Spring into Spring: a humble beginning

Today, my partner-in-balletic-crime and I mounted our first recital.

...

OH. MY. GOD. What. an. experience.

I've been dancing in recitals for 20 years, she, for 15.  As soon as we hit Level II (pointe shoe-level), our mentor involved us in the recital-mounting process as much as she could.  We started out by helping roll out and then taping linoleum on the stage.  Later, we made (drew, cut, painted) our props.  Then we helped each other out in quick changes.  Eventually, we also took part in set changes, souvenir programme design, and occasionally, costume-making.  Former dancers were tapped to usher in recitals or become stage managers.  We can probably mount a recital with an all-dancer crew.

Back when I taped linoleum on the stage for the first time, I thought to myself, "We shouldn't be doing this.  This isn't our job."  I thought that too, when I made my first set of props, first helped a co-dancer with her quick change, pulled a prop off the stage for the first time, sewed my first headdress, ushered my first guests into the theater, and first sat behind the wings with a headset on.  I have never really been assigned to programme design as we have more able dancers for that task.  But if I was, I would have probably thought the same thing.

Not anymore.

"Good thing we went through all that," kept going through my mind as my balletic crime partner and I prepared for our first recital.  I'd have to admit to cramming many things we could have done earlier.  But even with the cramming, I do believe we staged a pretty decent first recital today, thanks to the "training" we received in Ridgepointe Ballet.

We have many, many birthing pains that we still have to address when we debrief maybe next week.  But for now, I will revel in five things that transpired today:

1. One of my students telling me, "I'm so excited to dance, Teacher!  I love my costume!" (Side note: I hand-painted their leotards.  Which is why this comment made so much impact on me.)
2. Our kids bravely standing in front of complete strangers (parents, relatives, friends, of other children that they have never seen in their lives), and dancing like it was the most normal thing to do.
3. A parent, overheard (on video) telling her friend, "Look at her, see what she can make these kids do.  See how well they dance!  Isn't she amazing!?" as I was coaching my kids in their dance.
4. A parent approaching me after the show to say, "Thank you for the very enjoyable show, Teacher!  And congratulations for a job well-done.  The kids were amazing."
and...
5. A parent calling me a few hours after the show to say, "Teacher, I just wanted to thank you for your patience and dedication to your dancers.  I just realized now, that the kids' costumes weren't store-bought, they were MADE. By YOU. Oh my gosh, thank you SO much.  I really appreciate everything!"

So who cares if our first recital consisted of only a total of 12 children?  Who cares if I had to shell out a few hundred bucks for the linoleum? (Actually, I might, eventually, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.)  Who cares if wasn't on a real stage, in a real theatre?  Who cares if we had to be teachers, stage crew, sound technicians, costume designers and makers, and photographers all at the same time?  Who cares if we were running on 3-4 hours of sleep from doing last-minute preparations?

I shall sleep tonight knowing everything was worth it.

The Evolution of Pointe Shoes

I recently had a shoe personally designed.  I haven't received it yet, but I'm excited to see the finished product.  As I'm not much of a fashion enthusiast, I really don't know what the shoe style is called.  But it's safe to describe them as looking very much like a slip-on pair of Vans.  I asked the designer to make 2 pairs for me: one with a penguin (because I adore penguins with a passion), and one that looks like the tip of a pointe shoe (because, well... take a wild guess). 

It was relatively easy to find a peg for the penguin design.  Just type "penguin shoes" in Google, and voila!  You'll spend the whole night searching for the cutest penguin.  Finding a peg for the pointe shoes pair though, was a bit tougher.  I eventually settled for this: 

Yes, I understand that those are nails, but it's pretty much what I want the shoe to look like.  Anyway.  While searching for a peg, I came across the Sansha Futura 111.  It's an intriguing pair of pointe shoes.  I might actually try one once I wear out my 2-year old Gaynors completely.  I wish they'd come out with a normal pair of sneakers with this design though.  That would be great!  Imagine wearing "pointe shoes" to the mall.  Or wherever.  :) 

The Sansha Futura 111:

Aren't they cool? :)

An Ode to Understudies.

A little over 10 years ago, my dance school, Ridgepointe Ballet (then Miriam Ballet), had a newsletter of sorts which was given out every March.  "Miriamb@llet.com" as it was called, basically gave its readers snippets of what the dance school had been up to during the school year (June-March).  It also contained the usual "filler" stuff you'd see in magazines/newsletters such as poems, quotes, suggested websites to visit, cool stores to check out, interesting trivia, etc.  Ours also included a section for senior and graduate dancers to share their thoughts about dance.

I unearthed for my copies of the now-defunct newsletter (it lasted about 5 years) to look for an article I distinctly remember contributing.  Ridgepointe Ballet has just mounted it's 22nd recital, The Velveteen Rabbit (and other ballets), and I feel that the article is quite relevant to recent events relating to the production.  Here is the abridged version:

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"Poor Unfortunate Souls"

March, 2003

For the longest time, I saw understudies as poor unfortunate souls.  It's different from an alternate; they actually perform.  Understudies simply replace if something happens.  But nothing ever happens!  They waste time and energy learning and rehearsing dances they'll never perform!  Or so I thought.  Dancing with the Philippine Ballet Theatre (PBT) last 2002, taught me otherwise.

It started when Ms. Liza called to say PBT was dancing Balanchine's choreographies in June: SERENADE, CONCERTO BAROCCO, TCHAIKOVSKY PAS DE DEUX, and WHO CARES?  They still needed girls; maybe I could give it a shot.

I intended to.  But when I came in on April 4th, the cast was already complete.  So I was cast as an understudy: for a girl in WHO CARES? and for Cathee Lee-Roslovtsev (who injured her knee some time ago) in SERENADE.  Ugh.  But I accepted anyway.  After all, I could use the training.  

I took WHO CARES? seriously, because I was soon cast permanently.  SERENADE, though, I took very lightly.  I was confident that since Cathee was a company member, I wouldn't need to replace her at all.  Big mistake.  On May 10th, Guest Artistic Director and Guest Artistic Coach, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Barnet, from the Balanchine Foundation, came to help us technically and artistically.  Surprise!  Cathee wasn't dancing that day.  I was.  Imagine my fear!  But as the day progressed, I started to calm down.

Mr. & Mrs. Barnet worked with us step by step, explaining exactly how to execute each one.  This comforted me, since I didn't know the whole dance yet, and I couldn't do certain steps [...].  I was afraid of messing up.  But they were perfectly nice when I tried and failed.  [...]  The company members were helpful too, especially Cathee.  [...]

Initially, I was only to dance in the matinees, but since Cathee had a difficult pas de deux in WHO CARES, I go all shows!  I got all the emotions you can think of. [...] A thousand "what ifs" filled my mind.

So, I attended all the rehearsals as much as I could [...].  It was tiring! [...]  But it all paid off.  After that BALANCHINE production in CCP in June, the show was brought to [various other places].  All the while, I held [the] spot.  I was applauded by [my superiors] for a job well done.  In the end, I learned being an understudy isn't so bad.  I hadn't been a poor unfortunate soul at all!  In fact, I'd been very, very fortunate.

I remember sitting with some company members outside the studio after our first rehearsal with Mr. & Mrs. Barnet.  Cathee was there and she said: "Si Trixie kanina nag panic!  Di kasi inaral yung steps dati eh!  Naku, I bet she'll learn and take all the dances seriously from now on." 

I laughed. Oh yes.  She sure got that right!

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I will write more about my other escapades in the future but for now, let me congratulate the very young Ridgepointe Ballet dancers, especially those who diligently learned dances on the side as understudies.  We were down by a few dancers this production due to physical illness (suspected dengue) and what I like to call, "diva-titis" (but that's another story).  We pulled through, because our young dancers were able to adapt (some dances needed re-blocking), and because we had understudies who, despite being all of what, less than 12? years of age, were quick, diligent, and game to face the unsuspecting audience with a huge smile on their faces.  

And so to Ridgepointe Ballet, BRAVO! :)