Ballet and Shakespeare
Topic: Culture
Right after work I went to a talk by Lawrence Pech. He spoke on his experiences in ballet and what he's done since he had cancer on his spine. It was very interesting, very inspiring. He was in the American Ballet Theatre in New York and the San Francisco Ballet, where he was principal dancer. He's since had his own company and has done quite a bit of choreography for the San Francisco Opera and other venues.

Most of the people there were girls in their ballet clothes since he has been conducting a workshop. I felt rather clunky among them. He told them that while they need to really focus and work hard to get ahead in ballet, they also have to recognize that ballet is a very age specific career and they do need to keep their minds and options open for how they will use what they have learned after they cannot compete as a professional ballet dancer.

Then I rode over to Reid Park to watch Othello. One Shakespeare a year is put on in the park. I really like Shakespeare's comedies but have a problem sitting through the tragedies. I left about halfway because I was tired and just couldn't get into it. The language is wonderful but these were amateur players and it just wasn't enough to hold me.