After The Rain

On Tuesday, my morning run was mostly along Emmett Ave. It was a pleasant neighbourhood of tidy houses and an apartment/condo block. Some buildings were newer but they all looked well-maintained. A "corporate centre" confused me until I realized it was a vocational high school. I was used to the old "we don't need no education" edifices in downtown Toronto. A trail, which merely ran around the school's parking lot, led to stairs that ended at Buttonwood Ave and The West Park Healthcare Centre. The rest of Emmett meandered until it reached Eglinton Ave.

I was on my way that evening to an outdoor Ballet show but I was running late and the sky threatened rain. So I stopped halfway in Bloordale to get a veggie bibimbap from Roll and Bowl (now LEEKo) for dinner instead. The lady still remembered that I was allergic to sesame oil. Last year, when they temporarily stopped serving sushi, I found out from the chef that his wife was undergoing cancer treatment. She looked healthy enough tonight so I hope things are going well.

Thursday evening, I decided to try again despite a late afternoon rain. It was good that I was early because most of the seats at Harbourfront's outdoor stage were taken. In fact, the ushers became more and more agitated with trying to seat newcomers while folks had gone off elsewhere leaving behind their coats and purses, or people holding seats for their friends. Some even told patrons to just take the empty seats regardless. No one tried that or we might have had fisticuffs.

Sharing The Stage was a multi-year funded event that was both a showcase for The National Ballet but also a collaboration with other Toronto dance companies. I had seen most of these ballet excerpts but it was interesting to watch them amid the noise of a busy tourist spot and a curious crowd that might not normally go to The Four Seasons for dance. A full orchestra and being close enough to see the dancers' expression were the icing (and cherry) on the cake.

Chroma was ably performed by Svetlana Lunkina and Peng-Fei Jiang. Next to her diminutive form, Jiang looked like a giant. An excerpt from Margarita, a new work by Holla Jazz, suffered in comparison. Their modern dance's interpretation of burlesque seemed amateurish following Lunkina's lyrical athleticism. 4 for 5, from the same choreographer (Natasha Powell) but for the National Ballet male dancers, fared better with a West Side Story meets contemporary vibe.

The oohs, aahs, and smartphones came out when Ben Rudisin and Tina Pereira came on stage to dance a Swan Lake Pas de Deux. Tanveer Alam also wowed the crowd with Kathak in Haazri. Coming from a different dance tradition, it was easier to accept the piece on its own terms. I have only seen female Kathak dancers so I wonder if Alam's more acrobatic movement was due to gender or a personal style.

The show ended with After the Rain. It was a perfect closer since an high-energy first act with 6 dancers followed by a slow and tender Pas De Deux between Heather Ogden and Harrison James satisfied all tastes. The chatter from the adjacent outdoor patio even died down. The piece was originally purchased by The National Ballet to honour Jillian Vanstone in her retirement. It was interesting to compare the tiny Vanstone to Ogden, who was a larger and more muscular principal dancer. With the condos and the CN Tower lighting up the skyline, tonight's show and milieu was the essence of a big-city experience.