5 posts tagged “moscow”
Of course I've seen plays, operas and ballets before, but when I went to the Bolshoi Ballet on Tuesday night I didn't really get ballet. It definitely wasn't the music, which I love, it was the dancing. I've never really understood watching dancing. I think this may have started when I was taken to see Cats as a child. I absolutely hated it and wanted to leave from about five minutes in.
But when Kate offered me a chance to go to the Bolshoi Ballet, I leaped at it. It's an icon of Russian culture; it's a rare opportunity; and I love Shostakovich's music. We took the cheapest seats in the house, and they had a very restricted view, but I didn't care because I was just there for the music.
Of course, I did watch some of the dancing from the first act, but I had a very restricted view and it wasn't really working for me, so I just leant back, closed my eyes an opened my ears to the music.
Five minutes into the second half, Agata, Arno and I were tapped on the shoulder by an usher. She moved us to new seats that gave us an unrestricted, head-on view of the stage. Suddenly the dance came alive and I knew ballet was all about.
But don't try and take me to see Cats.
Nick has found true happiness in Moscow...
And the ladies found somewhere to pee...
Words escape me. Mmmmm.
Ahhh, it's good to be back in this city. It looks better and better each time I come back and visit. When I was here in September 2001 the smog was really bad. Just five years later the smog is gone, as are almost all the old rustbuckets that produced it. The air's clean, the buildings are looking more beautiful and people seem happier. Yay for Moscow.
I'm off to Moscow in the morning. It will be my fourth trip to Russia's capital, and I have to say that I'm really looking forward to it. Moscow's a fantastic city, and it seems to have gotten better over the last five years.
This time I'm going with the smallest bag yet. Nonetheless, I think I should still have room for a couple of bottles of Русский стандарт on the way back :-)
