2019 Spontaneous House Concert Memory (Patreon)

The story behind this photo reveals my secret love/hate relationship with ballet! 

Maybe this conflict will somehow be resolved within the Ceiling Fan Song music video and costuming. 

When I was 5 years old I had a little white jewelry box with a flower wreath painted on top. Open it, and a ballerina pops up complete with the world's tiniest tutu.

There she was, on permanent pirouette inside an expansive world of pink felt where she lived.

Her make-up eyes would look out at me and then back toward a silver mirror with an ornate edge, and patchy fog etched into the surface. Tiny red pout along for the ride.

Even now, my ears can catch a hint of the bent tuning and hallow bell tones, but my memory can't quite grab hold of the tune. Dang it! :)

I wanted to be her when I grew up, and so I was in my first ballet class at the Flour Bluff community center.

Well, that didn't last long before I didn't wanna go anymore. I asked my Mom if I could quit, and she said yes!

I so appreciated her at the time for listening to me when I said I wanted more time to stay home and play. But later I regretted my choice whenever I'd see my friends moving confidently at a school cafeteria dance. And especially in 6th grade when Blaire Pitman got her point shoes.

So I for a while I had this tension about it. Like I missed my calling lol!

Spoilers: I no longer really think that. 

But a couple years ago I decided I wanted to start going to ballet shows out of curiosity for that old fascination I had for it. 

This photo was taken on September 21. That night I wrangled a small group of friends to go with me to ballet Austin and see a show. 

The patrons of ballet in Austin were rolling in dressed in everything from jeans, tees, and cowboy boots all the way up to lush furs, jewels and formal tailored cuts. The Texas womens' hair styles were out on display,  moving in exquisite S curves throughout the lobby.

The higher the hair the closer to God!

I remember sitting about mid way up looking down at the forest green velvet curtains with a polka dot sea of heads all around.

Ahhhhh the good ol days with thousands of people packed shoulder to shoulder indoors and not one single fleeting thought of germs! 

Then the curtains lifted.

I was initially in awe at the sheer strength of these dancers. 

But after about 5 minutes I was completely bored out of my mind for the rest of the time!! I could not wait for it to end and get back up from that itchy seat, and out of that stuffy theater and into the crisp Fall night.

Full circle. 

Afterwards I went up to my friends' apartment. They were on floor 6, the top, with panoramic view of the city. My apartment was in the same building on floor 2, a TX licensed foster home with a little chunky baby, closets overflowing with medical supplies. The most scenic thing out that window was the endless flow of cars at the Starbucks drive through. Totally different vibe!

For some reason, somehow, someone convinced me to play a violin concert. It was easy because I just had to ride the elevator down and grab the violin. 

We blasted some Circa Paleo through the Sonos while I played along, and may or may not have stomped on a bit of furniture. 

But the best part!

My friends formed an impromptu ballet troupe! I swear they were nailing pretty much all the moves we had just seen at the show. So serious and straight faced the entire time.

It was throughly entertaining to me. 

Turns out I like fake ballet better than the real thing. 

I thought there was a video of that, but I can't find it anywhere! 

Much love till next time dear Patron!

Jenny