finally the ballet!

I had been meaning to get to the Sarasota Ballet for a while but it is always nearly impossible to get good seats-so I gave up and got a mediocre seat so I could see how much effort I should put into getting better tickets next year-

you can find the back story on the ballet from my backstage tour there with my Sarasota Arts class of winter 2015... here-

http://blog.semifreelife.com/2015/02/trip-light-fantastic-at-ballet.html

and here is the scoop on the performance I am seeing- from the Ballet website-

Balanchine, de Valois & Graziano opens on Friday 29 January 2016 with the Company premiere of George Balanchine’s Emeralds, the opening ballet in the choreographer’s famed three-act Jewels. Set to music by Gabriel Fauré and designs by Karinska, Balanchine considered Emeralds “an evocation of France.” The Rake’s Progress was inspired by a series of paintings by William Hogarth, to the libretto and music of Gavin Gordon. De Valois’ dramatic rendering depicts the decline and fall of Tom Rakewell, the spendthrift son and heir of a rich merchant. Resident Choreographer Ricardo Graziano presents his acclaimed In a State of Weightlessness, with music by Philip Glass, which received its world premiere at the 2015 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Sarasota Herald-Tribune dance critic Carrie Seidman praised Graziano’s latest work as “...magical and mesmerizing,” and Boston Globe correspondent Janine Parker noted “Weightlessness is indeed weighted, with intensity and beauty.” Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust

so we will see how this is- I am extremely picky about the ballet- for a couple of short years I had season tickets to the Joffrey but canceled the subscription because I found it completely incredible that despite having wonderful principle dancers, their corps de ballet were awful. I found it completely distracting to have them not be dancing in complete and utter unison.  It was like each one of them had their own personal agenda to shine individually which is not exactly the discipline an audience would be seeking.  so I will report back when I have seen what the ballet looks like on stage.

so as I promised I will get back to blogging about Cuba because the voices of angels await us- and just so you can rest assured of this I will post a video snippet for you-

and you can find them on You Tube as well if you want to hear a whole selection.... stay tuned!

the amazing facts

so this morning I started my second of three classes this term.  this one is called

INSIDER’S VIEW OF THE ARTS IN SARASOTA

Sarasota is truly the capital of the arts scene of the “Culture Coast” of Florida. In this course, we’ll explore Sarasota’s rich artistic heritage through class discussion and field trips.  We’ll learn about the birth of the Ringling Museum and John Ringling’s vision for Sarasota; visit the Ringling College of Art and Design and enjoy the creative energy of its students; discover the Towles Court artists’ colony; take a backstage tour of the Sarasota Ballet; visit the Palm Avenue galleries and talk to the owners; and tour backstage at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and view their extensive art collection. Some of our explorations may involve entrance fees not covered by the course fee, and our meeting time may be adjusted for our visits to the Van Wezel, the Sarasota Ballet, and the Palm Avenue galleries.

along the way some folks have wondered how we ended up here- in the Sarasota Bradenton area. most know that my family has had roots here for all or part of their lives since the 30s and honestly it is possible that even before that my great grandfather had been coming here because this is where my grandmother met her future husband and where her brother settled when he married a local gal...

and while that may have been enough to get me to head in this direction when I tired of Chicago winters, it would not have been enough for my hubby--- however, he WAS impressed by the arts scene and the culture available in the area.  

painting - Kathleen Carrillo

as you know we have been regular theater goers at the Asolo and the FSU Rep and have participated at local wine events including the 1500 person extravaganza they call "Forks and Corks" (tickets sold out in three minutes this year.) and the Wine Walk to Ca d'Zan at the Ringling Museum.  the restaurant scene here (while no Chicago) is no slouch for a small city of less than a tenth the size of Chicago.  

So  I shouldn't have been too surprised by some of the numbers I learned this morning but still they are pretty mind boggling for a town this size...

last year when we did Forks and Corks I picked up a copy of Sarasota Magazine and they featured an article on attracting newcomers to the area-  and here is the scoop - right on the cover- 

No, that is not our two bedroom condo on the cover of the magazine- LOL- we live a bit more modestly but enjoy the same opportunities in the arts and culture scene here as the owner of that home does... that's the beauty of living here half the year - oh yeah - that and the fact that we completely missed "Chiberia" last winter and that today is sunny and 79*....  the blessings are abundant!

tomorrow class three (this time with Phil) on: how ethnic minorities influence the majority of American music 1900-1950... so stay tuned for more on that - and reports on our activities this coming weekend in Miami with daughter Angela, the famous lingerie designer!