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Published: December 15th 2007
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We are on our way to the Ballet. Our first time actually. So not really sure what to expect, lots of people prancing around in tights?? We had various things to do before we arrived and after completing the list early we went to New Farm park to spend some time before we had to pick up a friend also coming to the ballet. Well we were very lucky. Last time I went to the Park, the roses had been hacked to short thorny sticks, but now, we got to witness the beauty after the extreme pruning. Thousands upon thousands of roses. It was dusk, and so beautiful. Vibrant reds, pinks, peach, yellow, orange. So now I don't need any flowers for a while. We had our fix. And we were very good kids and obeyed all the signs that said "Do NOT pick the Roses". We spent some time posing in the roses and taking photos.
Next stop the Lyric Theatre to see The Nutcracker.
I will say that at first when some kids were running around the stage in white tights and the music started I thought to myself.. Oh that's right, the ballet is full of
people in tights and there are no words!! I dont think I will be able to sit through this!! No you may ask... ummm DAH!!! Who doesn't know that. But for some reason I seemed to have forgotten that.. it was very bizarre. So I hunkered down in my seat ready to brave my way through it.
BUT.... I needn't have worried for the next scene was so richly decorated and beautiful. It was a house and staircase and christmas tree, a beautiful rich and red room. The ballerina's were wearing costume dresses in all different colours. In a couple of scenes it even snowed! As it progressed, I realised that I knew many of the songs from the ballet and could jig along with them. Infact due to very little sleep the night before I had to stuggle to keep my eyes open in the second act as the music was very relaxing and started to send me to sleep!!
This is the story of the Nutcracker for those not familiar with it.
The Nutcracker Tale : When the Kings favourite cheese is eaten by rats, he sends the Prince to get rid of them. The
Prince kills the rats but the King of Rats escapes. Furious, he takes revenge on the Prince by turning him into a Nutcracker doll
Synopsis
Crosselmeyer, a friend to the Stahlbaum family, is a magician, conductor and theatre director. Always a favourite with the children, he prepares his entertainment for the Stahlbaums Christmas Party. It's a puppet theatre with the characters of the well known Nutcracker Tale - the rats, a Prince, and a Princess. the Stahlbaum family also prepares for the celebrations.
At the party, Clara, the youngest child, is particularly fascinated by Drosselmeyer, and his present to her is a nutcracker doll of her own. Her brother Fritz, a keen young cadet, recieves a box of toy soldiers. Clara's older sister, Sophia, is the belle of the party and Clara watches enviously as Sophia is courted by a young lieutenant.
When the guests depart, the family retires to bed, but Clara, still excited, creeps back downstairs to play with the puppet theatre. As the clocks stikes midnight, a strange thing happens - the room changes shape and the enormous rats invade. The toy soldiers grow, and led by the Nutcracker, fight and defeat the
rats. Drosselmeyer appears and weaves more magic - the room dissapears and Clara finds herself in a snow covered landscape, while the Nutcracker is transformed into a charming prince who dances with her. Drosselmeyer leads her through the dance of the snowflakes and the leave on a special sleigh.
Drosselmeyers magic world is the world of theatre. The puppet theatre grows and Clara finds herself in a real theatre, with costumes and props. Clowns (age- old theatrical character type) introduce a series of festive dances, and Clara finds herself transported , through the magic of costume and lighting into all corners of the world. The climax is the grand pas de deux danced by a beatiful ballerina and the Prince, who stangely resembles her sister Sophia and the liutenant. Clara is enchanted to be part of it all, but finally the figures fade slowly away and Clara's mother appears in the morning to wake her. She has fallen asleep in front of the puppet theatre.
It was a wonderful night and I am glad a friend invited us. You get a discount if you book for 10 or more people, so we had a group of around 20
of us, we took up a whole row! A wonderful night out and I am looking forward to taking the girls when they are a little older. Though I saw one girl, about 3 years old wearing a tutu and prancing around in the intermission and her mother said that the girl was so inspired by watching it!! she stayed awake the whole time, as compared to a 10 year old girl behind me who fell asleep in the second act. I think passion for something can start at a very young age in some people as shown in the 3 year old.
I felt very inspired by watching this ballet. It made me want to dance more. I think it was a good ballet for the first timer as the story was easy to follow and it is a family ballet.
Enjoy the pics. I got the ballet ones from the internet.
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