Bolero and Bravo

Instead of green beer and drunken revelry, I went to the ballet tonight.

The Tall Drink of Water won tickets to Bolero and More, so after an appetizing (but slow) dinner at Fusion Martini Bar in Hebron (I was there for a story), we headed to the ballet.

I appreciate the skill and athleticsim of ballet dancers, but I've never been much of a ballet fan. I saw A Midsummer Night's Dream a few years ago and enjoyed it, but the experience was somewhat esoteric. Besides, I don't need ballet dancers to act, I just want to watch them dance.

But hey, we had free tickets and I'd read that Bolero is more of a contemporary ballet than a traditional one, so I thought I might like it more.

Well, I loved it. Absolutely loved it. There was some of the traditional "acting:" The male lead would rush up to the female and touch her arm, she'd act bashful and flit away. That kind of stuff. But mostly they just danced, and it was exquisite.

The women were wearing long-ish halter dresses, exposing their chests, and I could see their pectoral muscles stretching across their sternums. They were all so dazzling and lithe. I envied them, wondering what I've done with my life. I always have that moment when I watch gifted young athletes.

I may have appreciated the men even more. The sheer power behind their leaps and mid-air kicks was incredible. And their butts, Hel-lo. Like Marine haircuts - high and tight.

There were many mischevious and unexpected moments of playfullness during Bolero, but the biggest cheers rewarded the infinite turns and pirouttes the dancers did. At times they were more figure skater than ballet dancer.

My favorite part, though, was the "More" from the title.

I didn't know what it meant but after Bolero ended, about 10 minutes later the curtain lifted a final time and the stage had been stripped bare. The drapes were up, the lighting exposed and company and young dancers were everywhere, clinging to ballet barres and sitting on the stage. For the next 15 minutes or so, all they did was show off. And it was awesome.

Brav-o.