Nutcracker

As the Bootlegger noted, attending ballet was not the normal event for me growing up. (Just a simple shepherd boy from the West...) And as I sat in that sold-out audience, I realized I had probably never attended a ballet before. Perhaps my mother can help me here--I am not sure I ever saw the Nutcracker before and I suspect that would have been the only option. I have attended many Christmas presentations--including the Messiah, but don't think I ever saw a ballet.

It was pretty impressive. I think the yoga over the last two years has given me a deeper appreciation for flexibility and core strength. Watching those dancers not only take poses that I know are hard, but then move in that pose was damn impressive. To say nothing of the standing on toes. And walking on toes. And running and jumping on toes. My feet hurt just watching them.

I enjoyed the evening. Several of my friends had kids in the production, and one told me he had sat through the show 3 or 4 times. His wife chimed in saying she was having "sugar plum nightmares." Heh. (Their daughter was a mouse in the production.) I was impressed with the set management and how they used the backdrop and drop screens to change scenery and sense of place quickly and seamlessly. The combination of little kids and professional dancers really gave it a magical sense, and I understood why this has been a favorite all these years.

This morning we awoke to a good old fashioned ice storm. We are staying inside, enjoying the insulation value of our windows, and trying to avoid the outside and slippery world. Today I turned on some Christmas music--Aimee Mann, Mindy Smith, Sufjan Stevens, Over the Rhine, and Sara McLachlan's Christmas albums make a nice sense of the season without making me enlist in the GWOC (Global War on Christmas).

So, those of you in the area and parts north--stay warm and safe today. Peace