Ballet and Ustad Zakir Hussain

Shaiwal and i went to watch a ballet performance here. The primary reason being that Ustad Zakir Hussain was playing at the ballet. I have never been to a ballet before and i was keen to experience it and add a touch of culture to my existence. 

I vaguely remember being taken to a ballet class when i was perhaps in the 1st standard or so, the idea was to get students interested and then if they wished to enroll them into the class. The idea never registered - I went, I watched and I wandered away. The entire concept and image of ballet was so foreign to me that i just couldn't imagine being part of it, that and the fact that I have two left feet. :)

My night at a ballet performance was a night of many firsts. The first time i have been to an English theatre, the first time i saw a ballet performance and the first time i had heard Ustad Zakir Hussain playing live.

When i entered the theatre it felt like i had been transported to a different world. The first floor had a bar where the audience could partake in any alcohol they wished provided it wasn't beer or something as shabby. The floors had been carpeted a magnificent red and all through the decor remained stately and grand. As we were seated i looked around to take in the size of the theatre, there were box seats for people who were the truly rich and famous, people in the audience had brought along their opera glasses to watch the stage through, the stage itself was at 9 ft and it was 25 ft tall with different types of lighting available on top of the stage and throughout the theatre to create the desired effect.

As soon as the ballet dancers started their performance, everyone went hush. My ignorance of the dance form came to forefront as i failed to garner what the dancers were trying to convey. I did however feel in awe of how beautiful and flexible the human form could be - both male and female. The dances had nary an extra ounce of flesh on them and their skin taut with muscles rippling. I know i sound like a bad Mills and Boon edition there but I cant seem to put together a better description of these dancers. :)

I must confess though that after a point i got bored, there is only so much you can appreciate of the human form and only so much time you can take to do it. So after the first half of the performance i felt disappointed in myself that i wasn't able to enjoy it as much as those around me seemed to be able to.

During the break after the first half there were volunteers bearing food items to serve the audience, since i didn't want to miss out on any part of the whole experience. I went up to buy their wares, turned out they were selling ice cream. However I hadn't seen that particular brand of ice cream in the supermarkets here. Anyways I didn't want to disappoint the lady selling them so I brought one each for ourselves.

The second half was one of the best nights of my life. Zakir Hussain started playing then, he wove his magic slowly but steadily. One of the surprises I had was that I didn't realise he could sing. During the show he did sing and I guess he is a trained Hindustani singer as well. The ballet dancers picked up too and soon they were sprinting from one end of the stage to the other and back at the speed of wind. The audience began tapping their feet and the whole theatre felt alive.

I am sure technological advances have brought in a whole range of  superior audio systems and speakers but I wonder if they can truly match the experience of live music. Having never owned any such superior system I know I am biased when I think - perhaps not.