Ballet

This weekend is notable for me for a couple of reasons: My first 'Carmina Burana' and my first time accompanying a ballet company.

I've really enjoyed watching the dancers work up close and realise how many parallels there are between what they do and what we do. In order to create something seemingly effortless, there are tons of muscles and years of training at work. Those dancers were really working, but I'm sure out in the house it looked incredibly smooth and easy. Also, the ensemble dancers have to operate in much the same fashion as choral singers. They are constantly watching, listening and making minute adjustments as the piece unfolds in order to create unanimity. It's interesting that they are fully responsible for making it work in performance and don't need a "conductor" to facilitate in performance.

Being a ballet dancer must also be kind of like being a running back in the NFL: a physically punishing position with a short prime. I'm sure dancers probably mature in much the same way as running backs, relying less on speed and pure physical prowess and more on mental strength, imagination and economy of motion as careers progress. (There was an interesting article in the New Yorker a few weeks back about now former NY Giants running back Tiki Barber which confirms this).

This is a new 'Carmina' production for the PA Ballet and from my limited vantage point (proscenium box) it looks pretty cool. I find myself watching the dancers instead of the conductor (This is one situation where it is essential to watch the conductor, contrary to the last post I wrote. When the men and women of the choir are standing 75 feet apart on opposite sides of the stage with the orchestra in between, frequently changing tempo and meter, watching the conductor is probably the best bet to get it all together. That's not to say that listening isn't imperative though.)

'Carmina' has some really lovely music but it is what we singers call a "scream fest", i.e. lots of high, loud singing over full orchestra. The fact that there's only 35 of us doesn't make it any easier. Some of those tunes just stick in your head though...