Another great day. I do just keep putting one foot in front of the other, I can’t help but stay cheerful – wandering is wonderful, I smile at strangers… and something happens… beshert! I meet Steve and Sally. What fun…more on that later… for now, my day.
My new MoviePass which keeps giving me free access to the movies payed off big time again today. Todays choice- Loving Vincent– was a huge hit. It was totally created in oil paint. Wow. In Van Goghs style. Wow. With a look back at his life and his death in an engaging story of beautifully painted story boards. I keep wondering what magnificent mind came up with the idea. It is a MUST SEE!
On to dinner at cafe Fiorello across from Lincoln Center. And what a great meal of Caesar Salad and Salmon, but a greater story to tell…
After leaving the movie at 7 I had an hour for a quick dinner and found myself the last seat at the bar, lost and alone I quickly struck up a conversation with a lovely couple, you got it Sally and Steve. Married 27 years and with some 18 years at the ballet they shared with me where their perfect seats are, and i must say , i tried out first tier, front row , 33 & 35 and yes, they are terrific. I still love my row A orchestra, off center, but sometimes being up is better, until I know what Im seeing its just luck which is the better view (for me).
So who are these lovely, funny, happy, handsome people.. movie characters it turns out. Sally is about to immortalized on screen by Julia Roberts in the story of Darius Rucker.
Im hoping for an invite to a movie set. Whereas many people might have enjoyed dinner with Bill Murray and Julia Roberts, for me the thrill is with these real life people.
And then.. OFF TO THE BALLET
Tonight I tried to take notes during the performance so I would remember it all. Its an attempt to get more serious about this blogging. Its hard keeping up and complete, but what worthwhile thing isn’t a little hard? lots probably, I’ll ponder that later.
So here I sit at intermission and so far the best part tonight ( excluding my lovely dining companions) was the short film about the choreographers and costume design. I’m sitting in the front row at the Koch theatre at Lincoln Center and am very worried that I may end this evening in a midst of empty chairs- the other attendees having left, worried they will need to sit through more of the same.
Not me, I’m loving it even though I’m not and I’m staying until the end. The first two performances were weak at best. Though masterfully performed, it isn’t my taste when I come to the ballet. Much of the pleasure for me is the music. and the flow of the dance. And tonight it has been a total disjointed mosh mash. I feel as though the choreographers were given music picked from a hat and told to choreograph ( in an hour or two).
The first, The Chairman’s Dance was that plucky sound. Tat tud tat. Pound pound monotonous plunking. As was the Dance. The costumes were bright and lively but the dance. Let’s just say the applause were perfunctory.
Maybe it’s time I figured out what is ballet and what is modern dance. In my head ballet is a beautiful flowing dance that draws me in and holds me. It isn’t jarring. It isn’t about the challenge and difficulty. It’s about beauty, smoothness, skill in making it look easy.
We got a taste of that in the second Ballet, The Wind Still Brings. Sadly the dancers were lying on the floor when it happened. I don’t really like the floor dancing but Tony Schumacher made it work. Just as I was relaxing into it comes again that crash of thumping with a speeded up pace that didn’t follow. As though an entire new dance had begun. I’ll admit to a lack of sophistication and knowledge but I do not what I like and what I feel
Perhaps tomorrow, upon review I will change my opinion, its tomorrow, i haven’t changed my opinion.
3 to go…
After intermission we were treated to Composers Holiday, choreographed by Gianna Reisen. Am I glad I stayed. A had close up with the pianist and violin on stage beside, they were the entire sound and I loved to watch Arturo Delmoni as he played his violin. I kept switching from him to the dancers, which was more of a thrill i don’t know. But there it was – Flow. Beautiful flow. With modern touches in costume but clearly a nod to traditional with the ladies in tuile and the men in tux pants but with a modern feel. I watched as they spun, and danced, and twirled and flew.
Then came Not Our Fate, choreographer Lauren Lovett has a bright future if this is what she can do. Sadly there were two falls, but they were easily forgiven as I was looking at five strong young men in tight white T-shirt’s and well fitting black trousers. Here I saw the reason for the film on costume, the men were set off against women in black tops and gloriously flowing loose skirts… it made a lovely appearance. And I was reminded that I had been to an orchestra rehearsal and that on stage two women were draped in black top /white bottom, and white top/black bottom. They moved around the stage and I have to figure that was for the lighting for this dance! fun, don’t you think?
The transitions in the dance were smooth, men danced with men, women with women and I even thought I caught sight of a bit of role reversal in some of the couples. I was mesmerized throughout as was the rest of the audience. For this and for Composers Holiday you could clearly hear the appreciation in the applause.
Then on to Justin Peck’s Pulcinella Variations.The orchestra rehearsal I attended a few weeks ago for this piece of music. And as I sat and listened I realized I can’t remember a thing about what was said about it. That’s why I blog. No memory. Have heard of Peck and was in attendance when he was interviewed by Lourdes Lopez at a Miami City Ballet ‘At the Barre” series. I liked the piece I saw that year that he had created, but tonight was a disappointment. Once again I was seeing the importance of the costumes. But here they were a total distraction from the dance which did not distinguish itself in any way.
So.. I took a bus home with my 7 day bus pass, had walked some 12,859 steps during the day. How? I forgot to mention I started the day in Chinatown trying to get set to buy a wok. The apartment here has a gas stove and I have been trying to cook in more. I walked, and circled, and searched but didnt find what I was looking for.