We’re loving Haglund’s post about ballet legend Alicia Alonso and her epic visit to ABT earlier this week where she made a diplomatic call for “devoting our time to celebrating the beauty and our love for dance instead of fighting with one another”:
She’s mythical – Alicia Alonso, that is. Really, no human could have floated above the stage or fanned the high-speed, travelling entrechat quatres in Giselle the way Alicia did. But then, last night, there she was standing center stage in full human form, nearly 90 years strong, acknowledging the cheers and gratitude of the adoring crowd. The crowd, by the way, was saturated with eyewitnesses to Alicia’s miracles of the past century. People not often seen at the Met were drawn there last night to express their thanks to Alicia Alonso. Haglund was a bit shocked to see a man with his folded metal walker at a standing room post. But that’s the draw of Alicia. And when she stood on stage and looked out, her huge soulful eyes reached for the poorest patrons at the back of the Family Circle. She couldn’t see them, but she felt them, and she – more than anyone else in the world - understands how ballet can enrich poor lives.
Continue reading the full post at Haglund’s Heel for his account of a special Don Q. performance in Alonso’s honour, with three sets of Basilios and Kitris, one per act. Lucky lucky New Yorkers!
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