Dione and ABT’s Maria Riccetto. I love this photo!

A blurry shot of Dione and ABT’s Blaine Hoven.

Dione partnering with Blaine (she requested it).

Tonight, for lack of a better phrase, was a blast. My mother, father and myself went out to see the evening performance of Mobile Ballet’s “The Nutcracker.” My sister Dione, a principal dancer with the company, performed and when I wasn’t rooting her on I was giggling with my father and jumping for joy over the artistry of ABT’s Maria Riccetto.

 Dione danced as a “mom” in the first act and as the “Spanish Queen.” Marina Yasuda debuted this year as “Clara” and I adored her enthusiasm on stage. Caroline Frey was the “Snow Queen” with Blaine Hoven before and during the “Snow Scene.” Caroline has an amazing extension, and her soft accents were refreshing in a piece that dancers usually make severe.

In the second act I was itching to see Maria Riccetto. I had flashbacks of last year, when David Hallbergswept NYCB’s Rachel Rutherford across the stage. My heart sunk once thinking that he could be here, but when Blaine and Maria began their pasI just melted. Watching Maria brought upon the same feelings I get watching Julie Kent. When I watch Kent perform I really see every emotion inside of her just pouring on stage. It was the same for Maria, she moved with such an ease, such control. She’s my new ABT favorite, I think.

After the show, mother, father and myself ran back stage for photos with Dione. We walked up to Maria and took a photo together. She pointed at me and my sister.

“Are you twins?” she asked.

“Nope, just sisters.” I said. I complimented her a dozen times (and squealed privately to myself because we’d met her).

Blaine was chatting with his friends, and we approached him. Dione had told him earlier that whenever I make a post about him on my blog, I get tons of readers. This is true, whenever I check my stats, the most searched for dancers are he and Daniel Ulbricht.

 ”I need a picture, Ariel needs more hits on her blog,” she joked to Blaine. Everyone laughed and I held up the camera.

“I read it,” Blaine said. Dione took another partnering Blaine in first arabesque (it came out blurry). Supposedly between shows, Dione and Blaine had talked about the blog and he said that he and Matt and “a few other people” read it (I should get him to do an endorsement–kidding). I grilled Dione all night about who those “few other people” were, but she shrugged and said she didn’t know.

After a dozen more photos we went home and Dione and I gossiped until midnight. Dione told me that backstage Maria came to their dressing room to borrow a hair brush (”We should sell that thing on Ebay!” Dione exclaimed), she and Blaine took a bunch of silly pictures during the party between shows, and Maria told Dione that her matinee performance was “good.” Supposedly, Maria and Blaine were doing all sorts of ABT before performance rituals, like blowing kisses and some little jump-kick-thing that Dione showed me later in the living room–how cute!