Last night’s Alabama Dance Theater’s production of Beauty and the Beast at Troy University’s Davis Theater in Montgomery, Alabama helped me to realize why it is my favorite fairy tale.\u00a0 I relate to and value the numerous moral themes and life lessons to be gained from it.<\/p>\n
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As I highlighted this show in my last blog,\u00a0 great stories have existed for centuries around the world.\u00a0 Their venue or means of communicating them as well as the details can vary.<\/p>\n I’ve yet to ask Choreographer, Sara Sanford, which version she based her ballet on.\u00a0 I know it varies from Lang’s and Disney’s, but it highlights so many key lessons and takes such wonderful artist privilege to create a fantastic show!<\/p>\n In the first scene, Raul Peinado, the prince turned beast, portrays too well the selfish and\u00a0 indifference that some of privileged descent or in leadership position portray towards the sick, poor, and hurting in society.\u00a0 What makes the story a “fairy tale” is that the Enchantress gives him a rightful sentence to teach him to rule himself and his kingdom better.\u00a0 Too bad this doesn’t happen in real life, but that does not negate the importance of using this part of the story for instruction.<\/p>\n We parents and teachers ought to do better in identifying when our children act this way.\u00a0 It’s part of our base human nature to bully others who are less fortunate than ourselves especially because they may mirror a selfish indulgence that we do not want to admit.\u00a0 We push blame on the lowly as if they deserved their sad lot in life.\u00a0 Some might have made poor choices, but many have not.\u00a0 They were born into poverty and are struggling with no hope to get out of it.<\/p>\n The prince must face the ugliness of his heart and face daily in the mirror what he is like.\u00a0 He is a beast.\u00a0 He acts out in anger, but slowly accepts his due and learns to love through his relationship with Beauty.<\/p>\n The four flirts of The Huntsman, commonly known as Gaston, care only for the skin deep appearance.\u00a0 Even after being dropped by “Gaston”, one still chases after him.\u00a0 What foolish behavior!\u00a0 Yet so many take back “their man”\u00a0 or “their woman” or “their friend” time and time again after being treated poorly by them.\u00a0 This scene is great fodder to discuss with tweens and teens what is good and bad in any personal relationship.<\/p>\n What I love is that Beauty sets firm limits with the Beast.\u00a0 She does not tolerate his angry antics.\u00a0 It is only when he treats her with compassion, care, and concern that her heart is converted to trust him.\u00a0 More would do well if they followed this course.\u00a0 \u00a0But too many follow the foolish direction of the flirts.<\/p>\n Beauty even sets limits with her father and insists on going back to the Beast.\u00a0 Emotional limit setting is something too few are taught.\u00a0 In\u00a0Proverbs 4:23<\/a>\u00a0the pinnacle of wise advise is to guard one’s heart.<\/p>\n https:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/three-reasons-why-you-must-guard-your-heart\/<\/a><\/p>\n A sick elderly parent certainly pulls on one’s heart strings.\u00a0 Beauty is forced to make a choice.\u00a0 It’s not a simple decision.\u00a0 Life rarely offers those.\u00a0 It’s a challenging balancing act.\u00a0 It’s not that she’s indifferent to her father,\u00a0 but she must be true to a higher calling, the truth of her word and acting on behalf of a friend’s life who is at risk.<\/p>\n Gaston further incites terrible misunderstanding of who the Beast is through fear in the townspeople.\u00a0 He seizes the opportunity to make himself look better by taking matters into his own hands.\u00a0 Too often this is what individuals do.\u00a0 They use ignorance and fear to manipulate others in order to boost a self-serving agenda.<\/p>\n Back to the Beast.\u00a0 He demonstrated trust that Beauty would return.\u00a0 He had finally learned to love.<\/p>\n If You Love Someone, Set Them Free. If They Come Back They’re Yours<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hopetheparentteacher.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/IMG_2368-1-scaled.jpg\")
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