Cultural Shows in Atlanta - Personal Statement Example

THREE CULTURAL SHOWS AND HOW I RELATE THEM TO MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY This paper aims to describe three cultural shows in Atlanta that arenot necessarily attended to, but are just plainly imagined. These shows must be related to members of one's family whom he or she admires most. Among these cultural shows, I have chosen three that I imagine both alluring and fascinating. One is a piano quartet concert night, the other one is a ballet show entitled Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the last is a stage play entitled Vagina Monologues. I am relating these events to the people in my family whom I admire most, as what is called for to be done in this paper. These people are my father, my mother, and my sister. The Piano Quartet Concert Night I watched a piano quartet concert in Atlanta a moth ago and I would say that it was a very awesome experience. It was held in a big dome and almost all seats were taken. Four famous pianists made a rendition of all-time favorite classic music as well as pop songs, which perhaps were undertaken in order to suit the taste of different audiences. The quartet was made up of two men and two women, and there were two grand pianos erected onstage used for the performances. The men wore black tuxedos, while the women wore cocktail clothes. The one was in velvet red while the other one was in silk blue. They all looked refreshing. The concert started with a powerful rendition of Love Story (Where Do I Begin) The masterful streaks that each pianist did on the piece made it so amazing. The quartet was supported by a violin and a saxophone on the background, which contributed in making the sound more engaging and fascinating. They followed it with The Entertainer, which was really a very entertaining performance. The classic O Comme Amour gave out a likewise enthralling appeal, making the entire performance a good deal of experience for the audience. The quartet always received a standing ovation from the crowd, of which most are in their middle age and senior years. It was surprising to see some young people in the crowd as well, who appreciate this kind of music despite their generation. It was amazing to know that my favorite singer, Celine Dion, was there to render a song number while the piano quartet performed. There was also another piece played by two of the four pianists - one woman and a man - while the other two sang in a duet. This piano quartet is a modification of the classic one, made to fit the different audiences in today's post-modern world. I like their classic rendition of Song for Anna, Ballad Pour Adeline, and the piece that thrilled me most, I Got a Crush on You originally sang by Frank Sinatra but is oozing in that frenzied night as the air suddenly shifted into a romantic mood. The allure was sustained by another performance of an instrumental I'm in the Mood for Love and Fascination, followed by Someone to Watch Over Me, which the four sang in blended voices as they tinkered on the black and white keys of the grand pianos. This event night is one of the memorable ones I witnessed, in which the artists' skills were exhibited in total fashion. I have never been as enthralled as I have been in this piano quartet event. I would relate my experience with the piano quartet concert with my father, a humorous but a serious person, fun loving and genuine, loving and wise. The piano concert, which had been a mixture of classic and new music, of old and mainstream songs, which are in total opposite yet jive together in one amazing performance, is just like him. My father is one whom you would like to be always around, and his mere presence is enough to invigorate you. His fun and positive energy uplifts a lonely soul. I believe he just really has these innate characteristics to uplift people in their lowest point. Just like the symphonies performed by the piano quartet, which have the ability to soothe the audience and take them into the journey of their music. I admire my father so much because of the combination of his attitudes. As I have mentioned, he is both humorous and serious. He knows where to tickle you when you feel down, and he is always ready as well to give you a wise piece of advice. He shows his loving presence to his family. His wife - my mother - loves him so much. We, his children, love and admire him as well because of these qualities, which I consider so rare in fathers. Just like the piano quartet I have watched and has taken me to a drift of total abandon, my relationship with my father is much the same way. It is his ability to do so, through inherent and built-in skills, alongside good and bad life experiences that gave way for his maturity. It is probably my father's influence on me which made me appreciate all the songs played by the piano quartet, considering that many of them were classic music and ones popularized in the 50's or 60's. In today's generation, such music is seldom appreciated by young generation. However, since my father played them frequently in his CD player, we all began to appreciate them. I remember him playing those songs when we were just children and singing for us too, as we drift towards sleep during weekends where he was free from work. He even made a hammock for each of us in the playroom and we will be lured to sleep by his classic Autumn Leaves and I Got a crush On You. Hence, during the concert, I savored how Le Vie En Rose and O Comme Amour - two of his favorites - were performed. I have admired the performers as how I bestowed admiration on my father, whose kindness and loving presence outweigh all imperfections - just like how the piano concerto, which was performed with all grace and glamour. In this sense, I would consider my father glamorous too in his own ways - not easily angered, a good adviser and mentor, a generous giver and provider, and always wears a happy smile as he throws out his dashing sense of humor that can make one acquire muscle pains around his stomach. The Ballet Show: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs One Sunday evening, I watched a ballet show in Atlanta along with two of my friends. The ballerinas came from Russia, Sweden, Hungary, and the United States. How swift their moves were, almost like a leaf that falls from the tree when spring is just about to peek. They had slim waists, legs covered by white and pink stockings, head up high, in hair tucked in a French bun. Different colors of ballet suits went on air as the ballerinas swung on their tiptoes. I was surprised myself by a sudden appearance of fairies who emerged from behind us and flew like butterflies in harnesses. They wore brilliant colors of ballet suits in violet, pink, and fuschia. There seemed to be lightweight movements in the grand stage as the ballet dancers moved gracefully with the music. This ballet show depicts the classic fairy tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The ballet dancer who took the role of Snow White was dressed in a long blue dress Snow White is famous for. The one who played as the witch was costumed in a black hooded gown, with a face filled with prosthetics in order to appear like a genuine witch. The apple she carried was a very red one, making me contemplate if it was waxed with red paints to appear redder. She was also a very good dancer, who leaped from one place to another and flew as high as the ceiling through an unseen harness, that one would be amazed at how swift and fast she flies. The seven dwarfs were admiringly good in their stances and really did look like dwarfs. They wore dwarf clothes of different colors too, and their ears were formed into more extensions, appearing like real dwarf ears. They were also good dancers and did some funny tricks as Cinderella's friends. The prince was admiringly handsome. This ballet dancer was a Russian who paired with the main character Snow White, who was a Hungarian. The two looked a lovely pair together and were able to convey a good romantic chemistry on the audience. Snow White and the prince received the loudest applause during the end of the show. The Snow White ballet was not made for children alone but also for adult audiences who comprised most of the crowd, with their children tagged along. It was a very good and refreshing experience, a feel-good entertainment. The person I would relate this event to is my younger sister. She does not by any means look like Snow White, but her modest but strong personality reminds me of Snow White. She is pretty in her own ways, has a distinct personality which she can claim truly her own - as girls her age would normally struggle for identity confusion. My sister is only nineteen but seems to have defined herself already and is not on the quest of finding out her personhood by banging bars around, hanging out with aggressively fun company, and/or looking for potential dates. No, she is not simply these girls. It is perhaps she has known herself already and does not encounter identity confusion. I would consider her a different type than her own generation, but not a deviant one, though. It is more of describing her as one who is attuned to herself and appreciates herself. As a result, she does not whimper on doing things that girls her age would normally get crazy about like boys, parties, and fooling around. She is just a different kind of girl. She is interested in joining and supporting humanitarian endeavors such as saving the forests and the environment, animal rights, and children's rights. She volunteered in an environmental organization last summer and went on camp for a week. She is a vegetarian due to her support for animal rights, and she promotes this at home. There is a guy, who is also from the same advocacy, who gets interested in her, and she is currently considering a relationship with him. I admire the qualities of my sister, which are beyond the average qualities of girls her age. Girls her age would normally not involve themselves in such "boring" interests, which are usually undertaken by much older people. This is the reason why I picked her out to relate the ballet show I watched. The ballerinas were graceful and swift moving, just like her character. Even Snow White herself is an epitome of modesty, beauty, and strength, with inner qualities one will admire beyond physicality. My sister is this one too, who has been endowed with both physical and inner beauty. The Stage Play: Vagina Monologues The third cultural show I attended in Atlanta is a stage play entitled, Vagina Monologues. It is made up of a varying number of monologues read by a varying number of women, featuring three actresses.1 In this event night, the composition of the actors is varied. There were some who came from Asian countries like the Philippines and Korea. There are also Americans and Australians. It was about women in general, exemplified by their genitals in conveying a message about gender equality and women's liberation. The characters were good in reading their pieces. Their monologues were enlightening and empowering. It was like being reminded by the special rights that women have, and that society should enforce it at all times. The acting of the cast is one that may be considered par excellence. They were all so good. The facial expression that showed so much emotion carried a haunting message about the condition of women. The face was the only significant part of the body emphasized by the spotlight, and so much emotion was drawn from it. The lighting was good, as well as the music, which accompanied the acts and made the entire experience more engaging. The audience, which consisted of around one hundred persons, was very silent as they watched the women do their emotive monologues about the female anatomy. The meaning is clear, that this show is beyond describing sex and women, but how women would have a better position in society. Perhaps, I would relate this stage play with my mother whom I admire so much for her strength, keenness of mind, and lovingness as well. She is both a teacher and a writer who advocates for gender equality. Therefore, when I watched Vagina Monologues, I thought that I should recommend this to her. Unluckily, she has watched it earlier than I did. I have read two of her journal articles about women and I would say that my mother, having been exposed to women's struggle, takes feminism as one of her solid grounds. She promotes equal household tasks among the family members regardless of gender, and all of us do household chores as a natural way of life. No one bosses around just because he is a man. My father supports my mother's way of raising us up and is a women's advocate himself. It is my mother who enlightened us of the special rights that women have, and these lines are reiterated in the Vagina Monologues. I knew that when I watched the play, my mother is right in her principle and that I am proud of her and the manner in which she, along with my father, raised us up. It is an environment that respects both men and women, one that is not discriminatory of women, and trains both sexes in household tasks. Despite my mother's feminism, she appreciates thoughtful gestures that a gentlemanly guy would extend to a woman, for she is not an ultra-feminist. Thus, she appreciates old lines of "ladies first," being escorted on an arm during a party, being given a seat in a bus or train. In other words, she is a realistic lady who believes that there must be equality between the sexes, but still appreciates so-called 'knightly' gestures no longer prevalent these days. Hence, she reminds that boys in the family to practice this "knighthood" whenever possible. It is not one that tells women how weak, dependent, and unable they are, but just one that would remind women of how they may be compared to a flower and must be appreciated for their character and beauty. Just like the Vagina Monologues I watched, which spoke of how women should be treated - with respect, grace, and equality. The cultural shows I watched in Atlanta, through my vivid imagination, may be compared to the people I speak about in this paper - my father, my mother, and my sister. Their admirable characters allow me to see things and be reminded of them and their innate traits. They are people who influence my life and the choices I make. This is how far my admiration of them has taken me far. Reference The Vagina Monologues. Retrieved on July 31, 2008 from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vagina_Monologues] Read More