Everything was beautiful…at the ballet….

Tonight I am going to my first professional ballet. I shouldn’t say that. I saw the Boston Ballet twice while in MA and they are quite professional, but not on the same level as the New York City Ballet.

Tonight, Derek and I are meeting Gregory and Shane to see NYCB’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While not my favorite of Shakespeare’s works, it ranks pretty high. My knowledge of ballet is so very limited so I am eager to see it with Gregory (an ex-ballet dancer) who can shed some light on terminology, style, and quality. I feel a bit like a clean slate ready to learn about a new art form.

I have to say that the benefits of working for the Kennedy Center are far and wide, but the ability to expand my arts knowledge with world-renowned companies is one of my favorites. In the past few months I have had the opportunity to see touring theatre productions from Roundabout in NYC, two operas from the Kirov company in Russia, a Michael Bourne piece from London, and now the New York City Ballet. This is all a bit new to me. I am/was a theatre geek. I love seeing both musical and straight theatre and have learned quite a bit in the past few years, thanks to Derek and Tonya, about the history of and current players on Broadway. I enjoy having a niche that I know and love.

There are days when my job seems a little overwhelming, when all the paperwork seems daunting and the actual arts that I am raising money for…so far away. However, it only takes one night of seeing a really great production and I fall in love with my job all over again. I know how much the arts means to me and what a relaxing escape it can be. My job allows me to bring that experience to more and more people everyday. Not a bad 9-5 if you ask me!