Friday Night at the Atlanta Ballet...

Friday night's triple bill at Cobb Energy Centre was nothing less than spectacular. The Atlanta Ballet is rapidly becoming one of my all-time favorite ballet companies, and I have seen many in my day. Several dancers have emerged as favorites, but all are more than capable of dancing leading roles, and there is no "star system" in this company.

Sinfonietta Giocosa was a Balanchine-esque piece choreographed by Christopher Hampson. Vaguely reminiscent of my favorite ballet of all time, Concerto Barocco, the simple costumes, the stark set (an empty stage with a simple lighting change between movements) and bold, athletic choreography, created a contemporary classic visual treat. Standouts in the piece were the ever-effervescent Kristine Necessary, the magnificent Christian Clark; a delightful duet with resident blonde beauties Anne Tyler Harshbarger and Christine Winkler; a strong male cast featuring David Blumenfeld, Jacob Bush, Brian Wallenberg and John Welker; and a pas de trois featuring newcomer Alessa Rogers. Jonah Hooper continues to impress me after his amazing turn as Dracula. And, always outstanding were Tara Lee, Courtney Necessary, Taylor Gill, rounding out the female cast.

"The Firebird" is The John McFall-choreographed vehicle created for Christine Winkler and John Welker. The powerful Stravinsky score creates the perfect backdrop for this delicious abstract piece.

I understand that dancer-choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie visited the company for just three weeks, on loan from his Broadway run in Billy Elliot. In that short time, he created "Boiling Point", my favorite piece of the evening. While every piece in this program was demanding on the dancers, this was even more so. Athletic, dynamic, powerful, acrobatic, and aggressive are all adjectives that describe the dancing in this piece. Christian Clark's backbend-to-the-floor motion, as fluid as water, was sheer brilliance. The teeny-tiny Peng-Yu Chen was like a bullet shot from a gun, and the gorgeous Kelly Tipton carries herself like ballet royalty, while executing rapidfire moves that dazzled the audience.

Go and see The Atlanta Ballet if you have the chance. I am very much looking forward to Don Quixote and Snow White, in May.

My Next Decade Punch List

As I approach a milestone birthday, thoughts turn to what I accomplished during the last decade, and what I hope to accomplish in the next. Herewith, my punch lists for both.

1999-2009: This was a decade of many ups and downs. The highs were exhilarating, and the lows were devastating. However, I must give proper respect to those events, happenings and accomplishments that marked this extraordinary decade.

:: While the financial highs in no way matched those of the previous decade, there were still some very rich times.

:: I learned to drive, got my license, and other than highways, I pretty much go anywhere, any time.

:: Despite all evidence to the contrary, I have kept my own company afloat for 10 years.

:: Despite all indications to the contrary, I stayed in the same apartment for 10 years.

:: I have kept my word to provide Alan the best care I can and to continually help him to try to get well.

:: I have conquered many fears and accomplished business challenges I never thought I could handle.

:: I have very little debt, and have brought back into control the little that I do have.

:: I have made great strides in patience, tolerance and positivity.


IN THE NEXT DECADE - 2009-2019 I plan to:

:: Achieve a higher spiritual state

:: Achieve my financial "comfort" zone

:: Achieve my happiness zone

:: Overcome fear of driving highways

:: Learn to windsurf, jet ski and possibly buy a small sailcraft.

:: Spend more time in Siesta Key.

:: Get and stay in my best shape ever.

I am sure these will be added to, modified and edited as time goes on, but its a starting point. Excelsior!

Lyrics

These lyrics just popped into my head while I was working out.


I don't need you here to be near you
Because my heart is in your hand
And I don't need the proof to believe you
Because you always take a stand
and I don't need a picture to remember
Because it's tattooed in my mind
And we don't need to ever be together
Because everything is one in the face of space and time

Random. The first line was something someone said to me recently, and it stuck. He was referring to the fact that although distance and even death separates people, as long as you hold their memory in your heart, they are with you. It's an old cliche, but I wanted to put a little metaphysical spin on it. Now the challenge will be to see if I can turn it into an entire song. Co-writers are welcome.

xo

Walking Your Talk

It has seriously dawned on me lately how few people actually DO walk their own talk. I guess that is our flaw as humans - our ideals are greater than our frail wills can handle.

I remember meeting "J", the (then) new wife of a colleague, back when I worked at a venture fund. She was perfect, tall, blonde and gorgeous - smart and well-educated, with a fabulous career leading nature adventure expeditions. She talked of holistic lifestyles and championed regular meditation, whole and raw organic foods, aromatherapy and massage. I admired her sense of adventure and fearlessness of all things outdoors and health-conscious. So, when I saw her dragging away on a cigarette behind the building, the image was clearly compromised. What else about this seemingly perfect individual wasn't what she talked herself up to be? We've all seen it...the "vegetarian" pigging out on the occasional cheeseburger, the "environmentalist" chucking a plastic bottle in with the regular trash...you know the drill.

There is probably no need to mention (but I will anyway) the countless religious "leaders" who have fallen from grace, the Catholic priests, the televangelists, the archbishops, and the tent revivalists. Yet, people are always willing to forgive and forget, and they eagerly welcome a new face with the same message.

Is it their conviction alone that inspires? I am not sure. It seems as if those with the most conviction also fall the farthest.

Still, I believe we need our convictions to keep us on a "path". We will all surely fall from the path and fall short of our own, and others' expectations. But I would rather live a principled, albeit highly imperfect life, than a life with no principle at all. I try to walk my talk, but I don't beat myself up too hard if I occasionally screw it up. Perhaps that makes me a hypocrite, but I prefer to think it just makes me human.