While in Atlanta, I have already seen "The Nutcracker" and "Romeo and Juliet" performed by the Atlanta Ballet, but this was my first ballet performance outside the Fox. I really enjoyed the concert space and felt closer to the performers because there was no orchestra between the audience and the stage. This lack of live music did not detract from the overall experience but allowed me to focus on the dancers more. I really enjoyed the opportunity to watch a ballet performance with the professionalism of the Atlanta Ballet, where viewers can see parents and friends holding flower bouquets for their daughters. The addition of handmade decorative dance photo albums and wreaths contributed to the down-home, cozy atmosphere. I was reminded of the ballerina dreams of every little girl in elementary school.
             I could easily note the many times the dancers were not in unison or a turn leaned too far to the right even appearing the dancer was going to fall over, a very distracting characteristic of the Prince, but it interestingly enhanced the performance to a certain extent since I could relate to them. I have already seen the finished product of years and years of dedicated training required by the Atlanta Ballet. The Northeast Atlanta Ballet offered not only a snapshot of the suburban lifestyle I am so familiar with and in turn realized I missed while at the performance, but also the process dancers must go through in order to reach the level of the Atlanta ballet. The moment of the Atlanta Ballet dancers was so precise and effortless, I easily overlooked it. I was more appreciative of ballet when I saw the strain of a certain leap and the immense concentration of a dancer's face as she struggle to balance her quivering leg. I felt the performance filled the gap between my extremely disparate experience with only my own dance routines and the Atlanta Ballet. I could imagine the dancers practicing in the studio because not every ...