I went with Stormy to see the American Ballet Theatre today. I'm not big on full blown ballets as a rule--I'd rather clean a septic tank than sit through the epic that is "Swan Lake." I mean, it's lovely to watch for about ten minutes and then it starts to seem redundant. I don't think I have a full appreciation of the intricacies of ballet technique and choreography. Maybe it's my short attention span. Maybe it's the seats which offer you as much leg room as the worst seats in coach on a plane. I'm not sure.

I decided to go today because ABT was offering samplings of their repertoire. It's kind of like passing up the entree in favor of the appetizers. That suits me. A little bit of something without having to commit to the full production. The season is offering selections from famous choreographers, including George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Jerome Robbins, Lar Lubovitch, among others.

What made me commit to today's program was the inclusion of Agnes De Mille's "Rodeo." I like Agnes' style: big, round, obvious gestures, lots of character inter-play and humor. She's like Martha Graham with a whoopee cushion. Her choreography is bold and audacious and it explodes off the stage, resonating to the the very back of the theater. It has the same exuberance that Michael Kidd's work does and that's what dance really should be...for me, anyway. No recoiling waifs. No padding onto the stage with deliberate little mincing steps. No long pauses and longing gazes. Nah, put it in my face. Make some noise. I dig that.

Another thing I love about "Rodeo" is Aaron Copland's rousing score. It soars. You'd recognize the music, even if you've never seen this piece. A few years ago, it was employed for a beef commercial--the tagline was: "Steak. It's What's For Dinner." (Copland must have been spinning in his grave). The orchestra was truly en forme today. Yes, the Debussy was lovely and the Mozart/Philip Glass compilation was interesting, but the Copland piece really swung. Or whatever the philharmonic orchestral equivalent to swinging is.

When I was little, I begged my parents until I was blue in the face to go to ballet class. After two months, I was thrown out of the group. I remember the ballet mistress saying to my mom, "This girl will never be able to learn ballet. She's far too clumsy." Not one to admit defeat, I took tap dancing instead which, in fact, did suit me better. I have a feeling Agnes did tap too.