BC Ballet Program 1

BC Ballet’s Program 1 show cased the works of our resident choreographer Cayetano Soto.  I love the ballet and especially love the beautiful people who attend the ballet. This was no different with as usually the best dressed folk of Vancouver stood about chatting in the foyer lounge before the show began.
The works tonight were impressive and enjoyable with interesting choices of music and constumes.  Obviously Cayetano Soto is an accomplished choreographer I thought as the evening progressed, the dancers as usual, simply incredible.
But that last work. I’ve attended ballets for 50 years and I’ve seen nothing like it.  Utterly delightful, incredibly original.  It reminded me of the first time I saw the works of Martha Graham and  Alvin Ailey. Here was the very best of modern and contemporary dance.  But I also couldn’t help but think of the work of Paddy Stone’s, such popular work, so engaging with the audience.  Sometimes modern dance like modern art can be self absorbed but then along comes someone like Cayetano Soto who truly delights in pleasing his audience.  To say there was standing applause is an understatement. The audience roared.  Later I said to Laura, that one performance alone was worth the season’s tickets.  It was the most unusual performance I’ve seen in decades.  What would one call that, “John Travolta channels Mr. Bean on a Mediterranean set by Monty Python?”
Like every one else leaving we were beaming. The ballet had definitely uplifted us. We had been touched by genius and knew it.  Thank you BC Ballet and especially thank you Cayetano Soto.
 

BC Ballet - Rite

Laura cleans up very nicely.  I was rather proud having this  beautiful young woman riding next to me in my Miata Sportscar,  with the hood down. I’d had time to shower after work and wasn’t feeling too rough myself in a fresh shirt and black jacket. I figure when I’m sitting in the car no one can see the fat old guy belly.  They just see me looking not too shabby with the gorgeous babe beside me.    Blond hair, makeup, and this 30’s can can era short black evening dress.  We were going to the ballet.  It doesn’t get much better.  I later saw she was  wearing  gold shoes.
When we got to the ballet I ordered a double expresso  This is so I don’t snore.  I did that once at a symphony so ever since like a few shots of prevention.  While I’m having coffee Laura and I people watch. That’s when the shoes became apparent. The ladies were resplendent in haute couture spring evening frocks but it was the shoes that were the highest fashion.  Laura says her 4 inch heel days are behind her but there were a lot of 4 inch heels this night.  Ballet brings out a real spread in ages with a lot of lovely young people and enough of us grey hairs to appreciate them to the fullest.  Ballet crowds are almost sensual.  They have the most vitality and diversity of all the audiences I see.
Tonight BC Ballet outdid itself.  Rite was so utterly original I found myself thinking someone must the nuked Rothwell and this is what our neurons synapse like.  It was that weird. Futuristic and yet tribal. The dancing individually was utterly alien.  Arms moved like legs and legs like arms. I’ve never seen anything like it and that’s why it seem so weird.  Weird was the word that kept resounding in my mind.  It was like the first time I heard synthesizer music. There was no meme I could put it into. It was a thing of its own. That original. That unique. Emily Molnar is a  genius. Weird.  My very brain seemed be pulled like it was when I studied black hole physics for the first time.  The scenic design by Omar Arbel was sensational, futuristic, raw.  At times the dancers looked like they were on Crystal Meth while at other times I was reminded of choreas I’d seen in neurology wards yet there was a music and art to the whole and a transformative story. Weird.  I was glad to be there.  I loved that the audience seemed to get it too.  Elsewhere the police might be called to lock up the whole kit and caboodle.  But tonight we were blessed with something other and we loved it. Thank you BC Ballet.  Thank you Emily Molnar.  You challenge me.
In intermission I had the real joy of seeing my colleague Dr. John Christiansen. He was there with a young ballet dancer, Jesse.  John has always loved the ballet.
Consagracion with choreography by Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, and scenic design by Luis Crespo, to the music of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring was mostly a series of incredible contemporary pas de deux. I believe it’s the most sophisticated male pas de adieux I’ve ever seen.  Yet they all were extraordinary, man and woman, women together, males together and  the company as a whole, it all just worked. I love the Ballet BC company. The dancers have such energy and each one has their own interpretative style. It’s been a great season and I loved being a part of it.
The applause went on forever.
Then it was a lovely top down ride home through this great city of Vancouver.  Summer in the city in May and a night at the ballet. It doesn’t get much better.

Swan Lake - National Ballet of China

It's been 40 years or more since I performed as an extra in The Royal Winnipeg Ballet performance of Swan Lake. I'll never forget the extraordinary performance of Baryshikov of the Bolshoi some years later. Karen Kain forever enchanted me with her Swan Lake performances with Canada's National Ballet . Now having loved many Swan Lakes, Tchaikovsky's music so enthralling, I have been truly uplifted by the divine dance of Prima Ballerina, Wang Qimin of the National Ballet of China.
The troupe collectively danced near perfection. The costumes and set were beyond spectacular. No dance was more deserving of its standing ovations. Thank you Ballet BC for hosting this incredible classical performance !

New Year's Eve, 2012 - Personal Highlights and Gratitude

This is a glorified gratitude list. It will not encompass everything by any means. First and foremost I am thankful for my family. My brother and sister in law have been the greatest people in my life. I am so thankful to have spent time with father before he died and to share time with my brother's family, my nephews, Graeme, Andrew and Allan. I am thankful for all the friends I've been blessed to know. I won't name them as for sure I'd regretfully leave someone out. My 60th birthday party was a reflection of the fact that I am loved despite myself and to my own surprise. I am thankful for my wonderful staff at the time Joanne, Aim and Elizabeth and those who helped, like Laura and Graham, in making my birthday the best since my space cadet birthday my mother put on for me when I was 11 or 12 and Kirkie and Garth were my best friends and NASA was literally out of this world. I am especially thankful for my work, my patients, the other doctors involved in my patients care and all the caregivers that surround us working independently and interdependently in the front lines of health care, especially mental health care and addiction medicine. I've really enjoyed working with my fellow doctors and the staff at Doc-side. I'm so thankful for Joanne finding Hannah my new staff who replaced her. Gilbert is just thankful that all the staff love him as do the patients.
 I am thankful to have been an expert witness in the supreme court and having had the good fortune to meet mostly very fine and amazing judges as well as work with really very impressive lawyers. I am thankful for the psychologists, nurses and OT's plus all the others specialists I've been honoured to know.
I am thankful for my study of the spanish language. I'm thankful for all those who inspire me with their bilingualism and multilingualism. I loved studying medical spanish in El Salvador last year and the privilege to fly to that country and interact with the wonderful Salvadoran people in another paradise of sun and beach. I loved scuba diving jungle zip lining and bird watching. I am thankful for my trips to Ottawa this last year. I am forever thankful for IDAA and the conference this year in Orlando, the chance to see my yearly friends who we keep in contact through email with during the year but have a week of deeply spiritual time and so much laughter. I'm thankful that on my return to visit my dad in Ottawa weather delayed the plane so I had a night in New York and could visit Manhatten again and finally seen the Stonewall Pub. I loved blogging,williamhaywriter.
I am thankful for sole dinners with George and conversations of poetry and spirituality.
George has been a Godsend these last 15 years. I am thankful for dinners with John and conversations of analysis and spirituality. John has been a godsend these last 15 years.
I am so thankful for Gilbert, the cockapoo and all his friends.
I am thankful for the eventual sale of my side car motorcycle and the buying of my Mazda Miata. Laura, Gilbert and I had wonderful weekend drives down to Portland and the north coast of Washington. I am
 thankful for the S.V. Giri and the weekend trips Laura, Gilbert and I took to English Bay, Bowen Island and the wonderful long weekend at SaltSpring for the annual round up and lamb roast. That was a great event with a lot of fun getting caught up with friends. I am thankful to Lyle and the friends I meet with weekly at the Dug Out.

I am so thankful for St. James Anglican Church and Father Mark Greenaway-Robbins. Father Mark has created a marvellous church community and I'm glad to be a part of it thanks to Christ Church, my former church community, outlawing Gilbert the dog despite him being blessed by the Bishop, and a hard working therapy dog. The people of St. James have made us both welcome and that's so important.

I am thankful for the SV Giri and the Blue Water Cruising Association and friends I 've made in the boating world like Eric and James and Louis.

I am thankful for the Ford F350 Truck and Rockwood RV and the times I've enjoyed this. This year we were fortunate to have fun with the Clipper Canoe too
I'm thankful to Kirk for telling me about the leash free dog walk I found about a year after he did though I never disbelieved his story of dog Shangrila. Gilbert and I have so enjoyed this walk ever since. Kirk has been a friend since 5 and that is still amazing to me.

I am so thankful for the great hunts with Tom and Luke, despite our only killing grouse and one rabbit. Amazing all the years Tom and I've known each other sailing across an ocean, driving across Canada together and now being in a cattle round up. So much of the fun in the company and I think the killing of he old rusted farm implement with a great barrage of shots by Luke and Tom and I at many targets will remain one of the greatest target hunts in my life. We did see deer and moose but someone tipped them off about our ill intentions.
 It was great to meet Laura's cousin after years of hearing stories about her. Fun to canoe and fish too though I never caught any fish. Tom and I loved being in the cattle round up, Laura, Gilbert and I enjoyed finding another great RV park at Moonshadow in Merrit. I was thankful that Dad's death was as quick as it was though he'd had a hard winter before. I loved that I was able to spend good time with him and that we had a last visit in summer. It was good to be with my brother Ron at Dad's death and appreciate how remarkably competent he can be in very difficult times. I love my brother and sister in law so much more because of the love and care I saw them have for the old people and how much love they have for family. I am thankful for the Canadian Authors Association meetings, friends, publishing my poetry in National Voices, and for electing me a member at large to the Executive. I loved attending the Vancouver writing events and hearing friends reading.

I am thankful for my multicultural friends, especially the people of Saipan I continue in contact with, the Chomorro, Filipinos, and those here especially the East Indian and Chinese, as well as the various ethnic groups that give this country such diversity though I love more and more what I learn of the deepest contribution of my own heritage the Scottish and Irish people. I loved the THIRD DAY Concert in Langley. Third Day have been the greatest Christian rock band and I've spent years enjoying their inspirational music. Now I'm loving Serius Satellite Message programs where I hear them too. I am thankful for social media keeping me in touch not just family and friends in general but people like Wes and classmates  from Vincent Massey High School.
 I am thankful for Harrison Hot Springs and the good relaxing times I've had there. I'm grateful for all the great wild game meals I had this year, especially Laura's elk hash. I've loved the venison and elk roasts and grouse too. I loved the great uplifting plays and performances at Pacific Theatre. I loved the creativity and genius of BC Ballet. I've loved Mac and the computers and iPhone and Ipad and Nikon cameras.
 I am thankful for Seattle, Pike Market, the Alexis Hotel, the Sorrento, Trinity Episcopal Church and most recently Christmas there.
I am so thankful to be able to travel, this year to Greece, visiting the Acropolis, Knossos Crete, Delphi and the Meteora Monasteries. of

 


I am thankful to be a Canadian, a voter and contributor and a member of a political party while too many think  'criticism' is sufficient contribution. I am amazed by the leadership of all the organizations I've belonged to, the difficulty of the jobs, the sacrifice of the leaders and the great character and accomplishments of those individuals even when I disagree with them personally. Despite my own criticism I know Deifenbaker, Pearson, Troudeau, Mulroney, Martin, Campbell, Turner, Chretien and Harper are truly incredible people who have given this country so much with there hard work and genius.
I am thankful for love , relationship and Jesus, school, church, work, business, medicine, law, play and all that goes into the community and it's organizations and those who maintain them in this great garden we share as home, this universe in the multiverse.

Thanks for God even for my enemies because their deficiencies have made me realize how rich my friends are in character and love. I am thankful for their immaturity and stupidity because it really shows me how mature and intelligent my closest friends are. I struggle with Thy Will Be Done but Thy Will Be Done Lord. The more I follow you the better my life is Lord. Thank you for all the highlights of this year.