Although I have never had a true talent for the art, I have always extremely admired dance. There has always been something about the elegance and fluidity of movement in dance that has stirred up many emotions in me. First and foremost being the need to exercise. Whatever the emotions were, they were certainly evoked again last night at City Center. All four of the companies were memorable, but I specifically want to discuss Les Biches and the differences between modern dance and traditional ballet.  In the play -bill, Les Biches is described as a ground breaking feminist ballet. Debuted in 1924, the ballet captures the essence of a French house party. The reproduction last night, however, was very unusual in many ways. For one, the costumes were very bold. The dresses were bright and many were not form fitting. The women also had props such as jewelry and feathers. The technique was also very interesting. Many of the double pirouettes were not fully completed and the leg movements were sharp and not fluid. In addition, much of the movement was character based. From the swagger of the hostesses’ hips to the body building expressions of the men, the movement was dramatized to fit specific characters. Furthermore, the set was quite detailed for a ballet, setting a definite location. The women were also often the initiators in leading the men into other rooms, suggesting sexual conquest. In traditional ballet, it is the men who lead and not the women. In comparison to traditional ballet, costumes are form fitting, sets are bare and movement is fluid and lyrical. There are little or no props and there is not such a strong story line. In this sense, Les Biches is interesting to watch. It is provocative. The Ballet West company, however, was weak. The principle male dancer was always off count and not coordinated. Although it is in the nature of his character to be uncoordinated and macho, his faults were too extreme to suggest his technique was a character choice. Therefore I would like to see Les Biches again, but with a different company. Another thing I particularly focused on last night was the differences between modern dance and traditional ballet. Classical ballet is set in rigid tradition. Ballerinas are tall, have perfect feet, wear their hair in tight buns and are thin. The movement is founded in precise technique that is implemented with grace and fluidity. Modern on the other hand is much more expressive. The movement is curved, where as ballet is somewhat linear. The dancers are of all body shapes. They wear their hair loose. Moreover, the piece structures are completely different. In modern, one dancer will start a routine. Then two more dancers a couple beats later will start the same routine and so on. It seems more like a collaborative effort, where as traditional ballet is more individual. Ultimately, I really love both. There is nothing more beautiful then watching a prima ballerina from the New York City Ballet and nothing more mesmerizing then watching a Mark Morris piece.