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This past weekend, North Central Ballet combined two ballets, The Firebird and Gaîté Parisienne, into one wonderful performance. Naturally, our resident ballerina was smiling and dancing on the stage, and we were in the audience cheering loudly with friends and neighbors. We didn't whoop and holler, or do anything that was terribly embarrassing -- or at least I think we obeyed all proper etiquette rules for attending a cultural event. You can dress us up, but can't take us out?

Liesey's dear friend Claire did a wonderful job of portraying the Firebird. Claire is the same height and has the same build as our ballerina, and the two beauties look a little bit alike, so they are frequently asked if they are sisters. They love it! 

From my center-of the-stage, six-rows-back seat, I snapped 284 photos. Surprisingly, most of the images turned out rather well. Hooray for a nice lens and a steady hand! Don't fret, I will only share a mere fraction of the digital memories I preserved. Of course, for the safety of the dancers, I refrained from flash photography. ;-)

The Firebird

 Claire and David

 Maidens

 My mostest favorite Maiden

And here's the customary wedding scene that nearly all ballets seem to have. I chuckled because Brandon, the priest, reminded me of the "impressive clergyman" from The Princess Bride. "Wove, twue wove..."

Gaîté Parisienne

I'll try to keep these photos G-rated.

All the girls in Paris France

Love to do the Can Can Dance

Kick their legs up in the air

Shake, shake, shake their derrier

If you go to Paris France

You can do the Can Can dance

Easy now as un deux trois

Everybody ooh la la

Do the Can Can

Kick your legs up in the air

Do the Can Can

Shake, shake, shake your derriere

Do the Can Can

Easy now as un deux trois

Do the Can Can

Everybody ooh la la la, ooh la la la, ooh la la la

Chorus:

Oh can you do the Can Can?

If you can then I can

I can Can Can if you Can Can

Can you Can Can

Oh we can do the Can Can

Yes oui we we Can Can

We can Can Can

Yes oui we Can Can

We'll leave it at that, as there are too many additional verses to this song. You get the idea.

 My daughter is sooo modest!

And graceful. ;-)

Thanks to our friends, the Huffmans, the Hollensheads, and the wonderful Walker women, who joined us in supporting the arts. Where am I? Hiding behind the camera, of course!

The twelve of us all went out to eat dinner together and enjoyed Italian fare after a French ballet. I suppose that makes the afternoon a multicultural experience.

Over dinner, we planned our next group outing for June when NC Ballet will present A Midsummer Night's Dream. 


Mercifully, our ballerina/can-can girl's ballet class is cancelled for today, but rehearsals will begin tomorrow for the end-of-year production. Gotta keep those dancers on their toes...