"how you dance, is who you are." -Suzanne Farrell


Just a quick post to wish everyone a happy,safe, and healthy New Year!
Lets hope 2010 is a good one!

~Sara~

Ballerina...

My awesome roommate got me a free 3month trial to netflicks so last night i spent the evening picking out and browsing through movies. I came across a documentary i remember a friend mentioning entitled "Ballerina" by director Bertrand Normand. Netflixs, being awesome as they are, had a "watch now" option so i did. It was a very interesting film that took you through the training and selection process of selecting Russian ballerinas from the Mariinski Theatre. (formerly known as the Kirov) It followed five ballerinas and their and their struggles/joys/progress. I suggest all dancers (or non!) watch it.

~Sara~

Tis the season!!!!! and the end of a season....

Happy Holidays everyone!!!

So, good news...nutcracker finished successfully, bad news, had to travel in 2feet of snow to get to the last show that was 2hrs away. The show went well considering we were missing half our company due to a huge snow storm (record breaking) the day before. I was planning on not going because my car was snowed in and the streets were awful but, since we were already missing so many dancers i took the risk. It all worked out. I did, however, get thrown into party scene as a mom along with my friend. We did a good job making up the moves since we found out 5min before we would be doing it. It was covered well as us pretending we were the "drunk" guests. All in all it was a full house and our last show of the season.

The last two weeks of shows was spend rehearsing for our spring shows. She is doing rep. that she choreographed a while ago and hasn't set on the company since it first started. I'm pretty excited to be learning something new this year. My favorite piece so far is the beatles ballet that she taught us. It's four couples and involves a lot of cool partnering. The other ballets are pretty as well. We all got videos of them to study over the break so we don't forget what we learned. We will see who actually watches them haha.

Two months off now! I'm sure i'll be able to update more. Even though it will probably involve me complaining about how out of shape i am getting. I am going to try and take a few classes here and there in the city, but i also have to watch my money. Classes can get to be so expensive!

Sorry i didn't update much during the Nutcracker season like i said i would. Between rehearsals and teaching time just slipped away from me.

I hope that you all have a happy and safe holiday!

~Sara~

where's the understudy?

So crazy times at our company today.
We had a 10:30am childrens show this morning and an hour before the opening we are scrambling to switch around parts. The sugar plum of the day woke up and had horrible back pains and was unable to do her part that evening. Now, she does have another cast for that part, but the other casts partner broke his foot two days ago. She didn't feel comfortable doing the pas with another partner without rehearsing it. Every guy partners different so i can understand this. My director decided that they would do just their variations and finale. Ok, that problem was solved. BUT, the two sugar plums also shared the parts of snow princess, chinese, and flower princess. YIKES. SO, lead marzipan had to learn chinese in an hour you, our director called in a retired dancer (of two years) to do flower princess. To sum it up, in case i lost you, it was a big fat mess. It also proves how important it is to have understudies. This is something that we seem to lack having since we are a smaller company. I guess we just have to do what we have to do to make it work!

Although we had some last min. crazy town, the show went surprisingly smooth. Arabian went MUCH better. We got all the lifts. Everyone just seemed to have a much more on show. I'm a bit surprised too because we were all up really early for this one and given a mild heartattack with the injuried. We pulled together and made it happen.

Another early one tommorow and a 7:30 in the evening. We are going to need all the energy we can get! Merde!!

~Sara~


Think happy thoughts. My Oona is <3

Arabian

So my director today in rehearsal wanted to change the end bird lift in arabian because we didn't get it in the show. Boys, being stubborn as they usually are, said that he didn't want to. She told him to show her the lift five times in a row and she will let him do it. So we did. The crazy bird lift from a split on the floor is back in. I think the only reason it didn't go up is because it was the first time on stage. Nerves will do that to you. I'm confident we will get it. We have only missed it maybe twice in rehearsal so i know it can be done.

We get to sleep in tommorow (class at one...yay) since we have a 10:30am show the following day. It's going to be a LONG week. I will be blogging at the show! Five shows this week. Yikes. HELLO stamina.

Tis the season!
~Sara~

up north with snow

Hey everyone I'm blogging from my new phone so we will see how this goes! I'm up north with booba staying at his parents for some xmas activities. It beautifuly snowy here. The drive up took a little under 2hrs after my show and I was beat. The show was just ok for me. Some parts went better than others. We didn't get the ending lift in arabian because my partner was tired from doing snow king as well. But, I'm sure we will get it next time! Its hard switching partners which oim sure had some effect. Last night was my first time with this one. Long long week ahead of about 5 shows. I'm going to need my rest! Hope you are all well! *sara*

...and a chance of snow

Our second show of Nutcracker is tommorow night and snow is in the forecast. Not a big deal. They are only calling for 1/2 an inch, which really might end up being just rain. It's still exciting to think of seeing the white stuff in the air as we perform Nutcracker. Both are just magical. I have been thinking alot about the show and how certain parts still makes the hair on my arm stand up. After all the sweat, blisters, and long hours that is put into the show that i have been lucky to be performing since i was 12 i'm still amazed by it. You either hate or love the ballet, or it's a love/hate. I have a special place for the ballet in my heart because it was the first professional ballet that i performed in. So for me, it reminds me of when i fell in love with ballet. When i knew that this is what i wanted to do. I am embracing every moment of it this year. You never know when it will be your last!

On a side note, we have started our spring rep. already! We have to start later this spring so she is trying to get all the choreography in now before we go on break. That way we can come back and refresh what we already learned. It is a bit much running long rehearsals for spring rep. and nutcracker shows, but it's refreshing to be learning something new. AND, this is a show i have never done before. She has pulled different pieces from her rep. including a beatles ballet. It should be a really fun show. Love love love :)
Ok, gotta finish getting stuff together for tommorow. Hope you are all well.
~Sara~

ps my booba made this for me the other day. I just love it. It just about sums me up <3