My First Ballet
I had an opportunity to go to the ballet for the first time in my life today. I went as Denise Teoh had bought me a ticket, upon learning that I was interested in going. The performance was part of her birthday celebrations, which was a wonderful idea, really. It was the last day of the English National Ballet's Sleeping Beauty (music by Tchaikovsky), so I was really happy that Denise got me a ticket, despite me being useless and not confirming with her earlier that I wanted it!
It was an interesting experience. If you had asked me two years ago, I would have been convinced that I would hate ballet - prancing about and twirling on pointed toes would have struck me as decidedly odd, and perhaps even somewhat inane. Furthermore, ballet had bad press in my books due to the fact that it was one of those things that every Singapore parent forces their children to do (in this case just the girls) along with learning the piano or violin so as to keep up with the Jones' and to have a patina of cultured airs about the family. However, I must say I really did enjoy the dancing, and the way it meshed with the music, and I was quite enthralled by the first (of two) intervals. Things did get a bit draggy towards the end, largely due to the entire Third Act being a wedding celebration which was basically a chance for the dancers to strut their stuff. I had read a review of Sleeping Beauty saying that one of the problems was the plot was crammed into Acts I and II and the Prologue and Act III involved mainly a lot of prancing about to no real (narrative) end and it was quite an astute judgement. One could tell that everyone was getting restless towards the end. But a wonderful experience, one that I would love to repeat.
Instead of joining Denise for dinner, I went over to Hertford for formal hall with Dan, Remi and Eleanor and Kiril. This was in return for the formal I had at Trinity for the three of them. I had never been into Hertford before, so it was nice to have a chance to dine in hall there, and indeed to see the three of them again. The food was so-so, the chicken wrapped in Bacon being the highlight I think, but I really enjoyed myself. Remi and Eleanor kindly agreed to take me over the Bridge of Sighs which is Hertford's landmark - something that basically linked two seperate buildings divided by a road. It was just one of those things you had to do while at Oxford I guess.
I did make an interesting bet though with Remi. I am not sure what instigated it, probably Eleanor's jibes at Remi's alcohol drinking, but I made a bet with him saying that he wouldn't be able to go 4 days in Oxford without a drink - with two pints the price of the bet. He took it up of course, and it is due to end this coming Thursday at 9.15pm - just the right time for the winner to claim his pints at the Turf.
It was an interesting experience. If you had asked me two years ago, I would have been convinced that I would hate ballet - prancing about and twirling on pointed toes would have struck me as decidedly odd, and perhaps even somewhat inane. Furthermore, ballet had bad press in my books due to the fact that it was one of those things that every Singapore parent forces their children to do (in this case just the girls) along with learning the piano or violin so as to keep up with the Jones' and to have a patina of cultured airs about the family. However, I must say I really did enjoy the dancing, and the way it meshed with the music, and I was quite enthralled by the first (of two) intervals. Things did get a bit draggy towards the end, largely due to the entire Third Act being a wedding celebration which was basically a chance for the dancers to strut their stuff. I had read a review of Sleeping Beauty saying that one of the problems was the plot was crammed into Acts I and II and the Prologue and Act III involved mainly a lot of prancing about to no real (narrative) end and it was quite an astute judgement. One could tell that everyone was getting restless towards the end. But a wonderful experience, one that I would love to repeat.
Instead of joining Denise for dinner, I went over to Hertford for formal hall with Dan, Remi and Eleanor and Kiril. This was in return for the formal I had at Trinity for the three of them. I had never been into Hertford before, so it was nice to have a chance to dine in hall there, and indeed to see the three of them again. The food was so-so, the chicken wrapped in Bacon being the highlight I think, but I really enjoyed myself. Remi and Eleanor kindly agreed to take me over the Bridge of Sighs which is Hertford's landmark - something that basically linked two seperate buildings divided by a road. It was just one of those things you had to do while at Oxford I guess.
I did make an interesting bet though with Remi. I am not sure what instigated it, probably Eleanor's jibes at Remi's alcohol drinking, but I made a bet with him saying that he wouldn't be able to go 4 days in Oxford without a drink - with two pints the price of the bet. He took it up of course, and it is due to end this coming Thursday at 9.15pm - just the right time for the winner to claim his pints at the Turf.
posted by Caleb Liu | 11:21 PM
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