Come and Pliè

I thought my daughter said “play”. More willing I could not possibly be. Turns out “pliè” is something COMPLETELY different. More entertained I have never been.

Here’s the scenario:

• A delightful gathering of energetic pre-schoolers. Delightful to me, of course – I don’t pretend to speak for their instructor.
• An intimate rehearsal room, complete with wall to wall mirrors, shiny hardwood flooring, and of course, dance rail – better known as…the monkey bars.
• The aforementioned fearless leader – whom I now christen, “Braveheart” - a lithe, slightly less than warm, but aptly patient purveyor of poise and grace; at least at the outset.
• Forty five minutes of ballet class – or what the proud parents in attendance might more fittingly describe as a lifetime of comic relief; if not pure, unadulterated joy.

For three-quarters of an hour, these joyous, sprightly, energetic pixies of artistic pose bound, leap, stretch, step, twirl and pirouette themselves into a sugarplum fairy induced frenzy.

Oh…and they pliè.

When executed to perfection - that is to say outside the confines of this particular class – the pliè is to be an elegant exhibit of form, balance and beauty. Arms gracefully extended, heels together, back straight, chin up…and bend at the knees.

It even comes in three flavors: regular – knees slightly bent, demi - as far down as you can go without lifting your heels, and grand – in which it is apparently acceptable for your heels to come off the ground, provided you still have a smile on your face.

This night, however, art and real life suffer a frightening collision – and neither emerge unscathed. Think sumo wrestlers in the start position, or anything else akin to squatting in the woods. I think you’re getting the picture. Function…not form.

We the audience, however, are blissfully ignorant to the reality of the carnage before us. After all, we are the adoring parents, and so choose to witness this spectacle through the rapturous lens of rose colored love goggles. And we are beaming from ear to ear; overjoyed, if not overwhelmed.

Pliè you say? I say simply grand!

Encore! ENCORE!!