A Very Cultured Week Indeed.

I haven't written post like this in a while but I've done so many things that I want to share with everyone that I thought it was about time for another one. So here I'm going to take a break from reviewing and outfits (although don't worry, there are many lined up) and talk about life!

The Ballet

My cultured week started midweek, on Wednesday when I went to see Swan Lake done by the Moscow City Ballet at one of my local theatres; the Hawth. This was my first time seeing live ballet, although I have watched it on Sky Arts before (including the beginning of Swan Lake). My overall impression was a mixed one.
When you watch ballet on TV what isn't clear is the inevitable noise of many wooden ended shoes and slighty squeaky floors, which detracts from the overall grace and elegant; ballet is supposed to be about silent beauty. However, some of the scenes were truely lovely, especially during the scenes where all the swans amass together in a flurry of delicate white; so pretty. You also expect perfection from ballet dancers (well, that's the seterotype that's convey in films and stuff) but a few mistakes were made, although it didn't take away from the fact that these people aren't just dancers, they're atheletes, especially the men who had the most muscular legs I have ever seen (although the prima ballerina had the most skinnest arms, which was a little frightening).
Another thing I had slight issue with was the story, I feel because there is a set piece of music for each scene they could go on for a while and often it wasn't very obvious what was going on and unfortunately, for the most part (and I do stress for the most part) ballet dancers can't act very well. Luckily the programme had a nice synoposis of each act so I understood what was going on but sometimes I didn't feel what was going on. Nonetheless the dancing was always beautiful and often spell-binding. Odette/Odile was perfection.
And on a lighter note all the men were wearing white tights which meant you could quite literally see everything. Everything.

The Theatre
On Thursday I went to a different local theatre which I go to quite often (the Archway Theatre) to see The Pillowman, a play by Martin McDonagh. A completely different experience from the ballet, the script was so so so good and intense and the acting matched it. For some reason even though the story is really dark I didn't leave the theatre disturbed, I don't know how they did it. I have less to say about this than the ballet because I go to the theatre quite often so it wasn't a very new experience for me - don't get me wrong though, I love the theatre.

Museums

 My favourite room (possibly) of the Maritime museum. The words behind me were being projected and moved like waves.

 My second favourite room just had all these amazing stain glass windows. This one is my favourite, the colours were so vivid and gorgeous. I think we can all agree on who looks the most graceful.

 Walking away from the observatory and the museum.

On Saturday me, the boyfriend and his parents headed to London for the day. Our first stop was the Greenwich Observatory, which is also a museum about time. I got to stand on the Merdian line and later when I looked out of the window I saw a man who looked like an old regeneration of Doctor Who but who actually turned out to be a tour guide. Personally I found it hard to be interested in most of it, but the old clocks were pretty and it was in a nice location.

After that we walked down the hill to the National Maritime Museum which I thought was going to be equally as uninteresting but was actually amazing! The way the information was presented really drew you in, it was really imaginative in how they used technology and other methods to grab your attention. I was really impressed and would definitely recommend it if you've got some time to spare and you're in the area.

Art Gallery Exhibition

On the same day as I went to the museums I also went to the Royal Academy of Arts to see the David Hockney exhibition, where they had basically cleared the whole place of everything and filled it entirely with Hockney pieces. I've got to say, I do like Hockney's use of colour and I really like some of his smaller canvases of the countryside. I also liked how during his films he kept the same unusual, bright palette from his paintings. Maybe it's just me though, but I'm not sure it was worth using the entire Academy, I mean he's good, but I wasn't blown away or anything. I guess it's hard to say since it's so subjective, not to say I didn't enjoy it or anything! It was fun walking around with the boyfriend giving him my impressions of an art snob occasionally. I thought his use of the iPad app was cool, especially at his age to be embracing technology and proving you're an all round artist is very impressive.

So, that about sums up my thoughts. Have you done anything exceptionally cultured recently? Or more interestingly, what's your favourite 'cultured' thing to do; Art? Drama? Ballet? Opera?