Nutcracker and the charm of ballet

I went to see Nutcracker, my first ballet, on Saturday at the IU Musical Art Center and, boy, was it exquisite! Classical music and musicals have been my cup of tea and IU is probably the best campus to be in if you enjoy the arts. Bloomington is a melting pot for the arts, what with a top ranked music school and a culturally aware community. I've been introduced to the joys of musicals here and cherished the performances of Les Misérables, Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, and many more -- all by top talent who went on to perform at Broadway. I've been to a few operas and dramas and enjoyed their offerings. IU's summer musical festival showcases recitals and orchestras by students and faculty at IU, many of them free. The annual Lotus festival brings artists from around the world where they perform to packed crowds at this small town in southern Indiana. I've been taken closer to home through the carnatic music performances by Kadri Gopalnath, "mandolin" Srinivasan, "flute" Ramani, and T.N.Krishnan at Indy, Purdue, and Cincinnati , and the occasional concert at IU by the enthusiastic amateur group here.
So in the midst of all of this, one piece of artistic delight that I had not savored was the ballet. And my mom proved the ideal excuse for investing in a ticket to the Nutcracker. To be honest, I am not thrilled with dancing, possibly because I am not familiar with the nuances of this form of expression. There have just been a couple of occasions when I have willingly sat through Bharathanatyam performances - because the artist was a friend of mine - and been moved by it. But ballet was a novelty...and I was blown away by my first experience!
Tchaikovsky's 1892 ballet, the Nutcracker, is an annual performance at IU during the Christmas season (this was the 48th year!) and runs to a packed theater of 1500 seats at the MAC. What caught me most was the poise and grace of the dancers. Indeed, those adjectives could have been coined for just this performance. The artists seem to float on the stage, their toes barely skimming the surface in sync with the music. The flexibility of their motions would make a contortionist blush and the stamina required for some of the longer pieces is amazing. On a lighter vein, it requires supreme confidence and a strict fitness regimen to fit in those tights and dance!
Nutcracker saw tiny tots from 10 years old to more mature performers come together on stage, not to mention the dachshund, Ovid. There were a couple of pieces that I particularly liked. The Arabian snake dance duet by Howard and Sandhurst in Act II was one of sensuous grace. In the Waltz of the Flowers that followed shortly after, I could imagine daisies swaying to a breeze as the dancers waltzed in their shimmering attire. It was ethereal and, if for a moment, I was part of Clara's dream! And best of all, my mom thoroughly enjoyed it was all smiles :)
In all, a wonderful evening to cap off a solemn day that began with the Bhopal anniversary. Here's to all ballerinas and danseurs and their delightful art!