With the lights going down and the music starting play, I could feel the audience starting to anticipate what was going to happen next. All of a sudden the curtains opened to reveal a superlative illuminated ballet setting, while the dancers, one by one, started to fill the stage, dancing to the melody of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky's, The Nutcracker. It was my first ballet in New York City.
As I was coming out of the theater, I was filled with joy. This was the first time I had ever seen a ballet and heard wonderful music of this kind in my life. …
