Dance, dance, dance

Over the years I've come to realize that I like dance movies.  I'm not sure why.  It's not something I know particularly well or participate in.  I had to learn some dances in a junior high physical education class, and I have reluctantly (and terribly) danced a couple times at weddings.  That's about the extent of it.

I figured that if I enjoy these dance movies, then I ought to check out the real thing.  An excellent opportunity to make good on my intention to see a dance performance presented itself through a production incorporating a band I like a lot (Radiohead) and an absurdly cheap ticket via Groupon.  So I can now say that I have attended my first ballet.

Ballet Maribor's Radio & Juliet tells a spare version of Romeo & Juliet that is scored to slower and more industrial selections from the Radiohead catalog.  I got the gist of the narrative--it's kind of familiar--and found the interaction with the songs to cast the lyrics in a different light from how they were intended.  Could I say if it was good?  I liked what I saw, but I can't speak to the artistic merits.  I'm simply not knowledgeable enough to say one way or the other.

What surprised me?  I didn't expect the dancers to be so quiet in their movements.  It's not as if the music was blaring and thus covering up the sounds from the stage.  I didn't expect the performance to be so short.  (I clocked it at about 55 minutes.)

I wasn't sure what the etiquette is regarding applause after a piece/movement has concluded.  The audience seemed a bit split, as there was crowd silence in the gaps between several routines and scattered shows of appreciation during others.

I'm glad I went and will have to check out another dance performance eventually.  Fine arts!