What a lovely evening in the arts district! Texas Ballet Theater was in fine form last night. The company seemed to have a blast performing this show; their joy radiated off the stage and frankly, I needed some joy to wash over me. I wore a simple black maxi dress with my fabulous new sparkly capelet from Denova Active for the occasion and could not have been comfier!
My friend Thi and I went to Ellie’s Restaurant across the street from the Winspear Opera House. I just love the walkability of the Dallas Arts District! We started the night off with Urban Garden cocktails – such a Rose Table name! – that had gin, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Veuve Ambal Rosé, strawberry, and lemon. The drinks were as refreshing as they were pretty and matched Thi’s gorgeous pink dress!
For starters, we got the grilled flatbread (“You LOVE roasted grapes!” said Thi, who knows me well) and poke tacos with ahi tuna and avocado. Neither was too heavy and the flatbread is something I would definitely recreate at home.
We each got the Caesar salad with sardines and lemon zest. I keep telling myself I’m going to get another salad to write about but it’s just so delicious!
I ordered the sweet and sour tamarind chicken with charred gnocchi, green beans, and black garlic au jus for dinner. The au jus was so thick and syrupy and amazing. The airline cut chicken was perfectly cooked and the sweet and sour flavor went perfectly with my Veuve sparkling rosé. I had never had anything with tamarind before and loved it! Thi was right, it was a bit like caramelized chicken without being too sweet. Delicious!
We split the limoncello olive oil sponge cake for dessert, which frankly I would never have ordered on my own because I’ve never been an olive oil cake fan but wow, was this good. It was SO moist and lemony. I loved the casual presentation and the anise syrup was fantastic.
After dinner, we headed over to the Winspear to see the show. Paige Nyman was a star as Alice. Her bio mentioned that she’s also played the titular character in Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and it’s easy to see why; she exudes Disney princess energy and lights up the stage. One of my favorite scenes was when Alice danced with a unicorn and (I think?) a tiger. Her graceful movements nearly defied gravity.
Jason McClung stole the show as the White Rabbit with his playful performance. You could tell the whole company was delighting in playing frogs, cats, insects, and more, giving joyful, athletic performances.
Ballet really is one of my favorite art forms. It’s so easy to get lost in the magic at Texas Ballet Theater. The dreamy music, stellar costumes, and exceptional dancing at Texas Ballet Theater never disappoint. I couldn’t be more excited about next year’s season. See you at the ballet!
Want more Alice? Check out my Alice in Wonderland party here.
Dance through life,
Looks like a lovely evening in many ways!