Approaching the building on a warm spring night you may notice the incredible purple jacarandas watching over the hundreds of guests making their way to the main entrance. The majority, elegantly dressed in black, appear to be seasoned theater goers, but it wont take long to recognize the various languages in conversation: French, English, Portuguese. Because El Teatro Colon is not only a national cultural symbol, but a world renowned opera venue (Top five: Milan, Vienna, Dresden, Paris, Buenos Aires) visitors travel long distances to hear the impressive acoustics.
But Kristin and I weren't there for the opera. We instead elected a ballet by the name of Manon. Brought back to the Colon by popular demand after the 2010 season, we quickly understood why. Elegant costumes, grand scenes and very dramatic dancing made the tragic French love story an exciting way to spend a few hours. We opted to 'go all out' and buy the most expensive tickets: 200 pesos or about 50 USD. Being my first ballet as well as my first trip the theater in Argentina, I knew the price wouldn't even matter. And it didn't! We sat in the first level balconies with 4 other foreigners and after a little seat tweaking we all fit nice and snug, but with very good views. We were even able to snap a few decent no flash 'illegal' photos! 
Between acts (there were three for a total of two picture breaks), we rushed out into the lobby to snap photos of ourselves in what we considered to be some of the most elegant spots. The grand staircase on the left being one such place. It was almost as if we were little girls again! After watching the ballerinas we wanted to float up and down the stairs, twirl in our pretty dresses and pose as though we were fancy ladies from an earlier time. Like the fairytale on stage, I felt like I was in one of my own. The overwhelming sense of luxury that was once displayed by the elite class during their most exclusive parties continues to echo in the halls. Ahhhhh... This is the life. xo
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