An Evening at the Theatre and Ballet Memories

I love the theatre. The acting, the dancing, the singing, the larger-than-life sets and all that talent. A great deal of hard work goes into infusing, into the lives of the attendees, a bit of art and a chance to escape reality for a few hours. To enter into a beautiful, alternative world where anything seems possible and you root for the most unintended character makes you feel you are a part of something very special. And, you are.

Thanks to my parents, my husband and I were able to attend the theatre this week and see "Billy Elliot."  Neither of us had ever heard of the production, but happily accepted our Christmas present. :)

Two major story lines exist in the production:
1. The struggle of the UK coalminers' strike from 1984-1985.
2. An 11 year old boy's (son of a coalminer) dream to become a professional ballet dancer.

I'd describe the production as a constant moving juxtaposition of hope and despair punctuated with bold, razzle dazzle numbers. The relationship between Billy--the 11 year old main character--and both his grandmother and dance instructor is special and the things the most delicious memories are made of. Most of the songs display the deepest level of humanity and make the characters relatable.

From the moment the first scene opened, I felt my senses come alive. I realize the lack of artistic expression I have in my life when I'm enveloped in art the way I am at the theatre. The emotion is almost overwhelming. If you're not a creative soul, that last sentence will make me sound strange. If you're artsy like me, you totally get it. For me, going to the theatre feels like going home.

I felt a sense of happiness and sadness with Billy's dream as I remembered my own abandoned ballet dreams.

I was a student at Patsy's Watson's School of Dance from age 3 to 13. I tried my feet at every type of dance that existed, but ballet was where I really thrived. My mom even told me that Patsy told her she rarely recommended people to leave her studio, but she wanted me to continue ballet and try out for a ballet company in Detroit. Of course, like a 13 year old teenager, I ditched the point shoes and preferred to just be a teenager. Oh well, I'll always have my memories. :)

Here's something special I still have--a bracelet I received as a little girl.

And here's a picture of me around the age of 12 or 13. I know I have a stack of pictures from all ages that are much better, but this was the only one I could find. I think I had just received my recital costume in this picture and couldn't wait to try it on for my family.

What memories make you happiest?

Cheers,
Samara