Out here in the hinterland of culture, last year's premiere of The Fiddle and the Drum was rapturously received. For the very LARGE majority of the audience here in Cowtown at the performance I attended, this was their first experience with live dance.
My DD and I have season's tickets to Alberta Ballet, on floor, up close to the stage. We are surrounded by a sea of people who probably voted for Pearson. Evening gowns and even mink stoles are often sighted. I wear something comfortable (even jeans! GASP) but I have to be able to sit in those ridiculous seats without having body parts go numb. Usually I feel out of place but imagine my surprise when a totally different audience turned up for "Drum". The audience diversity was truly staggering! Bravo to Alberta Ballet for roping in (pun intended) a whole new audience to watch live dance.
I have a limited exposure to ballet, mainly through DD, but I really liked "Drum" I thought some parts needed to be tinkered with, but don't most ballets get that treatment? At the performance I attended the standing ovation must have been 5 minutes long. I get that this was not the Kirov and Swan Lake but for Calgary it was a milestone. As Paquita said, it was something different. Hopefully that new audience will be buying tickets for next season and Alberta Ballet will play to packed houses for years to come.