Ballet Fairy Tales

A few years ago, Marina and I saw the ballet Coppelia performed by a small ballet company. We’ve wanted to see other shows of theirs but couldn’t schedule them. Today we were looking forward to seeing their Fairy Tale Suite. Marina decided to wear her new Mulan dress with a light wrap.

We arrived at the theater, it was one we hadn’t been to before. We saw lots of little girls in princess outfits, they reminded me so much of Marina when she was little. The show was a short one, but it was cute, combining the stories of Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Beauty and the Beast and an Asian Empress.

After the show, there was a small tea party in the lobby. We had snacks and met a few of the dancers. After a bit of a wait we saw the choreographer for the show. He also dances in The Nutcracker that we see every year. We were excited to meet him and he was gracious enough to talk with us for a few minutes. After that conversation we went home.

Don Quixote Ballet

The Ballet opened their season with Don Quixote, not a familiar story for Marina. We saw the musical The Man of La Mancha over a year ago, but she didn’t remember it very clearly.

Out trip to the theater was pretty easy. The downtown area seemed deserted. We quickly found a parking spot and walked to the theater. Before we went to our seats we picked up drinks. Marina got a Shirley Temple and a bag of popcorn for during the show.

The show didn’t have much of a plot, but that was fine with us. It had gorgeous costumes, lively music and wonderful dancing. We were both entertained the whole time. At the end of each intermission, Marina was excited to see more of the show.

After the ballet ended, Marina said she really enjoyed it.

Cinderella Tea

We had reservations for a Cinderella Tea at a tea room we hadn’t been to before. Marina didn’t want to wear a costume, so she wore her Belle inspired dress.

At first we had trouble finding the place, but Marina spotted it as we were driving around. I found a parking place and we walked over. When we arrived we were taken to an outside area for the tea.

Everything seemed a bit disorganized. It took a while for us to place our order. Marina wanted to try the Black Vanilla Rose tea. When it finally arrived we both rally liked it. Unfortunately it took a very long time for our food to arrive. We were really hungry and Marina was getting a bit grumpy.

While we waited, we watched Cinderella dance. We had seats right in front so we had a great view. At first they couldn’t get the music working, so it was a bit strange watching without music. When they got the sound system fixed, she danced again. We all enjoyed it better with the music. We took photos of with her and the Prince.

When our food finally arrived Marina and I dug in right away. It was all petty tasty. We both loved the mini cream puffs though. After we ate we paid our bill and then went out for a carriage ride. Since no one else was ready, Marina and I got a private ride with no one else. It was fun. Marina loved petting the horse and the corgi that rode up front.  After our ride, we went back to the car. It had been a bit disorganized, but we still had a nice afternoon.

Wizard of Oz Ballet

Marina and I have been fans of the ballet for a long time. We were very interested when they announced they were presenting a new work – The Wizard of Oz. The downtown area was still very crowded so we gave ourselves plenty of time. Despite that, we still ran into terrible traffic and it took us quite a while to park. Once inside the theatre, we picked up drinks and snacks and waited to sit down. There was a technical issue and we waited for a long time.

 While we were waiting to be seated, a friend of ours joined us. Once the technical issues were settled, the doors to the theater opened and we made our way to our seats. The show started shortly afterwards. The ballet was a good one. It combined traditional ballet with modern twists and took a humorous tone throughout. The special effect were impressive.

 After intermission when the lights were going down, Marina shushed us because she didn’t want to miss anything! After the show we lingered in the theater and took some photos in front of a fun backdrop. That allowed traffic to ease up so we weren’t stuck in traffic when we left.

The Sleeping Beauty

Marina and I have seen The Sleeping Beauty ballet several times before. But since we love it so much, we wanted to go to the performance this season. Since Angie loves the ballet, we invited her to join us.

We all met downtown in front of the theater. We bought drinks and went to our seats. Marina and Angie had fun talking before the show.

The show was beautiful as we expected. The people sitting next to Marina were bothering her in Act One so she sat on the other side of Angie for the rest of the show. That helped her enjoy the show more. Act Three was her favorite since it contained Puss in Boots.

After the show the performing arts complex was packed again. Marina was impatient waiting for the elevator for the parking garage so she was actually willing to take the stairs. She was tired and wanted to get home to play with the cats.

One Singular Sensation

We saw A Chorus Line last fall. Despite that, Marina still wanted to see it again when another theatre announced they would be presenting the show this fall. Aunt Ann wanted to see the show, so she decided to join us.

We all met about half an hour before the show started. Marina ordered a Shirley Temple to drink and got a snack since it seems like she is always hungry! She even spent some time looking over her program before the show started.

A Chorus Line has many mature themes. I think Marina was able to understand many of them better this time. She still enjoyed the performance, especially the song “Dance Ten, Looks Three” which is still her favorite

After the show Marina said she didn’t want to wait to meet the cast. We didn’t know any of the actors and Marina said she was tired, so we headed home.

Steerage Supper

This week was the anniversary of the maiden voyage of the Titanic. To mark the occasion, the Molly Brown House museum had a Titanic Steerage Shindig. I thought it sounded like fun and Marina was interested as well. We invited Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy to go with us.

We arrived early at the Museum and wandered through the gift shop until it was time to check in. We were labeled as English passengers, since they were the first to board. The second group were the Irish, who were picked up at the second port before the voyage to New York.

We started by hearing about third class boarding from a volunteer playing Violet Jessup. She told us about the exams third class passengers went through before boarding and on arrival at Ellis Island. Then we went inside where another third class passenger told us about the accommodations and meals on the Titanic for steerage passengers.
We got a chance to look around the house. Marina and I definitely smelled cigars in JJ Brown’s room – something we had been told happens from time to time.

We went to the third floor for dinner. We ate roast beef, potatoes, turnips, carrots and green beans. Marina didn’t like the vegetables but the ate the meat and potatoes. She did like the plum cake we had for dessert.

After dinner, we went to the basement, which was set up with information about the Titanic. A group of musicians were playing Irish music. Partway through, several women started dancing. Marina joined them. After about half an hour of music, the musicians moved upstairs but Marina was ready to go. So we went home.

Romeo and Juliet at the Ballet

Marina and I have been regular patrons of the ballet for many years. This year their performances have had more mature themes. Their spring show Romeo and Juliet was not quite a dark as Dracula was last fall, but it was still a complex storyline. We took the train downtown today and on the ride I gave her a brief rundown of the story.

We arrived at the theater a little bit before the show started. We got a snack and ordered drinks for intermission. Then we found our seats and settled in for the show.

The first act was filled with background information, the meeting of Romeo and Juliet and the famous balcony scene. Marina seemed interested in the storyline. At intermission she drank her Shirley Temple and we talked a bit about the show.


The second act really pulled Marina in. She really liked the character of Mercutio because he made her laugh. At the end of Act 2, Tybalt killed Mercutio and she was shocked. When Romeo killed Tybalt she was equally aghast. The lights came up for intermission after that pivotal scene and Marina was upset that they left us hanging.

The last scene was the saddest. Marina watched it all intently. After the show was over she said she really enjoyed it. We didn’t have too long to wait for the train home. She spent most of the ride home watching videos on her phone.

Cinderella at the Ballet

Last year Marina and I saw The Sleeping Beauty performed by the Moscow Festival Ballet. This year they came back with Cinderella. Marina didn’t consider wearing a costume this year, but she did choose a blue-green sparkly dress with white heels. I’m pretty sure it was “Cinderella-inspired.”

It was snowing lightly when we left the house but we didn’t have too much trouble getting to the Arts Center. It was pretty cold, so Marina ordered a hot chocolate to drink.

Before the show started, Marina played on her phone. She did put it was a few minutes before the show started. As we were waiting, I found that the mom and daughter sitting next to us were next to us for The Sleeping Beauty as well.

During the show, Marina watched attentively. We both enjoyed the silly antics of the stepmother and the jester characters. Many of the dancers we recognized from last year’s show. The performance seemed by quickly.

After the show we saw that not only had the snow become heavier, but it was sticking to the ground. I had to brush quite a bit of snow off the car before we could even leave. With the snow, the drive home took a bit longer than usual, but we arrived home safely and not too late.

Nutcracker Night

The Nutcracker is an annual tradition for us. We had tickets to see it this evening, so after a few hours at home, we got ready to see it. Marina wore her red dress with a gold tiara. Her gold shoes even looked like ballet slippers!

We left early but we ran into traffic, so we weren’t as early as we hoped. Fortunately we didn’t have any trouble finding a parking space, so we still arrived in plenty of time. We picked drinks and a snack before the show. We weren’t allowed to bring the drinks into the theater, so we finished them before the show began.

We had seats with a great view of the stage and Marina was excited to see it again. As always, the show went by quickly. Marina listed her favorite dances as the Arabian, Russian and Marzipan. Although later she added it was all the sweets she loves.

When the show ended we went quickly to the car. We had a fun weekend but it was very busy and we were exhausted.

Dracula at the Ballet

After dinner we got ready to go to the ballet. They were presenting Dracula. It has been performed in previous years, but since it is recommended for ages 13 and up, I wanted until she was a bit older. We both dressed in black for the show.

The area around the theater was crazy tonight. We met a friend of ours at the seats shortly before the show began.

This show was much more theatrical than other ballets we have seen. Marina loved it though. Just as much, she was happy to see our friend.

After the show, Marina said she loved it. Apparently, she is the right age for it now.

Polish Festival

This year, Marina and I have been exploring various cultural food festivals. And since we have Polish ancestry, we were very interested in the Polish Food Festival this weekend. We decided to go there for lunch. When we arrived, we started off by eating potato and cheese perogies. We really enjoyed them. We sampled some “Angel Wings” for dessert.

We decided to take a look inside the church. It was beautiful. Once we did that, Marina acted a bit bored. I wanted to watch some of the folk dancing, so we decided to try a potato pancake until the dancing started. As we were eating it, one of her friends from school walked by us with her family. They picked up some food and joined us in the shade of a tree.

After we ate, we watched the folk dancing. Then we all went to see the church since her friend's family hadn’t seen it yet. The girls wanted more dessert, so I gave them tickets to get some. Marina chose cheesecake!

Since it was such a hot day, we decided to head home. It had been a fun festival.

Happy Birthday, Molly Brown!

We’ve been to the Molly Brown House Museum for tea in the past. Today we decided to try something else. For Margaret Brown’s 150th birthday, the museum held a block party. True to the name, the entire block the house stands on was closed off of the event. Marina decided to wear an outfit inspired by the era – a lace summer dress and a fancy straw hat with flowers. All day she received many compliments on her outfit.

We had a short wait to check in and then we started to check out the vendor booths. We found many places we go to had booths. Marina learned about military supplies at one booth and painted a firefighter’s badge at another.

We listened to two opera singers perform songs from Carmen and then Marina insisted we check out the animal shelter area where they had dogs and kittens up for adoption. She fell in love with them all – especially a black kitten that she held for a while.

Once she was willing to leave the pets behind, we went through the house and even found a new room that was recently opened to the public. As we left the house, we met the actress who plays Margaret Brown. She remembered us from the tea party in March and talked with us for a little while.

We each had a piece of birthday cake while we watched Mexican Fiesta Dancers. Marina said goodbye to the pets before we left the party. It was a really fun event!

A Dream of Mexico

Two years ago, I took Marina to see Kurious by Cirque du Soliel. She loved it, so I got us tickets to see Luzia again this summer. Since the performance was an early one, we decided to take light rail to avoid traffic.

The trains took longer than we expected and we ended up being a bit late for the show. We arrived in time to see a group of acrobats dressed as birds. The first act was filled with humor and amazing stunts. This show even had a water feature that added a new element to the performances.

During intermission, we got some popcorn and walked around the tent a bit before going back to our seats. The second act was a fun as the first. We were amazed by a contortionist and two synchronized swings with acrobats jumping from one to the other.

After the show, I asked Marina what her favorite part was and she said “Everything.” We had a less stressful trip home on the light rail.

Warrior Cat

This evening was Marina's dance recital. She was excited to apply her own makeup. As we drove, Marina told me how nervous she was. I told her that was a good thing, to help her stay focused on what she was doing. When it was their turn, the girls did a great job on their dance.

After the recital, Marina introduced me to a new friend she made backstage. Next we found Miss Risa and gave her orange roses. Marina picked out orange roses for Miss Risa because her poms were the orange ones!. She seemed to love them.

As we drove home, Marina showed me her poms. She and one of her classmates found a way to share their colors, so now Marina’s are half orange and half blue.  She seemed pleased when I pointed out that they are now Bronco colors.

Little Mermaid Ballet

Late last year, we decided to get tickets to see the ballet The Little Mermaid with one of Marina's friends and her mom. We bought the tickets last fall, but tonight we finally got to see the show.

Marina had initially planned to wear her Ariel costume, but she changed her mind and wore a blue dress instead. She did add the Ariel starfish headband though. I put her hair in curlers and it came out looking beautiful. After she put on her makeup, she said, “I look gorgeous!” She did!

We all went to dinner before we went to to the theater. None of us had been to this theater before, so it took ups a bit to find it. Once we did we were able to find a parking place and walk over.

We arrived early. Since they weren’t seating yet, we had a snack while we waited. Our seats were in the balcony but our view was great. Our seats were in separate rows, so we let the girls sit in the front while her mother and I sat behind them.

The show started with a ballet choreographed to a Bruch Violin Concerto. It didn’t have a story, but the dancing and costumes were beautiful. We had an intermission before The Little Mermaid began. It was a very different kind of ballet – the music had lyrics and the recording  had narration. It was more like a musical than a traditional ballet.

The girls both enjoyed the ballet. We all talked about getting together to see another ballet or even an opera.

Lucky Thirteen

Marina has been taunting me for over a year that she would be a teenager soon. Today, she officially became one. She’s been gloating about it for a few weeks.

This morning, Marina dressed in her pink cat dress with black cat ears. I let her open one of her gifts before school so she could add it to her outfit – fingerless cat gloves. She loved them!

She a bunch of mini cupcakes to school and handed them out during first period. I bought extras so she could give them to her other teachers and friends. She did that during lunch. After I picked her up, we picked up a pizza for dinner. As we ate it, Marina opened the rest of her presents. She was especially excited about the craft kits which she wanted to open and use right away.

This evening, Marina had her dance class, so we took in brownies for her classmates. She shared those at the end of her class.

At home Marina worked on some of her crafts until it was time to get ready for bed. It was a fun start for her teen age years.

Cinderella Ballet

Three years ago, Marina and I saw the ballet Cinderella. This year, a different group was presenting it at a nearby theater. We were both excited to see it again. Marina wore her Cinderella inspired dress. She asked me to put her hair into a bun and she added a tiara-like comb. She looked lovely.

The presenting group is a school that works with professional dancers, so the lead roles were danced by professionals and there were scenes where the students performed. Marina liked the idea of it.

The show was very entertaining. The student portions were very cute. Marian loved the little frogs and doves. She was also impressed with the costumes for the fireflies and butterflies. The professional dancers were very good. It was fun to see them up close. The stepsisters were very funny and the dancing by the jester impressed us as well.

The ballet was presented in three acts, so we had two intermissions. During them, we talked to the mother and daughter sitting next to us. It was a fun evening, but didn’t stick around too long after the show. Marina has school tomorrow and we were both very tired.

The Firebird Ballet

Marina and I have been attending the ballet for a long time, but we have never attended the Masterworks series. This year they were offering Serenade and The Firebird which sounded interesting. So we decided to check it out. We invited Angie, who loves the ballet. Marina wore lots of red sparkles today – she wanted to look like the Firebird.

Traffic was worse than expected, so Angie dropped Marina and I off so we could get to the theater. Once we arrived at the theater, I bought drinks and snacks for the show. Angie joined us just as the ballet began.

The first performance was Serenade. It was a beautiful sequence set to music by Tchaikovsky. It was a pretty dance we all enjoyed. After the first intermission, we watched Petite Mort – a more modern dance. Marina told me she liked the music. I told her it was written by Mozart.

After the second intermission was the dance Marina was most looking forward to – The Firebird. We were thrilled to learn that Maria Mosina was dancing the lead role. It was her last performance before she planned to retire. We all enjoyed the fantasy storyline.

After the ballet was over, Marina Mosina received a standing ovation. As we clapped for her, a series of her colleagues came onstage and gave her flowers. It was such a special moment to watch.

Sleeping Beauty at the Ballet

Marina and I saw The Sleeping Beauty ballet a few years ago. We both enjoyed it and so when a touring production announced a stop near our house, I knew we’d want to go again. Marina had talked about wearing her Princess Aurora costume. But she decided against that, but she did want to wear something inspired by the Disney character. As she got ready to go she was much like Princess Aurora, changing her clothes from pink to blue and back again.

This was our first time attending a show at this arts center. It’s a very intimate theater and we were in the front row. Marina was happy with our seats. There were quite a few children at the theater. Marina passed the time talking to a five year-old seated next to her.

When the show started, Marina was excited. She whispered to me quite often throughout the ballet. She was impressed with the set and the costumes. Since we were so close, we could see all the beautiful details on the costumes.

At intermission, Marina talked more with the girl next to us and showed her pictures of our cats. Then we settled in for Act 2. Marina’s favorite part of that was the dance Puss In Boots and his partner.

The show ended fairly late so by the time we got home, Marina was really tired. She didn’t have much trouble getting to bed tonight.