I am a neophyte to the ballet world, as I only started attending regularly four years ago.
I did not have the pleasure of attending the ballet, or any form of dance except in plays, as I was growing up... just outside of NYC.
It wasn't until I was just out of college that I attended my first ballet. Although I can't possibly tell you what I saw, I can tell you who I saw - Natalia Makarova. Just to date myself this was in approximaately 1980!
Our daughter truly brought me to ballet when she was quite young, as she loves to dance.
I love the "classics". I can see them performed again and again and there is alwas something new for me to see.
Now, as to what constitutes a "classic" - that's another question! Do you mean Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Giselle, etc., and do you include Balanchine's own version of classic works or Jerome Robbins'?
This topic makes me think of Sylvie Guillam's version of Giselle which brought about all sorts of varying opinions...I thoroughly enjoyed it, but that doesn't mean that I don't also enjoy the more classical or traditional approach to Giselle!
I didn't see Dracula nor The Pied Piper... I really never did read much about Dracula(the one I recall was performed by The Pennsylvania Ballet) but I sure did hear about The Pied Piper!
I enjoy going to The Joyce where I've seen Ballet Tech (now I do think they could use a few new ones!), and I loved Stanton Welch's "Orange"...
I saw Christopher Wheeldon's "Scenes of the Ballet" - sorry if that's not quite the title - and I really thought it was fun...granted someone I am related to was in it.
I have loved Symphony C performed by both NYC Ballet and ABT... And although I admire some ballets for their technical prowess, I don't always like them.
Am I open to "something new"?...Yes. However, possibly because I am such a neophyte, I really want to see all the classics - Raymonda, Paquita, etc.
I hope some other more well versed readers will respond to your post Mme. Hermine.
[ December 20, 2001: Message edited by: BW ]