Dancing down the aisles at my first ballet experience

I'm back in the swing of normal life now after a whistle-stop stay over in Leeds last weekend to celebrate Mum's 50th birthday, again... We had afternoon tea at Acklam Hall on her actual birthday, but as her gift from me, I bought her tickets to see the ballet in Leeds.

Neither of us had actually been to see the ballet before, but I'd remembered that Mum had expressed a want to go and see a performance. The only one playing around the time of her birthday was Casanova performed by the Northern Ballet. Before I gave her the tickets, I was apprehensive as to what she'd think of my gift. Would she actually want to see it? Or would it be a waste of money?

Turns out she was very happy when I handed her an envelope to open saying we'd be off to Leeds in less than a month's time. Yesterday we boarded our train with a bottle or two of Prosecco in hand and trundled along to Leeds.

After a day of food and shopping in Leeds, we went to our hotel, freshened up and were on our way to the ballet for it to start at 7.30pm. Performed in the Grand Theatre in Leeds, it was literally 3 minutes away from the Travelodge we were staying in, which was super handy. We squeezed into our seats in the Upper Circle and got ready to see the show.

We made the error of only getting the programme at half time, as neither of us knew the story of Casanova, we didn't quite grasp everything that was going on. When reading through the programme, it gives you the story of his life and what was happening in each scene. Even without knowing what was going on in the first half, I was secretly pleased that we'd made the decision to come and see it.

After reading the story and understanding what we were about to see after the interval, we could follow more easily the story that was being told through the performance.

Every aspect of this production was put together so beautifully and oozed decadence. From the front curtain that had been painstakingly painted to the moving Venetian podiums that formed the mainstay of the background for the first half, to the stunning wardrobe that each and every dancer wore - it all came together to make the performance what it was.

Of course, the 'star' of the show was Casanova, singled out by his white hair, dazzling the audience with his spectacular talent, but the rest of the cast was just as amazing. They each seemed to outdo the last as they told the story of Casanova through ballet.

Going into this performance, I was unsure of what I would think of it. I thought it wouldn't be 'my thing', but I was wrong. Sitting in such a grand theatre taking in the music, the dancing and the sheer beauty of everything that was happening on stage, it was fantastic. It was so relaxing to sit in silence, be serenaded by the music whilst watching the beautiful dancers and their storytelling.

I already know I want to go and see The Little Mermaid when it's on at the end of the year. I hope to see you all there too...