last night, i went to see la danse: le ballet de l'opéra de paris at film forum. it was a two and a half hour glorious journey behind-the-scenes of the paris opera ballet. i had waited and waited for this film. and it certainly lived up to everything that i had dreamed of. they said that the ballet is a present to the audience. and everything that leads up to that fanciful gift was shown in this film; the costumes being sewn, the props constructed, the music being practiced, the meetings with the artistic director, the endless, endless rehearsals.
they quoted maurice béjart saying that a dancer is "half nun. half boxer." that is the perfect description. so much work goes into each performance. so much thought. dedication. diligence. to result in effortless beauty.
oh and the film even showed the beekeeping above the palais garnier.
annie rescued a heap of old photographs out of a trash can in uruguay. she let me take these two home. love!
hannukah/christmas gift this year: a 2010 abt subscription? i can not think of anything that i would greater adore.
