A THOUSAND WORDS - Alex Waterhouse-Hayward's blog on pictures, plants, politics and whatever else is on his mind.




 

The Sugar Plum Fairy & Strawberry Crepes
Sunday, December 31, 2006



Yesterday Rebecca, Lauren and I went to a performance of Mikko Nissinen's The Nutcracker at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It was to be a co-production of Ballet British Columbia and Alberta Ballet but I only spotted three Ballet BC dancers. From our seats up in the nether reaches of the "gallinero" we were still able to hear the nutcracker-grinding sounds by a pleasantly loud Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. This was to be a real test for Lauren(4). It was her first attendance of a full-length ballet.

I cannot understand why this usually overlong ballet seemed to cruise along so quickly but it did, very nicely. Even Linda Lee Thomas, the VSO's pianist, would have been glad! Rebecca and I had attended a few Royal Winnipeg Ballet Nutcrackers with Evelyn Hart where we dozed and woke up for the Evelyn Hart parts. Lauren was awake and alert through the whole performance. Perhaps it had to do with our inside connection with the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Sandrine Cassini, The Sugar Plum Fairy, was our very favourite classical ballerina, And we knew that after the performance (she was fantastically light) we would join her at Robson's La Vieille France creperie. But we first went to the dressing room.

I find it hard to believe that with so much dance talent on stage, the door to the backstage dressing rooms, was devoid of clamoring, giggling and screeching little girls. Nobody was there. We opened the door and entered. We asked for Sandrine and we were told to wait. Not a few seconds later Sandrine appeared all wet and wearing nothing but a blue bath towel and hugged us all.

As we walked to the creperie, Lauren kept asking, "Is the Sugar Plum Fairy going to have crepes with us?" I kept answering, "Yes."



We had strawberries and whipped cream on our crepes and the Sugar Plum Fairy opted for a toasted ham sandwich.



     

Previous Posts
The Vampire With Furniture In Storage

Love At The Arch

Chronic Argonauts

My Mother's Mandarin Coat

The Filipino Timex

Christmas 2006 - Nochebuena

Corey Cerovsek Now (Dec 23) & Then (1987)

Jann Of The Ardent Hart

Hurrell's Johnny Weissmuller - John Boorman & Pete...

Peter Breck One More Time



Archives
January 2006

February 2006

March 2006

April 2006

May 2006

June 2006

July 2006

August 2006

September 2006

October 2006

November 2006

December 2006

January 2007

February 2007

March 2007

April 2007

May 2007

June 2007

July 2007

August 2007

September 2007

October 2007

November 2007

December 2007

January 2008

February 2008

March 2008

April 2008

May 2008

June 2008

July 2008

August 2008

September 2008

October 2008

November 2008

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

December 2009

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010