On Your Toes: Ballet's Subway Series

If you follow baseball and live in New York, you know that most fans can be divided into two camps: Bombers fans and Mets believers. It's like that with the ballet, too!

With two of the world's most renowned companies functioning mere steps from each other for most of the season at Lincoln Center, one usually pledges allegiance to either New York City Ballet or American Ballet Theatre.

Although I support both, I'm an NYCB girl at heart: Veteran prinicials like Wendy Whelan, Darci Kistler, Maria Kowroski (pictured), and company newcomers like Ashley Bouder are dance's A-Rod and Derek Jeter.

Yesterday, ostenibly the first day of summer although it rained nonstop, caught the final performance of New York City Ballet's spring season. They staged Balanchine's dreamy, comedic, Shakespearean piece, "A Midsummer Night's Dream." At intermission, I gazed at video feed of the costume studio where they stitch up all of those costumes (swoon).

See, it's not just that classical dance so seamlessly combines athleticism and technique, but that it does so with such beauty. Once, I went with my opera singer friend M to collect her paycheck and ended up in the bowels of NYCB's practice space.

Oh, I was a mess. I secretly fingered racks of elaborate tutus belonging to ballets ranging from "Swan Lake" to "Giselle." Soon, these tall, real-life swans began pouring out of rehearsal rooms dressed in equally graceful practice garb, buns plopped atop their heads.

If you want to see for yourself, the impressive ABT's summer season continues into July. Or discover and support your local company, whether you're in West Virginia or the West Indies. Come fall, my plan is to check the Miami City Ballet.