A Note to Parents...

On Saturday (aka Valentines Day) LB and I went to see Ballet West perform Madame Butterfly. The ballet takes the music from the Opera (minus the words) and adapts the traditional story for dance - needless to say the sets, costume, music and dancing was wonderful. Madame Butterfly, if you don't know, is the story of a 15 year old Geisha who marries an American GI, Pinkerton, the GI goes home to the US and marries his former love, Kate. Meanwhile Butterfly, has given birth to Pinkerton's baby, in the end Pinkerton and Kate come back to Japan, Kate wants to adopt Butterfly's child and she lets the child go and then because of her broken heart Butterfly kills her self. If that did not make much sense read the whole story HERE.

While at the ballet I could not help but notice a lot of mothers with rather young children. Children who were old enough to grasp what was going on but still too young to be attending such an adult performance - lets just put it this way I would not take my 10 year old child to see this ballet. So here is my point! Parents I understand the you want your children to be "cultured" and experience art, and the fact that you are supporting the Ballet could not make me happier, but please do your homework before you take children to "cultural" events. Just because it is the ballet does not make it appropriate for all children of all ages. If you want to take your kid to the Nutcracker great but please don't fall into the delusion that all ballet is wholesome or you may find yourself paying $45 to cover your child's eyes. Now please don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that children should not be exposed to all different sorts of art from an early age, in fact if you are successful in doing so more power to you. However, keep in mind that art does not come with an R, PG-13, or PG rating system (Thank Goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!) and the whole goal is to make sure children are enjoying and being in enriched by what they are experiencing, and if the subject matter is inappropriate for young audiences or the concepts are too far over the child's head the fact is you may just turn your child off to that short of art and then you suck as a parent! So all in all people do your homework and if you want to go to a ballet that involves sex, bigamy, and suicide get a baby sitter!

** Please note that I thought the ballet was wonderful and not at all inappropriate for adult audiences and if you have the chance you should go see Ballet West do Madame Butterfly! Oh and if you have not check out Ballet West in a while please do so, they have a fabulous new Artistic Director who has done wonders for the company not be mention the repertoire.