Favorite Performances at Yale

One of the best things about university has been how everyone does ~something~. Everyone plays an instrument or sings (so. much. a cappella.) and some of my favorite moments have just been watching the people around me get together and do their thing.

So of course there are ballroom shows. But I don’t really get to watch those because I’m generally blinded by panic about having to go on myself.  But I did watch the Icebreaker show for potential members my freshman year.  I can even see me in the audience in the youtube videos (I’m so cute and young with stars in my eyes and an innocent heart 😛 ).

But ballroom shows or just one tiny thing that happens on campus (and also I’m contractually obliged to say they’re the best thing). But there’s so much else going on and wow, wouldn’t it be great to go to Yale and not have to do any classes or anything, but just kick back to take in the culture (and the parties and maybe audit a few bizarre and interesting classes).

And most of them are free of charge! And because I’m a cheapskate those are the ones I usually attend.

There are other dance shows of course.  Sabrosura, the Latin dance group, is always an excellent thing to do of an evening. Tickets sell out fast because the performances are so funny, high energy, inventive, and sensual. I’e had a bunch of friends go through Sabro, so I always tried to make it to the shows when I could.

Movie showings!  There are always film classes doing weekly showings and then student or faculty groups put on films as well.  I once went and watched The Lady from Shanghai (a brilliant Orson Welles-Rita Hayworth film from 1947)- I was the only person below 50 in the audience I think, and it was one of my favorite nights. Excellent film, and going out to see movies alone is underrated.

And Yale’s got some excellent theater stuff going on.  I only saw two plays while I was at Yale and missed so many more, but I had such a good time at the ones I went to- The Man Who Was Thursday (which introduced me to GK Chesterton) and The Mystery of Irma Vep (potentially the funniest play ever).

The Davenport Pops band, which unfortunately always seems to have performances that conflict with the general progress of my life which is a shame because they’re so good. Like all the “- Pops” band they perform orchestral arrangements of more popular music. Like Game of Thrones stuff. Or the Titanic soundtrack.
Another plus of so many people being musically gifted? (Everyone except me, essentially?) So many people do a senior concert at the end of their final year at Yale. Going to your friends’ senior concerts is always very bittersweet.

One of the best is the dances you can go to and participate in. There’s an annual square-dance that I think i went to once, but I’m really thinking of the biannual dances held by the Secret Jane Austen Society. They teach you English country dances from the 1800s and then everyone dances the night away together.

So in case you’re wondering- no, I don’t miss Yale yet.  It’s too soon after finals for that! I’ve spent the last three days decompressing. Monday I met a friend in Boston, Tuesday I did a massive room cleaning (which is kind of turning into an annual tradition- it’s perfect for de-stressing and renewing your handle on life), and today has been all about yard work.