Sundays at the Kennedy

After too long a time, we once again have season tickets to the ballet at the Kennedy Center.  Repetition of programs and rising costs had driven us away but last year I purchased a solo ticket to see the Mariinsky Ballet and was hooked again.  

The playbill for our performance on Sunday, 2/2/19, pictures dancers in the show Tap Dogs - definitely not what we saw.  Here's our program:

The ballet was Harlequinade.  It had been ages since I had seen a full ballet - think opera without the singing.  I had seen the male lead solo ages ago in Austin danced by Mikhail Baryshnikov.  While that performance is burned into my brain - I was mesmerized - I couldn't compare any other performance to that one.  Obviously no one had explained gravity to Baryshnikov - he would leap and just HANG in the air.  The performance by the lead with American Ballet Theatre was more than adequate, but rather mechanical.

We had just recovered from a winter storm - snow, extremely cold, etc., - so it was a delight to stroll along the balcony overlooking the Potomac before the performance without need of a coat.

The view of Rosslyn, VA, across the river.

The spires of Georgetown University in the distance.

The neighborhood of Georgetown with all the condos and offices overlooking the river.  In the far distance you can see the bell towner of the National Cathedral - 2nd from right.

The 1st expansion of the Kennedy Center is under way.  Besides rehearsal halls and classrooms, there will be an outdoor amphitheater. 

On our way into the Opera House, I spotted this poster.  Seems to be another lighthearted production by those fun loving Scandinavians.
















While waiting for the ballet to begin, I took a few shots inside the Opera House.

Our tickets are 2nd tier - not the nose bleed section, but close.  1st tier are the box seats with waiters, etc.  La-de-da.  I think the only way to see ballet is from the balcony - you want to be able to look down and see the entire stage so you don't miss any of the patterns, etc.

I look forward to many more performances of great dance.

If you get to visit your nation's capital, keep in mind that the Kennedy has free concerts daily at 6 pm - check the web site for the schedule of performances.  For many it's a great way to end the work day before fighting rush hour traffic and there's a free shuttle to and from the Foggy Bottom Metro Station.

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On April 4th we saw the NYC Ballet.  One of the benefits of attending the Sunday matinee series is seeing all of the future ballerinas.

        
         Posing for photos                                 Enjoying the terrace

The crowd in front of the Opera House

The first ballet was Composer's Holiday which was first performed in 2018.  The music was by Lukas Fosses and called Three American Pieces of Violin and Piano. The exciting element was the choreographer - Gianna Reisen.  This was her first commissioned ballet for a professional company - not a bad start to any career - and she is the youngest choreographer to make a ballet for NYCB.

I was so enthralled watching the two leads.  Picture two dancers, one standing just behind the other, do exactly the same steps but the one in back is exactly one beat behind. The concentration required was extreme.  The entire production was lovely.

The Opera House during intermission

The 2nd ballet was Kammermusic No. 2 which premiered in 1978 in New York.  George Balanchine was the choreographer and watching the performance, there was no doubt who created this lovely but challenging piece for the dancers.  I do admit it didn't move to the top of my favorite Balachine ballets.

Next was Opus 19/The Dreamer with choreography by Jerome Robbins.  I tend to think of him as a Broadway dancer, but this was in the modern classical style and fine in presentation.

Last was Symphony in C, another Balanchine piece.  The audience was apparently eager for a more traditional ballet and when the curtain went up and everyone saw dancers in tutus and formal dance costumes there was an audible reaction of pleasure.  

On the drive home we saw proof that the cherry blossoms were at peak and volley ball had returned to the Mall.  All the traffic to see the cherry blossoms meant I was driving so slow I could take shots out the window.

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April 14th we saw The Mariinsky Ballet from St. Petersburg.

I had seen the company a few years before but this was the first time to see them perform a full length ballet, Le Corsaire.  It premiered in 1863 and it's so very 19th Century - pirates, a shipwreck, white slave traders, harem dancers.  What else could you want?!  Well, fabulous dancing for one and we got it.  Forget the silly story and just enjoy the performance.

Before the first act, we enjoyed just walking around the Kennedy Center.

The weather was nice enough for people to be gathering outside.

The views along the Potomac are always nice.

The Kennedy duck didn't seem to mind the crowd.  For years a cat lived at the Kennedy but it disappeared and the staff has assumed it found a nice place to go and take its last breath.

We seldom to selfies, but why not.  The spires in the background are at Georgetown University.  Below is a closer look.

The gift shop wasn't going to let the presence of a Russian company go unnoticed.  Lots of Russian influenced items available to purchase.

There was a gentleman taking digital photos from people and turning them into Russian "icons" for those who think they're saints, I guess.  I moved on.

Views from the 1st tier balcony during intermission:

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Sunday, February 2, 2020
The National Ballet of Canada

Not sure why, but I failed to post items about the ballets we saw in the Fall.  I'll try to keep posting in the future.

The National Ballet of Canada presented the full length The Sleeping Beauty with choreography by Rudolf Nureyev.  Since he was dancing in the production back in the 70's when this production was originally done, the dance was definitely aimed at his bravado.  I found the entire production technically excellent but I didn't get a sense of any emotion coming from any of the leads.  The Washington Post definitely disagrees with me (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/national-ballet-of-canada-gets-it-right-in-the-sleeping-beauty-its-whats-inside-that-counts/2020/01/31/1df8626a-4361-11ea-abff-5ab1ba98b405_story.html).

I was fortunate to be sitting next to a young woman who seemed very intent on watching.  During the 2nd intermission I struck up a conversation and discovered she had come down from NYC just for the day to see her sister perform.  Turns out her sister is in her 1st year as an apprentice, the lowest of the low in the ballet hierarchy, sort of like a spear bearer in Shakespeare or opera, but she was on stage during the finale, standing at the very back.  It was fun to have a connection to her and hope she'll work her way up in the world of ballet.

FINALLY - George Turned 60

George on his belated birthday outing

George turned 60 last month but I was unable to be out and about because I was recovering from cataract surgery.  We decided to let Columbus Day be our belated celebration.  A Viking Long Boat was docked in DC and we thought we'd take the tour.  Buying the tour ticket was his first "senior's discount" - another reason to celebrate.  

Things didn't start off well - the Potomac Water Taxi had failed to change their schedule for the day to a holiday schedule.  That meant that the tickets I had purchased on-line were not valid.  I did get a full refund but it meant that at the last minute we had to drive into the District.  We also already had a timed ticket to see the long boat.

This was our first trip to the new DC Southwest neighborhood called The Wharf.  Amazing!

 So many new buildings!

 Mexican restaurant that has received rave reviews.

We were lucky to find a parking garage near the main street and had time to stroll around and enjoy the views.

It wasn't hard to find our way to the long boat.

 Terrific views along the way

I'm amazed that there are enough rich people in DC with enough TIME to go sailing!

Lots of young Vikings marauding around.

Finally we got to the long boat.

Washington Monument can be seen in the background.

Two of the 36

crew members.  They sailed  from Norway, living on deck.  The crossing took 6 weeks.  The most dangerous portion of the trip was going through Iceburg Alley off the coast of Newfoundland.  Wooden boats and icebergs shouldn't mix.

I'm pretty sure she is a direct descendent of  Lagertha.  If that doesn't ring any bells, get busy and watch The Vikings on the History Channel.

He's actually an Aussie.  All of the others were from Scandinavia.

To learn more about this ship, go to https://www.drakenhh.com

Just one of life's little ironies.  This was docked acrossed from the long boat.

Greensboro, North Carolina - Home?

How can you not love some place so green and lush?

The search continues.  So far we've visited Grand Junction, CO (see blog post https://grannyburkes.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-search-begins-grand-junction-home.html) and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (see blog posts for all of October and November of 2017).  

George has ruled out moving to Mexico but has promised we can visit often and stay for extended periods after he retires.  That's good enough for me.  I actually have a long list of other places in Latin America that I also hope to visit - Agentina and Uruguay are next on my list.

We're concerned about the cost of living in Colorado and the continuing drought.  The fires started near Grand Juncion in early spring and continue off and on.  Homes have been lost.  We are financially contributing to the campaign of a terrific Democratic female candidate running against a Republican climate change denier and unethical scumbag.  Even his fellow Republicans have called him before the Ethics Committee twice during his two terms in office. Our candidate actually has a Ph.D. in environmental studies.  The Republicans control the western slope and have not developed any contingency plans for the drought continuing.  They have less than one year's worth of water in reserve.  This kind of head-in-the-sand stupidity will help turn the state blue, but I fear not soon enough.  I do like the fact you can already smoke what you want and die when you want.  Of course, as part of their hypocrisy, Republicans claiming to love freedom, are against these 2 policies.  But I digress.

Why Greensboro?
I spotted one sentence in a lengthy article in the Washington Post about areas of the south turning blue.  Greensboro was included.  I did some research and found a city with good medical care, and lots of higher education entities:  UNC - Greensboro, UNC A and T, Guilford College, and several more!  LLI (Life Long Learning) and AAUW (American Association of University Women) have active chapters there and since I'm currently involved in those groups that should overcome the fact that we would be moving to a place where we don't know anyone.

Just to get things started, before our trip, I contacted the president of AAUW and asked if she could arrange a meeting for me to find out what the branch (what chapters are called) is like.  She put me in touch with a real dynamo!  Millie is a former national treasurer and currently very active in Greensboro.  She also runs her own non-profit providing tutoring services to high school students.  She's a retired high school chemistry teacher who moved to Greensboro from Maryland in 1990.  George and I are so grateful for the hour and a half she spent with us.  She should also work for the local Chamber of Commerce - she's a great spokesman for her city.

Millie and me

We also met a real estate agent who gave us great information on the local market.  I think when the time comes he will be a great help in finding a new home.

After driving around to see different neighborhoods, we found a lovely winery.

Stonefield Winery

First winery I've been to with a chicken coop.  Lovely red hens.

One of several bi-racial couples we saw on the trip.

Thank goodness the south is changing.

Every winery needs a cat.

Gato assumes you're there to scratch the cat.

We plan to return soon.  This area of the country looks promising.