At the Ballet
Last Wednesday night I got myself all dressed up as I had my ticket to attend the "Night Ballet" at the Opera House performed by Tirana's "People's Ensamble". I had never heard of the "Night Ballet" but was excited to go to a real Opera House and see professional dancers plie their way across the stage. Straightening my tie I walked in via the red carpet and found my way into the auditorium envisioning it as a grand room with flying buttresses and box seats lining the sides with a balcony or two filled with classy, sophisticated people and an orchestra the size of a full symphony.
I should have known better.
Being the first one there, I got to see the auditorium in all its glory. Wooden seats with small pads. There might have been one balcony but there was a maximum seating of less than 500. No actual pit for the musicians but 10 chairs with rusty music stands. With all of this, I surprisingly not turned off. Though a bit shabby, it was charming.
As the people began arriving (five minutes before the performance) I realized very quickly that I was quite overdressed. My suit-and-tie, red carpet evening was not a black tie affair. It was very casual; which was also confirmed by the loud conversations everyone seemed to be having.
Expecting an overture to quiet the crowd, the 10 musicians took their seats...and so did the conductor as he heaved a large accordion onto his lap.With a quick nod, they all started playing and immediately the dancers crowded the stage. Leotards and tutus were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the dancers were adorned in traditional vests and dresses. Head-to-toe exactly what a ballet dancer would not be wearing.
They began dancing. Not ballet dancing though but traditional dances. Though very different than my expectation it was incredible. The stories that were told without words were emotion-filled and though the moves and skills all looked similar the dances were each unique and special in their stories. Each dance highlighted traditions from many of the Albanian geographic and cultural regions from a northern pastoral number to a city gypsy-esque piece (which happened to be my favorite). Now expecting the casualness of the night and the performance, I found myself joining in with the rest of the crowd on the mid-dance clapping, whooping, and hollering.
After the dancing (interspersed with a couple instrumental and vocal performances) I found myself leaving the theater with a smile beaming across my face recounting with a friend how absolutely amazing the night was. It was possibly the best time I have had while being in Albania.
I am learning cultural cognitive dissonance every week as I have expectations based on my own paradigms of how things are (based on my American understanding) only to realize that my expectations are totally wrong. Wrong, but never bad. Though it wasn't the ballet I expected it was the most amazing performance and I wouldn't have traded that $3 ticket for the world (although the price should have tipped me off to the dissonance).
I should have known better.
Being the first one there, I got to see the auditorium in all its glory. Wooden seats with small pads. There might have been one balcony but there was a maximum seating of less than 500. No actual pit for the musicians but 10 chairs with rusty music stands. With all of this, I surprisingly not turned off. Though a bit shabby, it was charming.
As the people began arriving (five minutes before the performance) I realized very quickly that I was quite overdressed. My suit-and-tie, red carpet evening was not a black tie affair. It was very casual; which was also confirmed by the loud conversations everyone seemed to be having.
Expecting an overture to quiet the crowd, the 10 musicians took their seats...and so did the conductor as he heaved a large accordion onto his lap.With a quick nod, they all started playing and immediately the dancers crowded the stage. Leotards and tutus were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the dancers were adorned in traditional vests and dresses. Head-to-toe exactly what a ballet dancer would not be wearing.
They began dancing. Not ballet dancing though but traditional dances. Though very different than my expectation it was incredible. The stories that were told without words were emotion-filled and though the moves and skills all looked similar the dances were each unique and special in their stories. Each dance highlighted traditions from many of the Albanian geographic and cultural regions from a northern pastoral number to a city gypsy-esque piece (which happened to be my favorite). Now expecting the casualness of the night and the performance, I found myself joining in with the rest of the crowd on the mid-dance clapping, whooping, and hollering.
After the dancing (interspersed with a couple instrumental and vocal performances) I found myself leaving the theater with a smile beaming across my face recounting with a friend how absolutely amazing the night was. It was possibly the best time I have had while being in Albania.
I am learning cultural cognitive dissonance every week as I have expectations based on my own paradigms of how things are (based on my American understanding) only to realize that my expectations are totally wrong. Wrong, but never bad. Though it wasn't the ballet I expected it was the most amazing performance and I wouldn't have traded that $3 ticket for the world (although the price should have tipped me off to the dissonance).
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