Dance and Snacks

"I like to order frozen yogurt for my treat."

Rebecca says she would have liked to have joined us at the ballet.

We do know how to get good treats.

As for the ballet, the storyline includes the beautiful Esmeralda and the people who love her: Gringoire, her husband; the evil Archdeacon Frollo, who desires her; his henchman, Quasimodo, who is sent to capture her; and Phoebus, the handsome captain of the guards, whom she loves.

"Anyone want to share a large popcorn with me?"

The synopsis handout dealt with the ballet's history, its composer, the choreography, the set design, the costuming and had some information about the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra.

"Please add blackberries to my yogurt."

I am only marginally acquainted with ballet conventions.

 I had read that the third act has a magnificent pas de six – so I had to look up with that meant.

 I had looked to the Wikipedia update on the ballet a couple of times.

But that was not enough in the way of preparation.

Coming Soon ... Jurassic Park

Probably what stayed with me the longest was the character, Quasimodo, hunched, crouching, disfigured – not the usual character for a ballet dancer.

I spent some time watching how he used the music to deepen his character.

The next Bolshoi is Roemo and Juliet, May 12th or 13th, depending on where you live.

I couldn't find any reviews -- only this precis.

Romeo and Juliette

Synopsis

"To Prince Escalus’ dismay, the rivalry between the Capulets and Montagues brings bloodshed to the city of Verona. Romeo, heir of the Montagues, is distraught as his love for Rosaline is not returned. To console him, his friend Mercutio persuade him to attend the ball Capulet has organised to find possible suitors for his daughter Juliet. Romeo attends the ball incognito at the Capulet house. However, when Romeo meets Juliet, the two fall instantly in love with each other. They are overwhelmed when they discover they belong to two rival families."

See you at the theatre.

Arta

Google Me

... guess which one of these men is a tree-planting astronomer ...

An Update on the Youngest of the 40 Cousins:

A few nights ago Connor told me that I should google him.

Type in Calgary Connor Pilling.

I did:  http://www.ucalgary.ca/rao/

Senior students are sharing the results from their latest projects, Saturday, April 20, 8 pm to 11 pm.

Among other things, "James Campbell and Connor Pilling will discuss their amazing results using RAO telescopes and their search for planets around stars outside our solar system. They are looking very carefully at stars for which other search programs have detected transits of orbiting planets."

Note the professor calls their work "amazing".  If you are in Calgary that night -- go for the deal.  The admission price is $10 a person or $20 a car load.

Arta

Bolshoi - Esmeralda

... taking pictures in the theatre foyer ...

Ceilidh, Meighan and I lined up for tickets to see the Bolshoi.

“Why are you even going to that? You don’t like ballet,” Wyona had said to me.

No. I don’t like it that much, but when we were on the trip to St. Petersburg, I noticed a group leaving the ship one night dressed to the nines. The men were in suits, the women in pearls and black, and arm in arm they were hurrying down the gangplank, as if they were late for something important. That something was the ballet.

 ... a movie coming to a theatre near you ...

I thought to myself, here I am, in Russia, never thinking I would ever get here, and now, I see I am missing the ballet. At that point I decided, like it or not, that is not the question. Taking a look around the world and holding my likes and dislikes aside for a minute to see what it is that makes people want to dress up and spend an evening watching one of the world’s most famous dance companies. That is a better question.

... checking out the coming attractions ...

Seeing Bolshoi advertised on HD Live brought back that feeling for me. Better to take a chance and see Esmeralda performed now while the price of getting there is right. I was reminded a bit of the Russian play that Duncan and I saw together last year. We didn’t know the folk tale, the acting method, the language – for both of us it was a stretch – not really entertainment as much as hard work.

... the wrong person has the drink ...

Now Ceilidh, Meighan and I were sitting in the theatre and though language isn’t an issue in dance, the acting can be ... as well as the different protocols used by the audience. When they liked something, they would call out, but as well, they would clap for a while as we do, and then the clapping would change to being in unison. The host who introduced the ballet spoke first in English and then in French. She stood backstage and we saw the performers warming up as she was talking. That was a little different. The ballet was four hours.  That is a long time.

I salute Ceilidh and Meighan – a hard job, well done.

Arta

Outdoor Wedding

 ... dragon flies, butterflies, caterpillars, racoons ...

I received an invitation to an outdoor wedding.

What I loved were the stamps in the corner.

So many of them, so I took a close look.

There is decorating.

And then there is decorating. 

I don't think I have every seen anything cuter on the front of an envelope. 

Congratulation to the couple and to their most excellent wedding planner, who I am guessing is the bride to be.

Very sweet!

Arta

Eating Fire

...  hiking in the Kananaskis country ...

I am interested in what people choose to do on their Easter weekend.

I got the gardening tools out of the garage.

The weather was incredible, going up to nearly 20 yesterday.

... two handed fire-trick ...

The miracle was that there was frost on my windshield in the morning when I left the house at 8 am. I know, for I was out there scraping the ice off of my windshield.

... just your regular fire-eater stopping for a rest ...

By 10 a.m. I was turning the heat off in my car.

By the time I got to the Bottle Depot I had shed my jacket and was wishing that I had worn something different than a turtle neck.

Ina said that she and Trell were going to Fairmont for the long weekend.

... now you see me from the right ...

I didn’t think much of it until I saw some pictures she sent me.

Now where did Trell learn this talent.

I gave him speech and clarinet lessons.

... the same trick from the left ...

Since then I have seen him juggle.

But I have never seen an act of this kind.

I am pleased for I have been thinking of something new that we could teach the kids at the lake.

On some summer evening before the fire bans begin.

... was that just a dream ...

It appears that the talent could wear a person right out.

Stories that Bind Us

Another note from Catherine:

I loved this article.  Makes me want to hear a few more family stories.  Anybody want to share a good family story?  Hoping for some responses!

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&

Catherine 

So ... to continue Catherine's dialogue, I went out to read this New York Times Article, but I couldn't stop there.  I had to go read the online comments.  Just when I would think, OK, I have read enough to get the flavour of how people are thinking about this ... then there would be a gem that would keep me going.

When my kids were young, I never cared if the stories I told to them were  true or not ... just if I can keep their attention.

The article really made me laugh about "no texting" at the dinner table.  Let me see ... in the past it has been no reading at the table, no TV on in the room while at the table, no telephones at the table, now no texting.

I think there is room for an article about why dinner time is an important place for story telling.  But I take that back.  What I really  learned is that if you tell stories at the table, you get thin, for you don’t get a chance to eat as well.  

Things are different on a ship.  There I learned that to have everyone in the conversation and rested, you need a whole galley of people who keep cooking and bringing hors d'oeuvres,  entrees, beverages and dessert.   Of course, if you try to  get your family members to "dress for dinner" you add another laying of complication to getting everyone to the table to hear the stories.

I shall continue to tell my stories, though as I have said before, I shall always mix fact with fiction in the name of keeping the listener awake.

Arta 

P.S. If you read the article, how did you like the comments afterward about ascending and descending family narratives / damaging family narratives?   At the very least, food for thought.

Calgary Holocaust Remembrance Video

An email from Catherine Jarvis:

Dear Family,

I thought you might be interested in this event which will be held in Calgary on April 21, 2013.  Check out the video below.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej4wp-8uJKQ&feature=youtu.be

We are hosting a similar event in Montreal on April 14th.  Just for your information.

https://www.facebook.com/events/627330777293160/

Thinking of you,

Catherine