A part of the theater-going ritual, dinner before a dance show is almost as much fun as seeing the show itself. Granted, eating a big meal full of wine and butter might make you feel like a glutton once you see the lithe ballerinas work it onstage in Swan Lake, but that’s okay. Your dancing career was not meant to be, but your eating career certainly was! Here are a few great spots to catch a pre-show meal, and the dance companies to see after said meal:

• In Chicago, before seeing Hubbard Street Dance Chicago or Luna Negra Dance Theater at the Harris Theater, stop by Aria.  It’s a beautiful restaurant, they’re popular among the theater-going crowd, and they’ll very often partner with the dance companies to offer a pre-show special to ticket holders.
• There are scads of dance companies to see while in New York City, but for a show that’s guaranteed to have brilliant music, imaginative choreography, and impeccable dancing, check out Mark Morris Dance Group at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  Finding a good meal near BAM can be tricky at times, but locals in the know always stop by Al Di La or Frannie’s before a MMDG performance of ‘The Hard Nut’.
• While in Amsterdam, check the schedule at the Muziektheater to see if Nederlands Dans Theatre is in town on one of their frequent visits from The Hague.  Make sure to have dinner at The Dantzig Cafe, where the atmosphere is inviting, the service is quick, and the comforting Dutch food is relatively inexpensive before an evening of NDT’s intensely athletic work.
• Atlanta isn’t all about Turner, Coca Cola, and the Olympics! In fact, the Atlanta Ballet is a fantastic company that consistently produces a beautiful Nutcracker during the holiday season.  Before a show, a favorite spot for a cozy European meal or glass of wine is Ecco.
• In London, you’d be hard pressed to find a more regal and polished production than one put on by the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House.  Start your ballet night out right with appetizers and cocktails at Boulevard Brasserie.

What are your favorite dance companies? Where do you eat before their shows? Let me know in the comments section!

Photo courtesy of chiarashine / Creative Commons

Tags: Atlanta Ballet, Harris Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Mark Morris Dance Group, NDT, Royal Ballet