My Bite Out of The Big Apple: January 2008

A Little Ballet with that PB & J?

January 30, 2008

Today I took a lunchtime fieldtrip to the New York State Theatre, home to the New York City Ballet, one of the foremost dance companies in the world. Having only seen one other professional dance company in New York since I've moved here, that being Complexions Contemporary Ballet, which was quite outstanding, I didn't want to pass up the chance to see some of the best dancers in the world rehearse for their opening night performance of Double Feature, Tony-Award winner Susan Stroman's latest choreographic work.

Rarely have I seen, or even heard of a ballet, that delves into aspects of silent film, musical theatre and melodrama that results in such a unique and inventive piece of work. And this afternoon, in a dress rehearsal open to the public, I was witness to poised ballerina's alike effortlessly run through the first act of this intuitive double bill ballet, The Blue Necklace. A Cinderella-ish tale with a hint of Broadway theatrics, imaginative sets, lavish costumes and entertaining choreography definitely left me hungry for more.

Tomorrow afternoon the NYC ballet is offering up Act 2 to the public... entitled Makin' Whoopee... hmmm... a light-hearted slapstick parody perhaps? Your guess is as good as mine. Not every day can be a free ballet and brown bag lunch kind of day!

Surprising Saviour

January 21, 2008

I never ended up sleeping over like I once said I would, but I most definitely should have. My visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art was penciled into my next months calendar as requiring a full weekend to explore; to have ample time to enjoy the numerous exhibitions and new installations in one of the world's largest art museums, but my visit came early when all of the radiators in the apartment chose to hibernate for the winter early Sunday morning, leaving me scrambling to take cover someplace warm.

Despite mid-teen temps earlier this month that gave me false hope in anticipating an early spring (I even started to dust off my sandals), a recent swoop of bitter, icy, wintry air, comparable to that of prairie cold (but without the snow), finally found its place on the east coast. The painful wind is enough to want to stay inside all the time, only venturing out when you absolutely have to. But when your apartment is itself an igloo and no degree of layering will cooperate to retain even an ounce of heat, where do you go? Yup, you guessed it, the Museum.

This holiday Monday I wandered The Met to stay warm, albeit aimlessly because I kept getting lost. With over two million works of art in its permanent collection, 19 curatorial departments, plus a handful of new Galleries featuring Oceanic Art and 19th- and Early 20th-Century European Paintings and Sculpture, it sure doesn't take much to lose your way!

One of the short-term exhibitions at the Museum which posed to be my favorite was The Costume Institute, which showcased fashionable dress and regional costumes from the late 16th century to the present. One other collection that was indeed a favorite of mine from my last visit in 2004, was the Hall of Musical Instruments. Rare violins, harpsichords, and the oldest extant piano in the world is on display here. But it looks like it will take another broke-down radiator for me to see that particular collection again, because I'm pretty sure museum renovations that have closed a number of wings for public viewing will be complete by the time the heat decides to shut off again in my building. Space heater anyone?

The facade of The Met

Renaissance parade armors

A beautiful harp on display in one of many European period rooms

The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, 1922 (Edgar Degas)

The Dance Class, 1874 (Edgar Degas)

Worthy of a sprained anke or two?

Surely Coming to a City Near You...

January 12, 2008

On a daily basis, you see some of the most random things take place in a subway car. Not to mention hear some of the most... I don't know... 'interesting' conversations commuters have with each other, or simply with themselves. Every ride is unpredictable; every subway stop an opportunity for the ride to become more or less bearable.

Absolutely anything goes in this city, which is perhaps one of the first things I came to learn and accept, particularly in my adjustment to the public transporation system. Native New Yorker's I'm sure have seen it all, hence why nothing ever seems to phase them in the underground jungle. Even today of all days, when subway riders surely got some added 'eye value' to the cost of their MetroCard, it was business as usual for most passengers on the uptown 6 train, iPods plugged in, eyes straight ahead, pretending to mind one's own business.

I couldn't help but stare, and even bite my lip to hold back a chuckle or two when I exchanged glances with obvious tourists who were completely taken back. It's not every day that the person sitting across from you on a crowded train will sporadically decide to undress. I'm not talking slipping off a winter coat because the train is slightly warm due to overcrowding... I'm talking nonchalantly removing one's pants, stuffing them into whatever bag they had been carrying at the time, and disembarking the train in their boxers, with all other clothing articles on their body fully intact. Oh, and it wasn't just one person, there were hundreds, both on the train and on the boarding platform... just standing or sitting, oblivious to the stares, undaunted by the fact that they were out in public in their underwear.

Today was the 7th Annual No Pants Subway Ride Day in New York City, where nearly 900 participants decided to willingly drop their drawers in an effort to cause scenes of comedic chaos in public places, and did they ever! When asked why they weren't wearing any pants, they all had a different story to convince fellow fully clothed travellers that this was nothing out of the ordinary. This city no doubt caters to some of the bravest, craziest and fearless people, who will definitely make my future daily commutes all that more unpredictable and interesting.

Forget anything??

(http://www.improveverywhere.com/)

One Time Only

January 3, 2008

New Year's has never really been a huge deal for me. Since most years it was just too cold to even think of stepping foot outside, I came to associate ringing in a new year or two with watching Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve in the comforts of a home, lounging on couches and sipping on (spiked) hot chocolate. Unfortunately, this has led to my falling asleep before the clock even struck midnight and missing the celebration altogether, so I vowed to make this year different.

I think a lot of people my age have a list of crazy things they'd like to do before they turn 30. Welcoming in a new year in Times Square has been at the top of my list for quite sometime. Since I wasn't sure if I'd ever have the chance to be in New York over the holidays again, this year was the year that I'd be able to put a great big red checkmark beside perhaps one of my most ridiculously pondered accomplishments.

Ok, so looking back, standing outside for eight hours in the chilly, wintry air wasn't all that exciting. Despite our arrival in Times Square in the mid-afternoon, our viewing position after being herded like cattle into a holding pen, was nearly six blocks away from the giant Waterford crystal ball that would ultimately and timely descend down a flagpole as the clock struck twelve. With the lack of additional screens setup to keep the entire population of say Edmonton or Calgary entertained with the nights' ongoing events, we literally stood in a state of oblivion for the duration of a full workday.

So the purposeful act of dehydration (public restrooms closed in the early afternoon) to survive the night, bundling up in layers like I've never before, quarter-hour rotations in taking turns sitting down on the litter strewn curb, and making bets as to which predetermined city in earlier time zones would appear on the Jumbotron every hour leading up to New York's own countdown (providing us with ample practice in counting down from 10), turned out to be the excitement of my New Year's this year.

I'm not completely sure it was entirely worth it, considering how easily tempting it was watch it on TV like I occasionally have, but the atmosphere and thrill of being in The Big Apple on the 100th anniversary of the famous ball drop is without a doubt one experience I will never forget... and one experience I don't think I'll ever want to do again! It felt pretty good though to blacken out this event on my Bucket List, to say that I did it. I don't know yet what the next (crazy) event will be that I cross off of my list, but I'm almost certain of one thing... my plans for ringing in 2009 will likely involve someone's TV, someone's couch and (spiked) hot chocolate, much like it occasionally has.