“I love it. I’m so happy we’re in the front row, right next to the orchestra pit. I know how hard they work. I know people appreciate [live orchestra], but I don’t think they really ever get as much of the attention as people on stage. It’s a very big thrill for me to be so close to them.”
“I don’t think there’s words for the performance. It’s beautiful, stunning; the costuming is fantastic, and the dancers are so talented. [I’m] speechless, half the time watching it in awe. They’re just amazing.”
“I was very moved by the piece on repentance. That was a very powerful piece. I really enjoyed that one a lot ... the understanding of the spirituality and the oppression, and not giving up on [his] spirituality despite all of the forces against him, didn’t make him cave, didn’t make him give in. It was very powerful, because I know that’s still going on, and I know that there are a lot of people still fighting against it. It’s just very, very moving.”
“What I really loved is, I’ve been reading in the program about the origination [of dance]. It made me really think about how old original Chinese dance is and how much it’s influenced all of the modern dances. Ballet came from Chinese [dance], rather than the Chinese taking the ballet pieces from it. That’s been very interesting to see, when you realize how old this dance culture is, and I can see little pieces of different kinds of dance in it. I think that’s what I’m probably going to take away the most, is a better understanding of the origination of dance.”
“My mother was a dance teacher, and my sister was a professional ballet dancer as well, so I can really appreciate when I’m watching their movements and seeing the strength and the muscle and the actual energy, the grace, to really understand everything that goes into it. The physicality and the athleticism that go into dance, to be this close, and be able to see their muscles, watch their balance, [like] the girls on the 3-inch shoes! That was amazing. They’re really, really quite stunning and amazing. They’re amazing dancers.”
“I would tell [my friends] they definitely need to go, and I would love to go with them again. I can see wanting to see this every year it comes. I can imagine it’s just as wonderful each time.”
