Pas De Deux

This weekend we went to see The Nutcracker at the Houston Ballet. I love the ballet. As art goes, and I love art, ballet has to be my favorite. At this moment. I've probably seen the Houston Ballet Nutcracker a dozen or so times. Now, though, I not only enjoy it, I have the perspective to enjoy others enjoying the performance.

The lobby was full of families at the Saturday matinee we attended. The little children, all dressed up in their fancy holiday clothes, the matching dresses, the shiny and sparkly shoes, the brushed hair and smiling excited faces created a happy swirling pool of activity. I could have stood in a corner for hours observing.

My nephew, aged 2, was sitting in the row in front of me. He is all activity, all the time, 100% boy in motion. He sat, mesmerized, for the entire performance, absolutely still, leaning forward in his chair. At intermission his only complaint was, "I want more dancing now!" My own children, and my niece were enthralled as well, even though all of them have seen it before.

There was a little girl sitting behind me, Katherine, and she absolutely delighted me throughout the performance. Her comments and expression were priceless. When the Arabian Dancers came on stage in the second act, she gasped, and said, "Ah! What's that?! That is beautiful!" As she watched their piece, she said, almost under her breath, "Oh, it's so pretty!" It actually brought tears to my eyes. Indeed it was a highlight of the performance.

Ballet for me is like beautiful kinetic sculpture. We were sitting close enough to see every muscle in the legs of the dancers. Their legs are beautiful, controlled, strong, while their upper bodies are floating. I think about the amount of work that goes into being a dancer, performing in one of the nations best companies. I think the preparation required is more than how people prepare to make any other kind of art. The dedication, the discipline, the work from childhood that only gets more intense. I admire the dancers who have the ability to accomplish their goal of being the beauty we get to enjoy.

The costumes were beautiful, the lighting enhanced the performance, the musical score by Tchaikovsky is delightful. However, the pas de deux, is my favorite. Watching the two dancers flow across the stage, grace and quiet but spectacular movement, the costumes, the care and control of the male dancer, the trust of the female dancer all make this particular aspect of ballet the ultimate for me. My heart leaps into my throat, and stays there for the whole piece. The dancers become the only thing in my universe for those few moments. But it was even better this time. As the Sugar Plum Fairy floated on to the stage for the grand pas de deux, Katherine gasped, "Ah! Who's that Pretty in Pink?!"