Observations from my First Ballet - Phantom of the Opera

Thanks to the generosity of the Indiana Ballet Company (IBC), my wife, Sharon, and I attended our first ballet performance this afternoon. It was Phantom of the Opera, a perfect show for Halloween. We got the tickets through the IBC's SmallerIndiana.com contest. Woo hoo! Thanks to Elizabeth Audet, pictured here with me after the performance:

Our biggest surprise was during the intro, they told us that applause during the performance was encouraged. To be honest, I thought it would be a stuffy affair. It was far from it, with the audience joyously applauding and yelling "bravo!" when they liked an especially powerful dance move. During the heavy emotional scenes, the audience was silent, fully engaged.

The dancers were amazing. From the main characters to the supporting dancers, everyone was right on, and it looked like they all were having the time of their lives. There is really nothing more enjoyable than watching a live performance when the performers clearly prefer to be on stage than anywhere else.

This was our first time at the Madame Walker Theater, too. It's smaller than I thought, but very cool, like a trip back in time.

Now that we've experienced ballet, Sharon and I both want to see more. Next up for the Indiana Ballet Company is the Nutcracker, and we're ready to go!