The Palais Garnier had a small exhibit about Pina Bausch (goddess of dance theater. I prayed to her image, "Pina, let my project go well. Let me be like you.")
Tonight, my mom and I went to see if we could get tickets last minute for La Bayadare. We got two tickets for 6 euros a piece...but they were seats where you could not see the stage at all! At first I just tried to pretend I was a French aristocrat and watch the people in the box across from mine, but then I chose to undergo the French revolution, become a member of the bourgeoisie, and actually watch the performance. I had to crouch on my knees/stand barefoot on a chair to get a view. (I felt like a street urchin who had snuck in!)
What I did see of the ballet was lovely. The costumes were gorgeous and the dancers were as close to perfect as they could be. During the intermission, I spoke to a lady who was sitting in my box. I wasn't very prepared, so all I could ask (in broken French) was...
Me: Why do you come to the ballet?
Lady: Because it is so beautiful! I must do it. It is necessary for me.
Me: Do you like other styles of dance? Do you go to other dance shows?
Lady: Yes, I like other styles, but I mostly come here to the Opera's Ballet.
Me: And, do you know what kind of people come here to the ballet? Is it old people, young people, people of the middle ages?
Lady: (Lots of words I didn't understand, the gist of which was that the older/wealthier people had the more expensive seats in the orchestra, and the younger/poorer people sat in the very cheap seats on the top.)
And thus went my first interview! Research is well underway! I am also thinking about interviewing the hip hop dancers outside of the Palais Garnier. One possible question: If you are trying to raise money, why are you doing such a half-you know job of dancing? While am at it, I would like to ask America: why don't you have cheap tickets for world class ballet in gorgeous theaters?
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