Triple Bill

photo by Jami Milne

Last week I had the honor to watch the company at Ballet Des Moines practice for their upcoming show. You can read that all here. Yesterday afternoon, I drove up to Ames to watch the final product live and in person. What a cool experience to see the progression! More below.

It was interesting to compare and contrast the practice session with the actual production. While I watched them practice by myself, the production up in Ames had a pretty substantial audience and that added a unique energy to the show overall. Plus, there was mood lighting and all that jazz. 

Again, I was impressed by the dancers and their ability to communicate with their bodies. Sometimes you'll see people doing something and you'll think Oh, I could do that easily! Let me just say that ballet is not one of those times. I couldn't do this! They make it look easy, but I know that it's not. I have asthma and I would probably have a full-on asthma attack two minutes into a routine. But I digress...

Truthfully, ballet can be confusing to me because it can be difficult to know what's being communicated and why they've chosen to communicate it. So I have some advice if you plan to attend a show soon: allow your mind to rest and let your heart engage. I find if I over-analyze the piece, I lose focus and the piece itself becomes obsolete. Learn from my mistakes and don't overthink. Just enjoy and let the rhythm of it all roll over you.