Tips For Attending A Ballet Performance

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For all young ballet students and dancers attending a professional performance at the ballet is a magical event. The following tips will help you get the most out of a professional ballet performance.

Choose the Right Ballet
If a young student is attending the ballet for the first time, choose a popular production, like ” The Nutcracker” “Sleeping Beauty” “Cinderella” or & Coppelia”. The most entertaining classical ballets are the ones that tell stories, usually adapted from popular fairy tales. These full length story ballets are especially appropriate for children.

Tickets
Check the Arts Centre Box Office for upcoming ballet performances. With so many ballet companies today we are lucky to have so many wonderful performances to choose from every year. Remember that planning to attend a ballet is part of the fun and excitement, pick the date of a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary, and make it even more special with tickets to the ballet.

Research the Music and Story
Ballet performers use body movements, not words, to tell stories. Because speaking is not involved, it may be difficult tfor new comers to the ballet to follow the storyline. If you know which ballet you are planning to see, take some time to do some research and learn all about it. Plot summaries and reviews can be found on the Internet for all major ballet company performances. You may want to go a step further and find a DVD or video stream of a live performance of the ballet.

A great way to familiarize dance students with a ballet is to listen to the music. Music of the classical ballets is usually easy to find on CD or online. Listen to the music in the car or around the house, noting any abrupt changes in tempo. The more familiar you are with the music, the more you will appreciate and enjoy it when you hear it live.

Read About the Dancers
A ballet company employs dancers of different ranking from Corps de Ballet to Principals. It’s fun to learn a little about the dancers before you actually see them. Research the leading Principal dancers of the company via the internet. Study pictures of the main dancers so you can try to identify them on stage.

Attending the Ballet
Although there is no specific dress code for ballet performances, most people try to dress up out of respect for the ballet. Some people prefer to dress in business attire while others prefer trendy, but casual, clothing. Formal attire is not generally worn unless it is opening night where the atmosphere will be a little more formal.

Most theaters open about 30 minutes before a performance. Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time for parking, ticket pick-up, and finding your seat. Keep in mind that some theaters have very strict guidelines for late seating. If you arrive after the performance begins, you may be asked to wait until intermission to be seated.

At the Ballet As you wait for the curtain to open, enjoy reading the program. You will be able to read a short plot summary of the ballet and biographies of the principal dancers. The program will also provide interesting facts about the ballet company and its past performances.

Remember to turn off your mobile phone. There is nothing more annoying than the ringing of a phone to spoil a moving moment. Do not eat or drink during the performance, as there will be time for that during intermission. Also, remember to speak quietly during the show, and applaud when appropriate.

Adding to the Experience
Attending a professional performance of the ballet is always a moving experience. After the performance, dance students can possibly wait at the stage door and hopefully meet a few of the professional dancers. Dancers usually exit through the stage door, so wait there with your program and a pen for autographs. If you ask them nicely, the dancers will probably allow for a few photo opportunities.

Have fun and enjoy going to the ballet.

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