Sarah McLachlan was in attendance at the opening night of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, produced by Ballet BC and performed by Alberta Ballet. I think most of the audience was there for her more than the ballet and McLachlan’s music was certainly the predominant element of the performance. Unfortunately the result was more like a live balletic music video than a cohesive production.

The music IS beautiful. McLachlan’s hauntingly clear voice soared around the dancers and bounced off the walls: a sophisticated, poignant and stirring melody. Compared to that, the visual design felt clumsy. The animated graphics...