Love and Loss...

Tonight was ballet night. I was at the Hippodrome in Birmingham. It’s a form of dance that I adore for a lot of different reasons. Technically, it’s a form of dance that demands a lot of dedication and physical excellence. I’m sure there’s a lot of competition when it comes to being a member of the Birmingham Royal Ballet Company. Tonight’s performance showcased exceptional talent through three different ballets. The first was a simple set, stunningly beautiful performance of Gallanteries. The set and dress were simply elegant which allowed you to focus on the dance alone. It was incredibly beautiful watching the individual dancers perform to set pieces. The second ballet, the Dance House, was more structured. Still contemporary but had a storyline. The set was again, very simple, with a ballet bar as the only prop. Taking inspiration from a medieval poem and set to a piece of Shostakovich, this was the most challenging performance of the evening. The third ballet, the Dream, was a surprise being more traditional with the big ‘deep in the woods’ set. The storyline was ‘Midsummer Night’s Dreamesc’ taken from Shakespeare's funniest plays of Oberon and Titania, who argue over a changeling boy. This was the biggest production with beautiful fairies, four young lovers and a donkey! There was humor, beautiful dance and a storyline – all the components which make a brilliant ballet. If you asked me to choose my favourite, I would struggle. I loved them all for a variety of different reasons though I do love a story so the final ballet would have to be top for the night. The set was magical, the dances were beautifully performed and I do enjoy a sprinkling of magic, don't you? x