New Orleans is a magic multicultural city. There are people of different nationalities, cultures and ethnic groups. There are a lot of event and preferences for each community and every wallet. This weekend was marked by a very extraordinary event. On Saturday night at the Mahalia Jackson Theater was an amazing performance of world-renowned Brazilian Ballet Grupo Corpo.
The first part of the concert called Suite Branca savonarola audience from the very first sounds of music. Dressed in white dancers wove an amazing lace on stage which covered the whole room. The second part of the concert - Danca Sinfonica was presented in the rebellious red-black colors.
I've never seen the Brazilian choreography before. It was an amazing harmonic combination of the visual and music. The modern choreography, in my opinion, is a quite complicated genre for understanding and perception of the viewer who was not prepared, such as myself. This dance show delighted me with its drama. I enjoyed strong men fighting and tender loving kindness on stage. Elan and rebellion of girls who were dancing synchronously, then the canon. Also a very intimate personal solo of a loving couple.
In essence, all kinds of art tell us about the eternal values: love and hatred, life and death, struggle and humility. The uniqueness of the creator of each art is how he or she translates these eternal values to the viewer's consciousness. This Brazilian translation touched the strings of the soul.
Although the dance show was undoubtedly adorable, and the audience would not let the dancers leave the stage (there was a standing ovation at the end of the concert for 10 minutes) my pleasant experience did not end there. We had received invitations to the concert from two wonderful people - Paige Royer and Kerry Clayton. This stunning and hospitable couple arranged a warm welcome after party to their friends and dancers from Grupo Corpo. It was an indescribable feeling when the reverent delight overwhelmed my mind, when I had a chance to express my admiration for the artists in a ”feel yourself at home” atmosphere. I have lived in America for three years, and I never cease to be amazed by the simplicity and openness of the people here. What a pleasure to chat with smart and talented people. Last night reminded me of secular salons court aristocracy in Russia in the nineteenth century. In that time the court nobility and even members of the royal family arranged receptions at their palace. They invited the famous musicians, poets, painters, to make some interesting conversations, recite poems, dance and write epigrams in albums to each other. I am very grateful to New Orleans for an inexhaustible cultural wealth and an infinite number of pleasant discoveries: places, events, people!
