As a culture, we are do not place the arts very high up. I grew up in a Canadian household with a British father, my grandfather sang Opera and played the violin, although he was a jeweler by profession. I was also lucky to be raised in a university city where access to the arts…
Tag: Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet’s Swan Lake: Would Be A Tragedy To Miss
Boston Ballet’s Swan Lake is magical. As a child I used to have these beautifully illustrated Russian fairy tales. The were full of tiny details some that you noticed and others that you just felt as they whisked you away into the story. Robert Perdziola’s renderings of the costumes and set design have that same…
Boston Ballet’s Swan Lake: From Studio to Stage
Drama, grace, deceit and of course love are all common themes on the stage whether it is Shakespeare, a musical on Broadway or the ballet. Swan Lake will take your breath away over and over again not only from the grace and power of the movement on stage but also from the twists and turns, the…
Talking to Fathers
I have a father and for most of my life also had two grandfathers. Now that I’m married I have fathers-in law. Now that I have children I have a husband who is a father as well. Until recently, when I’ve been interviewing several Boston area fathers for a few pieces I’m working on I’ve…
Boston Ballet’s Jewels: Three Gems
Both my children appreciate a little “fancy”. Whether it is dressing up for a special occasion, or having just the right accessory, these little things matter. It is the frivolous and unimportant things that are important sometimes. You don’t have to be a 5 year old girl to appreciate the twirling, dreamy, glittery, playfulness of…
On Pointe and Prickled Tink: Pricked with the Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet’s newest show, Pricked, was a bit of a mystery for me. When I first heard the title I thought perhaps it would be an interpretation of Sleeping Beauty . I don’t like to read too much about a performance before I see it, because I want to experience the performance in my own…
Men in Drag, Flying Citrus, and a Smattering of Bling: Boston Ballet’s Cinderella
You might think I’m referring to the show on my side of the river at the American Repertory Theatre: The Donkey Show when you see: men in drag, flying fruit, and little bling here and there, but I’m not. I’m talking about the Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella which premiered in 1948 (no that’s not a…
Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker: Dewdrops, nutcrackers and 4,000 crystals
As I sit outside class, rack after rack of beautiful hand-stitched costumes roll by. They will soon be coming to life on stage in dress rehearsals making the renderings of the newest production of the Nutcracker come to life. The dewdrops fairy’s bodice and tutu alone has 4,000 crystals set on it. Each one done…
Revenge, Opium, Love & Loss at the Ballet
It is refreshing in an age when a certain pair of shoes is “to die for” and one Kardashian sister is ready to kill the other because a shirt has been borrowed without permission, to be reminded of greater tragedies. Being reminded that love, betrayal, and loss are the true tragedies in life. Love, betrayal…
Pencil It in (PIN): Weekend of October 25th
Lyndell‘s the Somerville bakery that anyone who has been in over the past century or so has a sweet spot in their heart and tooth for, is having a very special event this weekend. Starting today all day, and then more this weekend, they have Sean Collier in their hearts and minds. They hope to…
Waxing Poetic at the Boston Ballet
I had never heard of Jirí Kylián before the Boston Ballet‘s All Kylián performance. I also had no idea that, even after seeing the modern, fun and exceptionally executed Rooster, Second Detail, Awake Only fall program, the Boston Ballet could do such choreography justice. I know I’ve said this before, but I first moved to…
Boston Ballet: So Much More than Nutcracker
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the ballet. Not because I don’t love it, but I was spoiled by my “hometown” ballets in Canada and New York. After moving here, my first Boston Ballet performance was a huge disappointment. In the 90’s Boston Ballet was perhaps a little lost on the ballet…
Leah's Life: Pearls and Oysters 