I went to the Alberta Ballet last night to watch Sleeping Beauty. It was a truly beautiful production - with gorgeous sets, costumes and talented dancers. The male lead was of course Kelley McKinlay, and Princess Aurora was placed by Hayna Gutierrez - a new addition to the Alberta Ballet company.
What I really enjoyed about the production was that it was a classic ballet. Every detail was steeped in tradition. The choreography was challenging and the score was glorious. In spite of his smaller role, Yukichi Hattori, was still my favourite. His dancing is so incredibly effortless - the height in his jumps and his grace is unrivaled. But Yukichi aside, the entire company came together and the production was delightful.
I could go on and on about the choreography and amazing dancers, but what really struck me was the number of parents that brought their little girls to the production. One little girl was wearing her Sleeping Beauty dress (I asked if I could take a picture but her mother kindly declined)! It is reassuring to see parents encourage their children to cultivate an interest in the arts. I applaud parents who do so and give their children the opportunity to explore the arts. Had I been give the same opportunity, dance may have found me 18 years ago.
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I liked the cats in Act III - who knew the movements of ballet dancers could be used to convey the movements of a cat so effectively?
ReplyDeleteThey would turn their heads like cats do, then rub their bums together like cats do, and my favourite - they used the ballet step called "pas de chat" (step of the cat)!