing this since he was 4. He's also had a string of girlfriends who are all professional dancers that would be a very strong argument for taking ballet instead of playing sports <s> )
This is he and his latest, and most serious, love, doing a pas de deux at a festival in Nevada about a week ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzbjwyflUEU
Charles Hankey
Though a good deal is too strange to be believed, nothing is too strange to have happened.
- Thomas Hardy
Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm-- but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.
-- T. S. Eliot
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote.
- Ben Franklin
Pardon him, Theodotus. He is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature.
