i fell in love last night. yes, it is true…

we were going to the opera, and so i was all dressed up in my green banana republic skirt and pink sweater. we got off the metro and waited outside the gorgeous opera garnier (i have a whole post about it from like 2 weeks back). then, we entered the large, beautiful hallway and went up the stairs to the first level. an usher showed us to our seats and they turned out to be in a private BOX CENTER STAGE! oh yes. i mean, we had 4 other people to share it with, but i hardly noticed them. the stage was beautiful and the decor even more so. the ceiling looked like a water color painting and the colors just illuminated everything. the stage was set with a couch, piano, chairs, and a rug. there was also a sign that said “liquidation” set up to the left. people entered the stage before the orchestra even played the first note and started taking everything away. then i saw the most magnificent thing i have seen since i have been in paris…POINTE SHOES!!!!! that’s right – we weren’t seeing an opera, WE WERE SEEING A BALLET!!!! and so i proceeded to fall in love with the paris ballet!

the ballet was titled “la dame aux camelias” and it was wonderful!! from the moment the first note played on the piano, i was hooked! the costumes were remeniscent of the nutcracker party scene, very period, and no tutus. they flowed beautifully and the first scene has couples walking across the stage getting ready to watch a show. they used the entire stage, and the dancers were so theatrical. the costumes were beautiful shades of purples, reds, and pinks. the dancers’ technique was impecable as well!! the majority of the music was just piano and it was choreographed beautifully to the melody!! the opening scene did have the orchestra play a bit (which was wonderful), but the second and third acts were mainly piano only. gorgeous.

the story was about a dame, margerite, who was a big socialite who went to a bunch of parties all the time and had boys falling all over her. she even had a socialite boyfriend who indulged her in nice things (like parties and jewerly and such). she, however, had eyes for one boy in a lower social class. oh yeah, and she had tuberculosis (hey i didn’t make it up, alaxander dumas wrote it). so she sees this guy on the side, while still managing to be popular in act 1. act 2 rolls around and they are in the country with a bunch of friends just having a good time, and the boy she really loves is there too. (their costumes were very scarlet o’hara.) they have a wonderful opening dance full of joy and fun, and then her rich boyfriend shows up and tells the other guy to leave. she stops him, though, and throws down the necklace he had given her to show that she didn’t care about the money and was going to do what she wanted. and so the rich guy ends up leaving. then the count (her dad or uncle or someone) showed up and she got in a lot of trouble for seeing the other guy out of her social class. there was a very dramatic scene where she and her father talk and he almost leaves her while she is begging on her knees. he comes back, though, and kisses her. so then her true love comes and they do a wonderful duet expressing their love. (i know you can’t wait to see what happens next, right?)

ok so at the end of act 2, she has to leave and so she gets her maid to give him a note from her. we don’t know exactly what it said, but she has a flashback of what her life would be like with the money and the old lifestyle (i will have to explain that later) and she wanted that back. so, she left him and went back to the city. but i think that she knew she was very ill and wouldn’t be alive much longer so she just left him because it was easier for her. so he gets very upset and runs after her.

then act 3 rolls around and they are back in paris, and the mood is very somber. she is out about on the streets and she runs into her true love again. after some dancing around each other, they are finally alone and rekindle their lost love. then she leaves him again. (i am leaving a few things out so sorry if this doesn’t make a lot of sense.) then she gets very very ill. she tries to write him a journal thing and she can’t make it. she calls for her maid to get her dressed (i didn’t see that coming). she puts on a red dress and a black vielover her head. then she heads over to see another show. she thinks she sees her lover and walks over to greet him, but it is not him and so she runs off. then back in her bedroom she tries again to write and falls over. she gets back in bed and tells her maid to give him the book. and she dies. sad, i know. then the maid gives him the book and it ends. ok i know it doesn’t sound like the most upbeat thing in the world, but i’m telling you it was AMAZING!!!! haha!

really though, the costumes, the music, our cute little private red box, and the art of dance just made it one of my favorite nights in paris!!! the lifts were flawless, and everyone was just so graceful!! the atmosphere was incredible, and i can not tell you enough how much i LOVED it!! the artists were sooo talented, and their passion was evident the entire way through!! that is what makes a good performance! :)