The Banana Attends the Ballet

Last fall we purchased two tickets for Coppelia, the spring production of the Minnesota Ballet. at the silent auction that is an annual fundraiser for the biggest kidlets’ school.  Although my husband is NOT a ballet appreciator, which is such a shame since we really do have a good ballet company here, I was quite certain I could find someone else to go with me!

The Banana was over the moon excited.  She had been anticipating the event for a couple of weeks, and had a countdown in progress as the date neared.  On Saturday afternoon, she was bathed and dressed up fancy with plenty of time to spare, and there was dancing while we waited for the babysitter to arrive.  There was dancing upstairs.  Dancing downstairs.  Dancing on the sidewalk, and dancing in the yard.  She wore her “richest” dress, smooth white tights like real ballerinas wear, a lace shawl, and a fancy real necklace.  And on her feet, the most important part of the ensemble, you know, were the used ballet slippers that her cousins gave her a while ago, cousins that really took honest to goodness ballet lessons in Iowa.   She wore the slippers right into the auditorium so she could feel a part of things.

Seriously, the child was the happiest I’ve ever seen her in her life.  There were squeals upon squeals when the babysitter arrived and we could hop in the van and leave.  She chattered nonstop the entire way there.  At one point she said, “Mama, I’m so glad that I don’t have to make a choice about whether to go to the ballet or go to a big watermark at a hotel, because they are both really, really fun, but the ballet is probably the most fun in thing in the whole entire world.”

The ballet didn’t disappoint.  We had read the story before going, and she was transfixed the whole time.  We had great seats near the front, and the dancing was amazing, of course.  She had favorite ballerinas, favorite costumes, favorite dances and favorite parts of the story.  In the third act,  Swanilda and her husband finally kiss at their wedding.  It wasn’t a real kiss.  Their faces were merely close together in a kissing position.  The music was quiet, and The Banana loudly whispered, “UGH!  That is SO TERRIBLY DISGUSTING!”  This completely cracked  up the young, curly red-haired girl and her boyfriend who were sitting in front of us.  They were literally shaking in their seats for five minutes trying not to laugh out loud.

At the ballet souvenir table, we purchased real autographed toe shoes that one of the ballerinas on stage practiced with.  They were only five dollars, and I couldn’t resist because The Banana had just celebrated her half birthday, and because when I was a little girl, I really, really, really wanted to see toe shoes up close.  She can’t wear the toe shoes, of course, without taking ballet for many years, but they are super special just the same.