Embedded with the Troupe

Not to get too nostalgic, but this current political impasse can’t help but take me back to those crazy days of the last political impasse when spring was in the air, the daffodils were blooming, the birds chirping, and the federal government was veering towards total shutdown.

At the time I was “embedded with the troupe” at BalletMet for this story. Day after day I would drive to the studios listening to radio reports from the budget battlefront. I’d park, buzz in at the backdoor, and then take notes as I watched a time-pressed, cash-strapped organization of dedicated people working together creating solution after solution all day long. Then I’d get back in my car and drive home listening to the same story of political bickering, intransigence, and blame.

I’m not venturing a comparison here. I get that creating an original dance performance is not exactly the same as running one of the world’s more powerful governments—after all, Boehner and Obama never had to negotiate how to perfectly balance a costume’s slickness and grip. One thing I do venture to say: our stereotypes seem to be misplaced. Congressmen can throw their tantrums and fight for the spotlight all they want, but at BalletMet the artists are getting stuff done.

 photo: Tim Johnson © Columbus Monthly