Cultural Awareness - Our experience with "modern" ballet

I am graduating this December (I know right!) so this semester I only have three classes, two of which are electives. After 10+ years of going to college, I am going to be honest, I didn't exactly chose electives that would stretch my genius. I just wanted the two easiest possible classes offered at my college (that I hadn't already taken). I ended up in Understanding Dance and Understanding Drama. They are pretty similar, no thinking required, a monkey could pass them, type classes (geez I hope I pass now that I have said that!). For each class I have to attend some live performance and write a freshman level critique.

So, this Saturday Reghanne and I ventured out to the Winspear Opera House in Dallas to take in a ballet. The company we went to see is called Aspen Santa Fe ballet blah blah something repertoire yada yada. Here is a little montage of some of their work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKV4iuWDZ5U&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL1BED6BB8B3CB78FB

(Although this is not what we saw).

As you can probably see from that little snippet, this is not your mama's ballet company. This is not classic. This is not point shoes and tights. I will be honest and say that I have been to a few ballets in my life but I still know next to NOTHING about it, particularly the "modern" kind (guess that is the word for it).

The first dance/movement/whatever was interesting and strange. Reghanne giggled a little, everyone laughed some, which was odd to me considering I always just assumed all ballet was serious stuff. At intermission, Reghanne asked me what it was about, I told her I had no clue, maybe flowers growing or something, maybe fairies. She went in to the second portion with high hopes that she would "get" what they were trying to say. Oh. My. She was quite wrong. This dance was much different than the first. In fact, the first 10 or so minutes were set to COMPLETE AND UTTER SILENCE! Nothing going on in the entire opera house but the uncomfortable coughing and sniffing of people not sure what they were looking at or how to react. The only thing to break the silence was the sound of the dancer's feet stomping and their hands smacking various parts of their bodies, including but not limited to their rear ends. This brings me to the other sound that could be heard.... Reghanne's uncontrollable laughter.

Although, in her defense, I don't think Clint would have behaved any better! :)

That is all.