Making Meaning at the Ballet

I was at the Ballet today. The Kirov ballet, now the Mariinsky Ballet, performed Giselle this afternoon and I attended.

It was glorious. The impeccably trained Mariinsky dancers performing the story of the frail Giselle's betrayal at the hands of the deceptive Prince Albrect was perfection. And though today's Albrect managed to live through his encounter with the Willis, I like to think that there is sweet revenge for young women who die of unrequited love.

But what sparked me to write was not the joy of the dance. I was inspired by a mother and child sitting near me in the theater. As soon as the curtain went up the questions began. "Who is that?" " What is he doing?" "What does that mean?" "Why did he do that?" This distraction was far enough away to keep me from shushing them, but close enough to set me to thinking about the educational value of the experience for the child.

The story behind most ballets is complex and often ridiculous. Swan Lake defies logic. But the program usually offers up a summary of each act and today was no exception. Additionally, the pantomime in Giselle is rather obvious. Perhaps the mother did not know or have time to explain the story or the meaning of the pantomime. But I wondered what would be a good response to these questions?

I concluded that the child could have been told that the parent didn't know and the child would have to imagine for herself. Answering the questions with facts was not only bad manners but also bad for the child's education.

Ballet is art and as such is open to interpretation. The story behind a ballet is expressed through the movement and the music. The observer brings her point of view to the experience and makes meaning for herself. By telling the child what is going on, the mother deprives the child of the opportunity to make meaning.

So multiple opportunities were lost today. The opportunity to educate the child in proper theater etiquette was neglected both prior to and during the experience. Perhaps worse, was the loss of an opportunity for a child to stretch her imagination.

Putting aside the fact that talking during a performance constitutes a breach of the social contract, there are ways to respond to these questions that will pay off in the long run. Responding, "I don't know, what do you think?" allows the child to follow her own reactions to the art before her eyes. Is this a happy, scary, or dangerous scene? Does the man know the girl? How does the mother feel? How do you know? These questions, instead of answers, help a child develop the kind of thinking that will make art accessible and enjoyable. They point the way for making meaning of the experience.

There are many aspects of the performance that convey meaning in a ballet. The set and lighting convey place and time. Giselle opens to early morning outside a cottage and ends at daybreak in a graveyard. The music adds to the mood and sets the tone. Giselle's theme music is light and lively when she is happy. The same tune takes on an ominous tone when Giselle is betrayed. The costumes communicate who is a field hand and who is royalty. The dance steps, the arrangement of the dancers, the shapes made on the stage bring meaning to the scene. In act one Albrect and Giselle dance a playful hide and seek between the moving rows and lines of the corps. In act two, the corps forms walls and barricades between Giselle and Albrect.

These elements of the dance do not have to be completely understood to enjoy the ballet. The beauty of the dance the costumes, and the music can sustain the audience. There is enough fuel for the imagination. Left to draw conclusions, make connections, and uncover symbols, the imagination will bring fullness to the interpretation of art.

Children should attend the ballet. Undoubtedly questions will be asked and poor manners displayed, that is the nature of learning. Such frustrating experiences would be a touch less annoying if they truly served to open the hearts of the next generation to the glories of the arts.
What do you think?