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Spacing/walk through with the students at our second venue in the Hamptons:




Here i am! I survived the trip to the Hamptons!


We drove up in two passenger vans packed full of anxious/sleepy dancers around 6am Wednesday morning and made the 4hr drive up to the Hamptons in NY. The ride went pretty quickly given how long it actually was and how it's very hard for dancers to sit still for that long! When we arrived we had made good time giving us about an hour to explore the little city where our venue was. Of course the first thing we all want is coffee and food. We found a really cute french style cafe and had some really yummy iced coffee. I was set and had myself a little energy boost.

The theater was old, but beautiful. We made our ways to the dressing (TINY)rooms and started to get our warmups on for a run through. (spacing) The actual stage was smaller than we had all imagined in our heads so a lot of rearanging of lines and traveling had to be reviewed. Showtime came and it ran fairly smoothly for the first show of the season. I had a few mess ups simply because my foot had been bothering me for sometime. Other than that, a.o.k show followed by a dozen roses being thrown on the stage by a local dance studio that had come out to see us. It was so sweet and we all got one.

Here came the interesting part.

We all hopped in the dressing room shower quickly as the scenery got loaded into the vans. (we had another venue to go the next day) Of course being dancers, we were starving after the show and were told that we would stop somewhere quick to eat. NO where was open this late. (11:00pm) In a desperate search for food my director got an offer from friends living up there to made us a quick dinner of pasta and whatever else they had in their house short notice. This was nice of them and all, but i was exhausted after being up early and then doing a show. So my 'dinner' was spent crashing on these strangers sofa with another tired dancer. Opps. Sometimes your body takes over and calls the shots! Now comes the fun. After leaving the house around 1am....oy....we drive away to our lovely sleeping quaters at, dun dun dun.........a girl scout camp in the middle of the woods. Save money much? It was literally cots with a gymnastic mat on them lined up like a prison. My life is filled with suprises. Especially ones i can look back and laugh upon. Anyway, we all slept, kinda of.

In the morning we headed out to our next location and had breakfast at a cafe with watery coffee (yuck). This venue was lovely and much newer than the other place. They had tons of dressing rooms and the staff there was very kind and welcoming of us. This show we had students filling in some parts of the fairies and the snake dance. We had a rehearsal with them so they could know where to go at what time. They were all very well behaved and i'm glad they got a chance to perform with us. I always look back to when i was a student. I would have been thrilled to have gotten to perform along side of a ballet company.

This show went a bit better than the first and we had a really responsive audience which helps with your performance. Once again we hung out till all the scenery and costumes were packed in the van and left the venue around 10:30 for the 4hr trec back to new jersey. After two stops, one for gas and one for food/bathroom, we got back to the studio around 2:30. We were all worn out and ready for bed. Not me of course! I still had an hour ride back to my parents house. I kept the radio up loud and my window down. It's always so strange driving so late. The road are so empty and nothing is open. The moon was really bright and full too casting a really erie light on the road and woods. I made it home safe and slept ............a LOT.

Now we have just one more show left this Sat. We actually just started Dracula rehearsals today already for our Oct. 3rd opening. It's a little strange rehearsing Midsummer and learning Dracula. Two TOTALLY different vibes happening with those ballets haha. So, im off to slumber in a bit. My left leg has been bothering me. I believe it's a hamstring pull or something, but it starts under my bum and goes all the way down my leg. It's really uncomfortable, aching pain. Blah. The show must go on though! :) Hope you are all well and sorry for the lack of updates. I feel like i haven't stopped moving for the past couple days. (ok, week) I'll do my best to be more consistant.

~Sara~