ABT Day Seventeen

Today was a very busy day! Amanda had her classes at ABT, which today consisted of technique, pointe, jazz, and choreography. She had Joe Istre for jazz again and Amanda found him to have a lot of energy and his class to be a lot of fun.

They are busily working on their pieces for the final performance at La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts. They had a meeting about the logistics of the chaperones getting all the dancers over to school for both the dress rehearsal and the final performances. They are planning on taking the subway, I think, but since we have been to Lincoln Center so many times, Amanda is well acquainted with the route.

La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts is also known as the "Fame" high school. Apparently this is the high school that both the "Fame" movie and TV series are based on. Notable alum from the school are Jennifer Aniston and Vanessa Williams, among others. So, it is an exciting venue for these dancers to perform in.

The other big ABT news of the day was that there was an unfortunate mishap in pas class. It involved a boy that many of Amanda's dancer friends from CBA know of. He was the drummer boy in the Graduation Ball piece that was performed at SERBA. He was partnering with a girl and in the process, one of his teeth got knocked out! When Amanda related this story to me, initially I presumed that the girl must have hit him with her hard pointe shoe!

However, later Amanda told me that her hand was what made contact with his jaw. It is hard to believe that her arms would have been whipping around with such force to cause that kind of damage--she must have had a lot of momentum. So, understandably, I think some of the guys are a little anxious about pas class now.

After Amanda was through with her classes, we rushed home, and Amanda got ready so we could take the subway to Lincoln Center. We ate our sandwiches in the outdoor seating area again--it was very nice as it wasn't raining and the temperature was just perfect. After that we went to a Starbucks nearby and then made our way over to the theatre.

The show was so beautiful, it is so hard to describe how lovely it was. The sets and costumes were so colorful and impressive, complete with chandeliers, stairways, etc. Amanda was just in awe of Paloma Herrera, she is a gorgeous dancer with marvelous feet and such grace.

Her pas with the male lead was just stunning. In one part, she does a pas with him where she is "dead" and her body is so limp and her eyes are closed, yet she performed the most complicated moves with such grace and elegance--she is so amazing!

Especially in that part, you can see how she would have to be incredibly trusting of her male partner as she is flung to and fro like a rag doll! Of course, although it isn't apparent, you know she is helping him (a lot)and her feet are just beautifully pointed! I wouldn't have believed a person could accomplish what she did if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes. Amanda looked at me during intermission and just said "wow." Amanda proclaimed that Romeo and Juliet is now her new favorite ballet and I can see why.

The ABT professional dancers are now headed to Los Angeles and the performances at Lincoln Center will be performed by the Metropolitan Opera. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to see three gorgeous ballets while we are in NYC. This weekend we are seeing Chicago on Broadway. Samantha Harris (who is a host of Dancing with the Stars) will be in that show, so Amanda is excited about seeing not only her, but all the singing and dancing in the musical.

We are thinking of all our friends--hope the summer is treating you well!

Beth and Amanda