“She sang as if she knew me in all my dark despair, and then she looked right through me as if I wasn’t there…”

The eyes, resting on you and only you…and as much as you try to convince yourself you are dreaming, slowly you are drawn into the spectacle taking place before you.

To be drawn into a spectacle…into a dream, that is the incredible beauty of watching a live performance.  The music, dancing and theatre are all devices that can whisk us away from the humdrum days of the week and place us where we deserve to be: in the front row seat of our dreams.

What we could be, should be and what we are.

Whether it is spinning around on a stage in dance and song, fingers flying over piano keys or the rhythm of a ball bouncing on the court, sailing in the air then caught in stride… All places where dreams originate, for both young and old, should be treasured.

Watching those with such gifts and talent, the inspiration is mesmerizing.

These shots from a Chinese New Year celebration contain everything an escape from reality should hold for the audience:

• A showcase of beauty for the human spirit and body
• A celebration of culture, inviting the audience into a dream
• Flowing music and movements to fuel the soul long after the show ends

Perhaps the best part of any performance is watching the audience, especially those who are grateful for being able to revisit dreams of their past as they relish the present, and the youth of the present able to experience a bit of the past.

Music plays such a rich role in defining moments in life.  To celebrate the sensations of a live show, music creates a path where the young and old are able to connect and share.

A live performance connects us to true talent that nothing on a screen can come close to matching, expanding our idea of what may be possible when it comes our turn to take the stage.

The movement and sounds…the sense that everything around you is a blur except for what your eyes want to see and your ears want to hear.

It is an escape into potential.  The potential of anything your mind can dream.  This is the magic of a live performance.

Potential.  There will come a time, whether on a stage, on a field or in an office when opportunity strikes and your inspiration and talent will take all this potential and create a dream which you then turn into reality.

We are the lucky ones.  Do not waste a moment of what we’ve been given.

When the lights fade and the echo of the final applause dissipates, alone sits the dreamer; motionless once again.  Looking out into the night full of imagination and desire.

So much hope in the air, the mind can hardly remain clear with all the excitement at what tomorrow may bring…

♫♪♬   “And she just kept on singing…  Singing clear and strong…” ♫♪♬

NOTE: thanks to Roberta Flack and her incredible song “Killing Me Softly with His Song” for the inspiration of the opening & closing quote.