Houston Ballet Tickets

Picked this particular ballet because I knew the costumes would be amazing. And, they were! I was mesmerized even before the first "pas". The sets were so creative, inspiring and detailed! I particularly loved the "royal quarters" and its versatility. I never liked old, traditional ballets...so that's why I went to this one. Marie was absolutely wonderful, as were so many others. For my particular tastes, I would have preferred a smaller number of dancers on stage all at once--except for the angry mob scenes and the initial introduction of Marie in the court gala scene. A little more solos, duos and trios. I found the quiet pauses--without any music--between "sets" awkward. I would have appreciated stronger distractions at these times. Dimming the lights more, playing with the lighting, spots on a couple of dancers to the side of the stage, and/or more gripping (not necessarily louder though) music to hold the audience's attention on that, rather than on the moving of props, etc. The only thing that turned me off were the peasants/revolutionists. The first thing that came to mind when I saw the costumes and the group moves was Michael Jackson's Thriller video. I was disappointed with those costumes, parts of the choreography and the zombie (rise from the dead) make-up and hair. It's a good thing this part of the ballet wasn't any longer. All in all, though, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the ballet, the music, my seats, the acoustics, the whole experience. I love ballets that are so visual, historical and emotional. I cried when Marie's children were ripped away from her hands. The devotion between Marie and Louis XVI was so touching before the guillotine. Real stories are the best stories.

Unlike the Citizen's review, I found this performance to be filled with passion. The story was clearly transmitted while being strongly edited due to the nature of ballet. With the outline in the program, there was just enough history. The music was beautiful even though it was simple in parts. The dancers were fluid although not the absolute top quality that I have seen.

The story telling was great! Easy to follow along! I expected more a more lavish set overall since Marie Antoinette was known for her expensive taste as well as fashion! I don't m kw how I feel about the ballet. I have to a admit I was slightly disappointed as I was expecting a big wow factor! I would still recommend this to anyone who likes history or ballets.

As ballets go, they can sometimes be a little slow and drawn. This Ballet however was the complete opposite, engaging, colourful, dramatic, and exceptionally choreographed. This was Art at it's very best. Having seen so many live performances over the years, this one ranks as high as possible as a worthy evening. Just superb.

A great show with very talented ballet dancers and a touching dramatic story.