swanee, how i luvya how i luvya

Ever seen a ballet? I hadn't seen a real one until last night. Usually I stay away from ballet, because it's hard to understand -- not the story mind you, but the actions. For example, if two ballet performers are supposed to be in conflict with each other, they still need to move cooperatively. When they use each other's bodies to make a dramatic move, I sit there and say, "Stop working together! You hate each other! Just punch him in the face! Stop swaying or whatever!" My frustrations are similar to Krusty the Klown when asked about why he bet against the Harlem Globetrotters. His answer: "I swear the Generals were due! The game had to be fixed, I mean, the guy's using a ladder for crying out loud! Look at him now! He's just spinning the ball on his finger! Just take it! Take the ball!"

So Andrea and I saw Swan Lake last night. We figured it would beat a movie since her friend raved about it and with a student discount, the final price of $8 would be comparable anyway. Since it was her idea, she paid. It was at this time that we found out that tickets were $20, not $8. I bought dinner, but financially, I came off way better.

Do you know the story of Swan Lake? It's about a guy feeling the pressure to get married. In his comfortable palace, he's totally surrounded by hotties, but he doesn't want to get married just for the sake of marriage to one of them like everyone is expecting. So he takes the advice of TLC and heads off to some lake, skipping the out-of-reach waterfalls. There, he finds the girl of his dreams, but she's cursed. She, among lots of other great girls, is under enchantment from some evil guy who gets his kicks hoarding beautiful women for himself. The only way to break the curse is for a man to love her, and she to love him in return. That seems to be a recurring theme in stories like this. Why is it just the pronouncement of love that breaks curses in all these old stories? Was such a thing that rare back then? It seems pretty easy to me. I'm surprised there weren't more people professing their love to each other when it solved all problems. Now in present day I'm more influenced by Depeche Mode in actually one of my least favorite DM songs.

There was a time
When all on my mind was love
Now I find
That most of the time
Love's not enough
In itself

Alright, that's not important. It is a good story. It's why we love love stories more than love itself. Anyway, love doesn't solve all because they guy falls prey to duplicity. They do get together, but only after they sacrifice their very lives. Hmm. maybe the point is that love isn't enough. Makes sense now.

I liked it. Honestly. The production was awesome. It was done by this Swedish guy and everyone knows I love the Swedes (but hate the Dutch). Best fog ever too. Unfortunately, the performance also reminded me of that time that my mom and my two brothers went to the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City. The costumes for one play had little tassels hanging off the bulge area of the male performers' tights. We were civilized and cultured about it for about ten minutes until my brother Mike whispered to my brother Andy, "Hey. Just curious, but what are you looking at right now?" Anyway, that part of the ballet was pretty distracting. It also made me think of that ballet scene in Top Secret!

What's it going to be? Stay in the castle to find a great girl (one of the castle girls in the ballet really entranced me), or rescue the girl in evil clutches?

Thanks for the awesome night, Dre.