EXPERIENCE THE ART AND ATHLETICISM OF DANCE TODAY WITH DTNW

Morning Watch 

Today’s foggy morning feels like the scene of act two in Swan Lake. Have you ever seen a real swan in the fog? Can you imagine a swan being a birdlike woman? Fragile and delicate, Odette is a symbol of true love that is portrayed by the vulnerable White Swan in a traditional story ballet. Having been tricked by an evil sorcerer, Odette is condemned to imprisonment in the body of a swan until a man pledges eternal love to her. The graceful, fragile, bird like woman Odette is appealing to the handsome prince approaching manhood and facing the responsibilities of marrying and becoming an adult but in act three Odette’s seductive opposite, Odile, interferes. The prince is deceived by the Black Swan, a symbol of a false love -- glamorous, heartless, artificial and fake. 

Odette’s delicate wild life animal beauty is contrasted with the artificial society of the court and is associated with evil sorcerers and trickery. The idealization of the wild and natural over the synthetic is indicative of the Romantic period in history and in the themes of the romantic ballets. Emotion and the senses are valued over reason and intellect. 

The movements, expressions, costumes, set design, lighting and music all contribute to the emotions and theme of the ballet; there is no spoken word. We hear, we see, we feel, we identify with the expressions and movements but learn to internalize these experiences– we get quiet and feel the magic at a deeper level. 

For many of us, ballet reaches a place deep inside us that help to unravel the mysteries of life. There is magic in dance both from the viewpoint of being in the audience and from the perspective of being the artist who pushes the limits of his or her training and physical ability to find and to excel.

Our show at Edison Elementary today will open with the White Swan Pas De Deux (dance for two). Love, grace, beauty and mystery will be presented by artists who practice and hone their talents in the hope of transcending audiences of school age children to a world of illusion and magic. 

Other pieces being presented are variations or dances that include ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre and contemporary dance inspired by other art forms. Originally, ballet was seen only by the aristocracy but now it can be enjoyed by audiences from every walk of life. Sometimes people will come up to me after a performance and say that this was their first ballet or dance concert. They often say that missing out on the experience dance offers has been a terrible mistake. They also say that they want to have more experiences like the ones we present. As I look out into the early morning fog, I know that this is going to be a wonderful day...

Performance: Edison Elementary School  Friday, March 29th 2:15 p.m.

More information: www.DTNW.org