"Midsummer" dreams come true

The Boston Ballet's full-length production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" choreographed entirely by Balanchine was an experience rather than a mere show.

The costumes, set and music transformed the Victorian Citi Wang Theatre into a fairy woodland complete with incredible fouette (a certain type of ballet turn) sequences and comedic relief from Puck.

As previously described on the Web site, Act I was completely narrative and with 25 children from the Boston Ballet school playing woodland creatures (i.e. fairies and such) the play took on a new form and it was very easy to follow along, young and old.

The dancing was beautiful, the set majestic as Titania's part of the woods was surrounded by massive, literally enormous pink flowers which makes sense since fairies are traditionally considered tiny.

I couldn't help but draw similarities between my costume as Fairy #2 when I was 15 in a high school straight drama production of the classic comedy and Boston Ballet's artistic director's choice.

But back to the dancing. Puck's movement was sharp, emphatic and very funny and frenzied which gave the audience a reason to laugh at every turn. What you don't expect when you go to the ballet is to laugh, especially a narrative ballet which is usually based on heartache or some utterly tragic story. But laugh we all did.

Throughout Act II, I began to get a little distracted and bored with the Pas de Deux (partner movement). It was sort of a wedding celebration when both mortals and fairies are celebrating in their own way. But the repetition was a little too obvious and I began to feel like the 10-year-old girl behind me who asked why they were doing the same things over and over again.

But I am a grown 20-year-old woman and feel that maybe I shouldn't have let myself get bored. After I all, if I was onstage performing movements that happened to repeat, I would want the audience to notice slight differences or the reason for the repetition, which there usually always is.

So with my new "Midsummer Night's Dream" green t-shirt adorned with pink butterflies in a Boston Ballet shopping bag, I headed out of the theatre and down to the Boylston T stop where I ran into some friends, dance friends, who had just been to see the show as well. We all agreed that watching any sort of dance performance puts us in the mood to kick off our shoes and dance.

And now i wish I had done pointe and realize that I can never go back and do it again as my ankles aren't strong enough ... because a career on pointe only lasts so long and for most ends at a very early age.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" will be playing through February 18 so if you have the chance to see it I highly recommend student rush or rush tickets (an hour and half before the show).

Hence away ...