Boys in Skirts (and culottes)

Opening night of the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the boys have the best of the costumes: spangled pants, beautiful long white skirts with tiny pleats around the waist and then mustard culottes. My favourite bit was in Milagros when they all came in to the centre of the stage in an ever decreasing spiral until they were bumping up against each other and there was nowhere left to go. I liked the off-kilterness of the whole thing. Kiwis are good at off-kilter. It gives them an edge. Like Russell Crowe.

After the show there was a crush at the bar and the dancers did the haka. We said: imagine an Australian company spontaneously performing something a bit patriotic and of cultural significance. What would it be? I Still Call Australia Home? In fact, we couldn't imagine it.

When everyone else had gone home we (Ben and his team) sat on the balcony and drank. Across the street someone watched tv in their upstairs apartment. We laughed and yelled and told stories about how we met, how we'll keep Charles awake when he moves in next door, and the tv chat show that we'll have...soon.