A Date with the Ballet

As many of you know, hubby and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary this Monday, May 3, 2010. Honestly, time has flown by. We have been blessed beyond measure and not once have we allowed any outside influences, or "spirits" as it was called in pre-marital counseling, to affect our relationship. How, you ask? We communicate. This may sound cliche, but communication really is key. More on that later.

We originally wanted to take a weekend trip to Boston, MA to celebrate but because we didn't have anyone who was able to watch our crumb snatchers the entire weekend, we decided to reschedule the trip. Instead, my husband was given two, second row tickets to the New York City Ballet by a colleague whose husband plays in the orchestra. We knew we wouldn't be able to celebrate our anniversary on our actual anniversary so celebrated it on Sunday, May 2nd. We attended church, and then had lunch with the family which also includes grandma who visits with us every Sunday. Afterwards, we put the kids down for a nap and quietly left for our 2:10 p.m. train to Manhattan. We entered the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center as the lights were dimmed sliding into our fabulous seats just in time for the first concerto. Ahhhh-mazing!

Not only was the performance breathtaking, but the music was calming as well. I appreciate the hard work the performers displayed often thinking of how much work it took for them to get to this point. While I was disppointed that I did not see any Black women, I was happy to see an Asian, Latina, and Black male dancer. However, it was a bit disturbing to see that one of the female principles looked extremely thin. So thin that I would bet she was anorexic or bulimic. Seeing her awarded a coveted position with a prestigious company and treating her body this way was very disturbing. I have a daughter who takes ballet. I do not want this woman as a role model for my daughter. I want her to learn ballet for the discipline and graceful movement it teaches but not to the point of developing an eating disorder.

We both enjoyed the performance but the costuming was extremely dull. We attended the very first performance of the new season so I wonder if this was some type of public dress rehearsal to get the kinks out. Maybe the costumes weren't complete yet? I don't know but I hope they change the costumes because the dull colors on such a beautiful stage made us a bit drowsy during the Four Temperaments. We rejuved during the two 20 minute intermissions with a walk outside to view the fountain at Lincoln Center and to inhale fresh air. Adjacent to the fountain is Avery Fisher Hall where my husband graduated from Columbia Law School in 2001 which brought back memories.

After the first performance, I immediately sent a text to some friends who have daughters saying that we have to bring our girls to a performance. It's very important that we expose our children to culture. To date, my daughter has already attended several performances at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, recently met the Queen of Jordan, and has travelled outside of the country twice thus far. To some that's not alot but it's more than what I did before I turned 4 (that I can remember).

Enjoy your day!