Category: Uncategorized

I’m just going to start this off with the fact that I had no idea what this was until we were in line waiting for our tickets. Originally, i had thought it was a sort of theater production. So I was definitely surprised to find out we were going to the ballet. But too start my day, me and Mia caught the S62 to the ferry, and got on the 12:30 with everyone else. we then hopped on the 1, made a pit stop to Starbucks (I got a hot pumpkin spice latte—yum), and we were in the theater. I was taken aback from how close we were, and honestly I think it took away from the experience. We were poking up at the dancers, which gave us a major warped view of the stage and dance, and you couldn’t see there feet, or if they were on the floor you couldn’t see them. Aldo, we were a little too close because you could hear their feet hitting the ground which took away from the experience, coupled with the fact that sweat was flying everywhere. But I digress. The first and Last movements were my favorite for sure. I loved the big group pieces, and their dynamic, always changing behavior. I thought the secon was a little too… weird and confusing to follow, plus the guy was sweaty and hitting the floor really hard, so that’s all I could focus on, taking away from that piece. The third was pretty, but they were on the floor a lot, and from our seats you couldn’t see them. I like the traditional first dance, and though the triple partner work was really cool. I loved the last one though. I liked how it centered around 2 dancers, but the other 100-odd dancers were still major components of what was going on, and in telling the story. I thought their story telling was the best in that one too, which is impressive with such a large company. Although the actual ballet part was short, me and Mia still made a day out of it. We went up to time square, got raising canes, and ate under an umbrella as it rained in Bryant Park. A great day if you ask me.

Even though I was a part of a dance company growing up, I wasn’t ever into ballet, which I think is why this didn’t appeal to me much. Undoubtedly it was a beautiful performance, but being so close and seeing TOO much, and the fact that it didn’t speak to me, made it a dragging watch. I’d love to see a different type of performance, maybe more contemporary like the third and fourth piece, instead of ballet.

For our trip to the Joyce theater this Sunday, I found all 4 shows we watched extremely interesting, though I did not enjoy them all equally. I sat extremely close to the center in the second row, so it was almost as though I was in the front. It was nice being close to the front because I had a very clear view of the performances, but I was nervous about sweat from the dancers landing on me so I kept drawing back into my seat every time they came close. 

The first show was my favorite. I have never witnessed any sort of live ballet, so while it was a relatively traditional performance, it was still very engaging to me. Also, it included my favorite costumes. Though there were some stumbles in the beginning, I found this performance to be the most fluid.

The second performance was my least favorite but simultaneously interesting. I found the overtness funny, but I think the ending was slightly overkill. Regardless, the dancers and cello player were extremely talented, and I was never bored. Even though it was not my favorite, I found it entertaining and I had fun discussing it with my peers afterward.

The third performance my favorite aesthetically, I loved what they did with the stage, and how for this performance, the woman’s hair had been down, I thought it was styled really nicely, and added to the underwater/mystical vibes, making her seem ethereal. However, I think the costumes were kind of bland compared to the rest of the performance, which was really good.

The fourth performance was my second favorite and very fun to watch, I liked seeing a lot of people on stage and the music for this one was my favorite. The costumes for this performance were a little underwhelming, but I felt like this one had the most interesting plot which made up for it.

I also had a lot of fun on the ferry trip back to Staten Island, as those of us who remained sat together and chatted a little, which was a pleasant end to a pleasant day.

In summary, I found the trip to the Arpino Dance Festival to be a worthwhile endeavor, and a fond memory to look back on, though originally I was a little apprehensive.

Before I get into the dancing, I have to share my journey there. The train that Nick, Mehdina and I were aboard on route to St. George decided to stop working one stop away from our destination. I don’t know exactly what the problem was, I think it was something with the doors? Anyway, we went out searching for a bus stop and much to our gratitude a bus came right when we got to the stop. It’s now 12:25 PM and we have to board the 12:30 ferry. Once we got off the bus we ran like children frolicking through an open field to get to this big orange boat. Somehow we managed to make it on with a minute spare and found our darling Lisa and friends waiting for us down below.

Ok now to the dancing. I had never been to a ballet before so I didn’t exactly know what to expect. The first performance was very pretty and met my expectation of what a ballet performance would look like. The second one on the other hand . . . Oh boy. The second one which I believe was called Valentine shattered my expectations. There was a cello (which was very cool) dancers in boxing outfits and weird noises coming out of all three of them. Also, lucky us got the splash zone seats and we had the privilege of witnessing the worlds tallest ballet dancer sweat like a water park. Anyway, back to the dance. It was weird and funny, and yet I felt like I was the only one laughing outwardly. It was cooky. I liked it. But I was only comparing it to the first performance.

After intermission the final two performances had me engulfed. The mermaid one was so beautiful, the two dancers felt like water themselves. And the last one was a visual experience. I really liked the whole Queen and King thing it had going, and the main ballerina was phenomenal.

We all sort of agreed that the performances got better progressively but overall I really liked the experience. Some parts of the dance really had me amazed and I would love to go again in the future.

PS after the show when we went out to eat I accidentally ate Jayson’s extra spicy chicken . . .

On Sunday October 12th, we went to the Arpino Dance Festival at Joyce Theater. The trip there went better than expected because by this point I thought it was going to be pouring. We took the 12:30 ferry to the 1 train that led us to Joyce theater around 1:30. The show began at 2 but we entered the theater 20 minutes early. I did not expect to get front row seats and when we sat, I realized just how close we were to the stage. The theater was smaller than I expected but then again I haven’t really been to many theaters. I didn’t know what to expect going into it because I have only seen indian dance performances in my life. The performances were beautiful to say the least and just so mesmerizing. The first dance was my least favorite in the sense that I didn’t get the story the dancers were trying to portray. The second dance was a boxing match between two dancers and that one was hysterical and not at all what I was expecting. I felt afraid laughing in the theater because it felt taboo and no one was really laughing. The last two dances were my favorite because they were just so beautifully done and illistrated an amazing story.

After the show a bunch of us headed out to eat and it was the perfect way to end the day. This is when the rain and wind decided to pick up and it was a crazy walk to the bus stop. Almost got blown away with my umbrella in the process but we made it. The bus ride home took longer than expected but eventually we made it home. Overall I would say that I enjoyed the day in the city being able to watch the ballet for the first time.

Over the weekend on Sunday our seminar class attended the Arpino Dance Festival at The Joyce Theater. The trip their wasn’t atrocious, me and Julia strolled over to the bus stop and had some good conversations. Only almost panic was when we were still on the bus at 12:20 and we were catching the 12:30 ferry , but we hit a slight jog and made it! Riding the subway is always an interesting time, but we survived and me and Julia then got Starbucks (Pumpkin Chai is AMAZING!). 

Attending the dance festival, I didn’t really know what to expect, as I’ve never attended anything of that sorts or watched dance beyond Dance Moms. Walking in it seemed to be a very nice location, especially with the looks of the other guests. I also experienced extreme sonder, as for our class we had to attend this event, but these people each had their own life  and reason to attend. 

As this was free, I won’t complain crazily, but the seats were a tad too close and whoever constructed the stage in general should be fired (personally). Looking at the stage I couldn’t see their feet, and to me, with little dance knowledge, sees their feet to be a huge part of their technique and not being able to see it, I feel like I lose some of hard work they put into their dances. Also in Valentine, I could infer what she was doing when she was on the ground but I honestly could only see parts of her head. 

To the dances, I enjoyed them, but I don’t have a extremely long attention span, so I lost the plot very quickly in my opinion. Within the first dance, Confetti, I honestly was amazed by what they did dance wise, but the costumes for the men personally fell flat. Those pants… White should historically be banned for everyone. I will say in Valentine that I could relate to the guy dancing, as I too sweat an extreme amount, but boy, was it just raining off of him onto his poor partner the entire dance. 

I will say that all the dances had amazing technique and beautiful overall setups. However, I don’t entirely find a vast appeal in this art. I was talking to Julia about how in the 2nd grade my school attended The Nut Cracker, and I had never been more bored in my entire life. Staying completely silent isn’t extremely hard for me, but when it’s a rule it then becomes hard and takes away my interest as I have thoughts to share but have to suppress them, which usually leads to me forgetting them. So I’ll say it correlates to the dances we saw, as I wanted to say somethings to Julia, but being so close I almost felt as if we were being watched, so we stayed silent. I know it would be distracting to other guests and the performers when talking, but I feel as I would enjoy it more if it wasn’t as strict, but that usually doesn’t coincide with the fine arts. 

To conclude the trip, I will say it did create an overall good day as it gave an excuse to be out in the city on a rainy Staten Island day, getting to tour parts I hadn’t seen and an insane Raising Canes with a DJ. 

The question on everyone’s mind was, “How is the weather going to be?” The forecast had called for strong storms, which was worrisome. Fortunately, the weather turned out to be mostly manageable.

Going into the Arpino Theater, I did not know what to expect. I’ve seen musicals and plays before, but never a ballet. However, I was still interested, and I ended up enjoying the ballet more than I expected. 

The Arpino Dance Festival opened with Confetti, showcasing the talent of the dancers in a lighthearted way. The dancers wore candy-like colors, and they were all cheerful, smiling at all times. This contrasted with the next performance, Valentine, which was more humorous. It depicted the battle of the sexes through a man and a woman who were playfully fighting in a boxing arena. Their exaggerated expressions, in addition to a musician on stage, added to the comedy.

A brief intermission occurred before the third performance, Sea Shadow. The lost at sea theme was my favorite theme out of all the performances. The scenery, wardrobe, and orchestra all came together. However, the best performance was saved for last, which was Light Rain. I liked the change from only a few dancers on stage to multiple. Additionally, the raindrop choreography was well thought out and visually stunning. In a way, it reminded me of A Chorus Line. It was the perfect way to close the show.

Thank you to Macaulay for sponsoring the tickets. The seats were perfect. Since the first three rows were booked for us (with some strangers), we were able to see the performances from up close. I was truly impressed with the talent and effort of the performances.

Overall, I am glad I went on the trip. This was my first exposure to ballet, and I left the theater with a new appreciation for ballet and dance. I am now completely open to seeing more ballets if the opportunity arises in the future.

We went to see the Arpino Dance Festival as a class on Sunday. The day itself was okay, but I had a pretty bad start to the day. I had to walk 30 minutes to get to the train, only for the MTA workers to kick us off the train just one stop away from the ferry, which I then had to pay to even leave the train station! It was pretty annoying, but I managed to make it on the ferry before it departed. However, that wasn’t even all, because there was a creepy person that was visibly sick, and he coughed super loudly while facing me and staring at me the entire time…

I honestly kind of expected for the theater to be much bigger and flashier, kind of like the other theaters on Broadway, but it was still pretty charming. I liked the style of the sign and their arrangement of the LED lights. We had front row seats, but I feel like somewhere in the middle would have been better for the performance because the stage lights were shining directly in my eyes, which was really uncomfortable.

The performance itself was very good, but I am more of a music person, so I mostly paid attention to how the performers lined up with the music rather than how they danced. Their actions (like with the tambourines in Confetti) aligned with beats in the music, and it was pretty satisfying because it was all in time. The dancers were also in sync and very graceful. I noticed that they placed a lot of emphasis on their limbs rather than their torso, which makes sense.

I really liked the style of music they chose for the fourth performance. The color and style choices for the performers’ outfits, as well as the lighting, really gave them that jewel-like appearance which I found extremely beautiful. I also think the “couple” performers had really good stage presence and chemistry, which added to the feel of the performance. I honestly thought the third performance was beautiful as well, and the first one was very lively and interesting too. I just didn’t really like the second performance except for the cellist’s parts, mostly because I was really grossed out by the sweat flying everywhere (no offense to the performers).

After the show, I managed to get lost trying to find the right direction for the 1 train, but I went out to get milk tea after. I originally planned to go to Chinatown to walk around, but I didn’t want to get rained on any further, so I just took an express bus home.

Overall, I thought the performance was really nice. I just wish I was just as into dance as I was with music, because I was mostly focused on the dancers’ steps and movements in relation with the music, not on their own. It might have been better to have more knowledge about ballet and dance in general so I could have a better understanding of the performance.

On Sunday, we went as a class to the Arpino Dance Festival at the Joyce Theater in New York City. Since I was so close to the stage, the curtain didn’t look real. From the angle I was at it looked like a cartoon. Once the funky curtains rose, I was not expecting to see ballerinas. I was pleasantly surprised, as I’ve only seen a ballet once before (the Nutcracker). The third dance was my favorite, it was about a merman and a mermaid falling in love. It made me realize how versatile ballet as an art form can be, it is an excellent medium for storytelling. We actually got a picture with the lady ballerina from the third performance. She was so sweet by the way!

I also snuck a couple of photos of the dancers during the performance. I’m not sure if I was supposed to do that, but it’s too late now lol. A lot of the pictures came out blurry, but I managed to get one good one.

Overall, it was a great experience! Thank you to Mrs. French for accompanying us!

Some of us went out to eat afterwards, which was the cherry on top. Thank you, Mother Khadijah, for introducing me to Dave’s Hot Chicken.

On Sunday, we were able to see a dance performance at the Joyce Theater in Manhattan. Thankfully, the weather was not bad when we were traveling to the theater. Most of us took the ferry and the train together, allowing us to arrive at the same time.

I was lucky to have a good seat in the second row. I was towards the center and I could really see the entire stage. Going into this show, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was a dancer growing up, so I knew I would enjoy the dancing itself but I wasn’t sure of the stories. Personally, I loved the stories portrayed in the performance. Each performance, in my opinion, got better and better. I was a bit confused with the first one, but the story telling got better with each performance.

I enjoyed the second performance because it definitely made me laugh. However, I felt like an outsider laughing in the theater because everyone was so serious. I was even more impressed with the third performance. The dancers had such amazing control over their bodies and they were able to truly show off their talents. The male dancer was super strong, and the female dancer had amazing lines. When watching the performance, I envisioned the dancers as mermaids because of the fact that their movements were so enchanting. I also loved that the female dancer in the third performance was super humble. We were able to speak to her at the end, and she was so appreciative of our complements. Overall, these two performances were great.

My favorite was definitely the last one. Based on their technique, I think that those dancers were more advanced and had more experience. The lead female was incredibly talented. She had amazing lines, she was flexible, and she was incredibly strong. I loved how a big portion of the dance showcased her because she was truly talented. I also really enjoyed seeing all of the solo parts of this dance, including the first male soloist. This dancer was able to go from a jazz turn to a lyrical turn without bobbling which is really impressive. Whether it was in the group or as a soloist, I loved how each dancer was able to move to the beats of the amazing music. It is really hard to work in a group, especially on timing, and I think these dancers nailed it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this performance and I might even see it again in the future.

On my way to the Joyce Theater, I took the SIM33c to avoid the weather. It was about an hour bus ride and I arrived a bit earlier than expected, so I went to a coffee shop to get something warm to drink.

Afterwards, I walked to the theater and met up with the rest of the class. I was surprised our seats were right in the front. I honestly feel like it added to the experience though because we could hear the stomps of the dancers up close. The dance recital began around 2:05 p.m., and the first act was called ‘Confetti,’ I believe. I really liked this act; it was very cute, and it reminded me of the seasons.

For the second act, I did not like it at all. I am more into more lyrical dances, and this one, to me, was weird. I didn’t really understand what was being portrayed either. I only understood that they were in a boxing rink, but that’s really it.

For the third act, this was my favorite. It was very mystical, and I loved both of the dancers; they’re both incredibly talented! Especially when the guy held her with one arm, it was insane. In general, I just really liked the combination of the music and the dance. I felt like there was much more meaning behind it; it reminded me of a love story in some way.

For the fourth act, this was my favorite as well. It reminded me of the event theme ‘Arabian Nights’, like the music. Also, I liked how it was a group; it added a lot of dimension to the act. I thought it was so cool how everyone was in sync with each other as well. I think the lighting for this act, as well as the third, really added to the dance as well.

In all, I really enjoyed this trip! This was the first dance recital that I’ve been to, and I loved it! I would definitely like to attend another recital if one is scheduled.