"in life as in dance, grace glides on blistered feet"

Are we so petty that we will begrudge our inner-child's delight at the most snow since 1988? Calm down Britain. I've spent two weeks doing not much apart from biting my nails and feeling anxious, but the snow offered a literal and figurative clean slate. I'm even doing some ballet again. Since my studio burnt down in December and my class moved to an evening I can't do, I've been really missing it. It seemed like such a futile end to years of hard work and commitment; ballet was the one area of my life where I'd really done my best. An arson attack on the carpet storage factory next to my studio is a ridiculous but oddly mundane end to a 15 year career, having worked up from the good-toes-naughty-toes level aged 3, to taking grade 7 next term. Qué sera sera?

There's nothing to stop me admiring ballet from afar however. I saw Matthew Bourne's Edward Scissorhands a few weeks ago, and although it didn't quite capture the effervescent atmosphere of the film, it was very well danced. Matthew Bourne's focus on the male choreography is refreshing, as men tend to play the part of wimpy love interest in ballets, whose only function is to do various lifts. Seeing a man dressed in a complex costume with scissors strapped to his hands dance that well is a sight to behold.

I really enjoyed the other costumes too. It had the same 50s vibe as the film, the characterisation of the neighbourhood was great.

Next on my list to see are Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, which I first glimpsed in Billy Elliot and have had a minor obsession with ever since, and La Sylphide, which much of the grade 7 syllabus was based on - very romantic, soft arms rather than stiff, with romantic long skirts. I think the huge tulle tutus are nice, but the longer ones make all the movement more flowing.

Above photos: 1. Swan Lake 2,3. La Sylphide 4. Copellia 5. Swan Lake