"The ballet needs to tell its own story in such a way it can be received without having to be translated into language." - Twyla Tharp
As the show began, the kids whispered excitedly, "It's starting!". The energy was alive, and as the conductor lifted his arms, the curtain raised. The classical ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, was just beginning and our students were already in awe.
Recently, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre performed The Sleeping Beauty at the Benedum Center located downtown. A very special thanks goes to Tickets for Kids for providing a few of our Brashear Kids, their parents and I free tickets to attend a special matinee performance. Our students have never been to the ballet before and having this chance to see professional ballet dancers really broadened their knowledge of the arts. Bravo!
The Sleeping Beauty included a prologue, which is an introduction to the story; 1 Intermission, and 3 Acts. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra provided a whimsical experience to our ears while we witnessed the beautiful choreography of the ballet dancers. They played a composition by Tchaikovsky, who also composed Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Our students really enjoyed being able to figure out what was about to happen based on the mood of the music. The whole experience was captivating for the kids and adults. Check out a snippet of The Sleeping Beauty!
Intermission was a great time for us to talk about the story and characters, as well as, stretch our legs and take a quick break. During intermission Cecili came running from the bathroom to exclaim, "Sleeping Beauty is downstairs! You can get your picture with her! Can we go, PLEASE?!?"
It turned out that photos cost money, so I snapped this picture instead. Cecili was a little disappointed, so I decided to ask Princess Aurora if she would say hi to her and she agreed! I asked Cecili if she would like to meet her and she got really nervous all the sudden so I said I would go with her. Princess Aurora introduced herself and asked her if she was enjoying herself, which she was. Then the ballet dancer asked her if she would like to touch her tutu. It was beautiful up close! Cecili was grinning from ear to ear as we made our way back to our seats for Act 2 and 3. When we got back Cecili proclaimed, "I want to be just like her when I grow up!"
We had such a lovely time that a few of us didn't want to leave. But, we said goodbye while we talked about our favorite moments of the ballet. The whole week afterward, our students were talking about their experience. Thank you Tickets for Kids, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for an amazing time!
"There is incredible power in the arts to inspire and influence." - Julie Taymor
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