“Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed.” – Mary Oliver
A small poster in dramatic reds and blacks caught my attention last weekend; a stunning photo showcased a cluster of performers for the National Ballet, scheduled to perform on Tuesday September 6th. Taped to the door of the closed tourism office, the poster radiated a mystical allure. “Lazos de Tierra – Fiesta en el Mar” – A Free Event – Ballet Nacional de Ecuador.”
“Oh well,” I mused, “It would be nice to attend, though I don’t plan to go to Quito.”
Before resuming my errands, I decided to check the fine print for the location. Otavalo and Cuenca often have cultural events, and I was curious about what city would be hosting the performance.
Mindo! A ballet in petite Mindo?
I looked again to be sure I had read it correctly.
Yes, the National Ballet would be performing on Tuesday night! I enthusiastically passed the information to friends, and they seemed as surprised as I!
……. Fast forward to “Hora: 19:30 — Martes 6 de Septiembre”…..
Since my camera does not work well in low light, I wasn’t expecting to take many photos. Cynthia pointed out that the entire front row of chairs was basically empty, so we scampered forward and claimed a prime vantage point!!!
The curtain rose in almost total darkness, and the audience peered with collective expectations. As the lighting increased, the darkened forms of dancers began to rise from prone positions. I groped for my camera and managed to get a few blurred shots. The scene quickly morphed to full throttle, and as dramatic lighting showcased these talented dancers in stunning costumes, the camera performed quite well!
(A grayscale version of the top image is a bit easier to decipher…)
What follows is a pictorial summary of the event.
Ladies and gentlemen – please take your seats; the lights have dimmed! Enjoy the show!
More information
“Lazos de Tierra – Fiesta en el Mar” – – Ballet Nacional de Ecuador
I think I’ll start paying more attention to random posters!
Z
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
BEAUTIFUL!
Stunning! Lucky you, to have noted the place! Thanks for sharing, Lisa.
Wow!
janet
Beautiful! Thanks for taking his with you.
Good to hear you had such a pleasant pictorial and aural enlace with “Lazos de Tierra.”
You never know what you will find! Keep looking at those posters. 🙂
So glad you read the fine print – what a wonderful experience – thanks for sharing it through your beautiful photos. Hugs Amiga 🙂
Beautiful…a few years back we saw a poster advertising that the Quito Ballet would be in our neighboring village San Jacinto. To say the least we were pleasantly shocked. The performance was modern dance depicting the story and history of Ecuador. It was amazing to see, but also reminded us on how much we missed the arts. 🙂
How fortunate you were to see this!
Despite exceedingly challenging conditions you managed to convey vibrancy of movement, color, spirit, & joy! How fun!
What gorgeous costumes; and a free performance too!
I’m thinking of the Bread and Roses concerts in this country, and the song itself. The lyrics include the line, “Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses.” it’s good to see that some roses were offered as a gift to the community that no doubt has been consumed with concerns for “bread” in every form.
Beautiful imagery! What a gift to see this performance live! I can only imagine that the music was as colorful as the costumes.