Sunday, April 20, 2008



Of late, trying to take Rebecca to dance, to concerts or to theatre has been a hard sell. With slight encouragement from home and the stressing that I am a tad too agressive on taking her to cultural events she has rebelled. To show her rebellion she chewed bubble gum and blew bubbles during Michale Jarvis's exquisite harpsichord solo in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No 5 some weeks back.

The only reason Rebecca came along with Rosemary and Lauren to yesterday's matinee performance of Ballet BC's Peter Pan (choreographed by Septime Webre) was that her mother insisted on it. We attended the pre-ballet talk and Rebecca was the only person to ask a question. I was proud of her poise and unshyness.

A few weeks back I might have muttered (perhaps Rebecca is right and I am on my high cultural horse) on how could John Alleyne offer Peter Pan when the Alberta Ballet was working on a second ballet involving Joni Mitchell. I read in the New York Times how the Kirov was featuring ballets by the noted American choreographer William Forsythe. Why Ballet BC had performed various Forsythe ballets before the Kirov knew who the man was.

Now I can see Alleyne's wisdom. At least from the point of view of not only delighting Rosemary and Lauren (and this recalcitrant high culture guy) but Rebecca, too. Rebecca insisted on spending $10 (a bribe from Rosemary for her reading and finishing two books last week) and buying a stuffed ballet bunny ("So that I can remember that I came with you to see Peter Pan."

We had a delightful time, we laughed at the ticking crocodile and laughed even more when the crocodile (Peter Smida) danced a Hollywood style tango with Captain Hook played by Edmond Kilpatrick.

Thanks to John Alleyne and Ballet BC I have been given enough cultural amunition to fight another day!