An evening with the Ballet Masters of Mad Hot Ballet

“Art gives you a chance to live in the life of another,”   said Lindsay Fischer, National Ballet Master and Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada. Lindsey told me during the Mad Hot Ballet evening, June 2016, how art has the power to take you to another world, another life. He spoke about how private lives can be shared through dance and  by using different senses, we can gain better understanding and can feel the emotions of others.

Mad Hot Ballet 2016

My mind was still back in my world of banking and ballet was far away from my thoughts, even though I loved dancing well into my teens.  Lindsey's words did get my attention and remind me that enjoying art is such a good human experience. The Mad Hot Ballet Fund Raiser had taken a drab hall and transformed it into a party place with views of Lake Ontario. If you look at the photos from the evening, yes, there were the big fashions but most of us were in business dress - plain black suit for me - so don't let that keep you away next year. 

I was fortunate enough to sit next to the two dance instructors who had organized the evening performances. Their story was remarkable. It began the the Royal Ballet School in London, England and one of the main ballerinas, Mandy-Jane Richardson, was too tall for the other male dancers. The company imported a suitable dancer from Amsterdam, an American called Lindsay Fischer .

It was love at first sight.

I asked them about the passion they must have felt during their performances as a  duet couple over the following year. My comment got peals of laughter and nods from Mandy-Jane, and a quiet, meaningful look from Lindsay. They are now married with children and obviously enjoying each other.

One of the performances that evening was to Bolero and what an incredible visual performance that stirred the senses. My two companions at the table were responsible for this piece and I could not help feel they had shared such a deeply private part of their obviously mutual respectful and loving relationship with all of us. 

I felt very lucky and, yes, art does give us the chance to feel parts of the lives of others.