Today after finishing at the library I went shopping downtown for my daughter's birthday. Every department store seemed to have one or two special display windows for ballet costumes. They were all promoting the opening night of San Francisco Ballet on January 26th – in the expectation that customers would be enticed to purchase ball gowns for the occasion. I will not be purchasing a ball gown but am glad about the ballet all the same. The pictures used here to mark this renewed annual enthusiasm are gathered from many sources and derive from many eras. They have nothing much in common except my liking for them.