Ballet Geeks

This summer while at our

home away from home

during a Ballet Summer Intensive,

my son and I found ourselves

watching many ballets

and ballet related shows.

We borrowed videos

from the studio that

my son was visiting

and watched

traditional ballets

by world famous ballet companies

almost every night.

On television,

we watched reality shows

 about ballet dancers.

My son watched and showed me

YouTube videos

of individual danseurs

dancing in traditional ballet parts-

which he paused,

rewound, and replayed

in order to take notes,
much like football players'
analysis and study of game clips.

As we sat
watching and discussing
Coppelia
on a Friday night,
realization dawned
that we had become
"ballet geeks!"

Pliés in a Restaurant

Last week

our family and some friends

from ballet were eating

at one of our favorite

local restaurants.

Considering the fact that
we were eating
Chinese Dim Sum,
which had a variety
of unusual food
for the American pallet,
everyone's behavior was
appropriate for the occasion.

The conversation was delightful
and filled with laughter.

The end of the meal conversation,
of course, turned toward
the subject of Nutcracker-

from rehearsals,

to how to do multiple parts,

to making up
a new Nutcracker story
that combines parts
like the Snow King and
the Mouse King
with a half-and-half costume.

Then we discussed
how best to exercise
while at work;
suggestions included-
exercises at a desk,
lifting bank tellers,
and ended with
one of the male dancers
standing up and
demonstrating pliés
as he would hand paper work
to a coworker at a bank.

The funniest part was
that there was no embarrassment
on anyone's face at our table-
just lots of laughter. 

Spontaneity, laughter, and friendship
among like minded people is such a joy....

Family Vacation from Ballet

For the first time in five years,

our family took

an extended family vacation

during a season of ballet.

While the kids

had ten (10) days

of no ballet,

a costume project

did make it into the car.

On the first day of vacation,

five hours of the twelve hour drive-

in between navigation duties- 

were spent taking off beads

from a couple of costumes

in order to reuse some

 of them in the beading rework

for the costumes.

My husband patiently helped remove

the remaining beads

while sitting

at Nutcracker rehearsal

the day after returning from vacation.

My son had thought

that he would have time

to do some stretching exercises

during vacation.

Alas,

this was a twelve hour a day,

go all day at full steam

vacation.

Of the six days

at Disney World, Florida-

two days were spent at EPCOT;

a midnight swim

and getting up very early

the next morning;

two days at Magic Kingdom;

a day in torrential rains

and at Downtown Disney;

a half of day of packing

and leaving.

Then a quick trip to put our feet

in the Atlantic Ocean

before continuing on toward

Savannah, Georgia.

A day in Savannah

included a Girl Scout Pilgrimage

to Juliette Gordon Low's Birthplace

and the Birthplace of Girl Scouts

in order to celebrate

100 years of Girl Scouts USA

and ten years of my daughter

being a Girl Scout,

as well as, my ten years

as a Girl Scout Leader.

A day in Atlanta

included the High Museum of Art

and a quick drive around

the Capitol building.

(On the way to Disney World,

there was a quick stop around

the Capitol building

in Tallahassee, Florida.)

The only ballet that was done

during this trip was a quick,

and a little reluctant,

pose in the Canadian area

at EPCOT

for our ballet family friends

who live in our hometown

but are originally from Canada.

(They gave us great advise from

their Disney World experiences.)

It has been a month since

we started out on our vacation;

reality is just now starting

to impose on my

vacation euphoria-

there is soooo much

to get done before

Nutcracker performances.

Family Memories

made outside of ballet,

imagine that....

Nutcracker has begun...

...and it's only September.

As soon as summer Ballet Intensives

were over in August,

there were classes to review 

Nutcracker choreography

for the students.

For me,

since last Nutcracker,

visions of having a

Nutcracker Handbook

for cast members,

especially new ones,

have danced in my head.

After a month

of gathering the information,

typing and formating,

retyping and reformating,

having it edited by others,

I consider it done....

Well, except for

getting the directors

to write a welcome letter

and then

printing it out.

In a couple of days,

I definitely will  be doing

A HAPPY DANCE...

...and maybe even to the tune of

Snow

or

Chinese

or

Sugar Plum Cavalier....

Summer Time Begins

Summer is here again.

In our ballet world,

we went from school shows

near the end of May

to a week off- NOT....

No, our week off involved:

1) extra classes at our studio

2) rehearsal for a pas de deux

for another studio's school show

for my son

3) and packing -

for Girl Scout Summer Camp

for my daughter

and

Ballet Summer Intensives

for my son

(and my daughter).

Busy, Busy, Busy

Believe it or not,

it has been six weeks

since my last post.

The Ballet Company
Spring Show

has come and gone.

The local arts weekend event-

where my kids:

1) performed

for the fifth graders;

2) were dancers in the 

choreography competition;

3) did a mini performance

of the spring show-

has come and gone.

The countdown to the

Ballet School Performance Show

is at "one week" to go.

Rehearsals

changed,

and often overlapped,

from

Spring Performance

to

Arts Show

to

School Performance Show

in what seemed like

"the blink of an eye" 

(which is also how fast

my children have grown).

Spring Break?

Spring Break

Vacations

A break from the usual routine...

Not so much this year.

The first Saturday of Spring Break
was spent at rehearsals.

On the first Sunday,
our family managed a couple of hours
on a nature hike
(which was a requirement
for my daughter
in celebrating the
100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts).

The hike was immediately followed by
a trip to the home supply store
for supplies needed
to paint a backdrop
for a fundraiser
for the ballet studio
during the Spring Performance.

On Monday,
my children and I,
with the help of a couple
of young family members,
painted a backdrop,
complete with
a castle
in the mountains,
a pumpkin
(for Cinderella),
a friendly dragon,
and, of course,
a winding path to the castle.

On Tuesday,
there was a number
of things accomplished:

1) There was a ballet class
and rehearsals.

2) Errands to buy much needed
household cleaners
and
some aloe
(for our sunburn patches
from painting the backdrop
in our driveway for eight hours).

3) An hour before sunset,
prop wooden boxes were painted
by the whole family.

It should be noted that,
due to these prop boxes:

a) My husband has had
many sleepless nights
trying to envision how
to make them sturdy enough
to bear the weight of dancers
and big enough
for dancers to pop out.

b) Spent countless hours
and weeks making the boxes.

c) As well as,
taking two days off from work
last week to make them smaller
(and not allowing him to take off
during Spring Break).

On Wednesday,
as well, there were quite
a few things accomplished:

1) My email was checked by noon.
(Gasp, yes, I have been so tired
and falling asleep around midnight,
instead of several hours afterwards.)

2) School work meant
attending a homeschool
yearbook training meeting.
(Alas, homeschoolers
rarely ever get breaks.)

3) Errands for going out of town
for ballet classes, which included
a trip to the dancewear store for
more pointe shoes.

4) The whole family
was able to attend to church
because regular ballet classes
were canceled for Spring Break.

5) Our family had a supper picnic
with homeschool friends.

6) Pointe shoe ribbons
and elastics were sewn.

7) Girl Scout plans were made.

On Thursday,
my son packed the car
with the bags that three of us
had packed the night before.

While watching the kids take
an extra ballet class from
one of their favorite teachers
at our home studio,
my blog was being updated.

Then, we hit the road
for a two hour trip,
which included just over
a half hour of rush hour traffic,
to another favorite ballet studio
for a ballet class.

On Friday,
because we stayed with family,
we only had a twenty minute commute
to take classes at the out-of-town studio.

A drive home in pouring rain,
rush hour traffic,
and eleven miles
of stop-n-go traffic
due to a wreck,
made a two hour trip
take four hours.

The last two days of Spring Break
will be spent
at the ballet studio
in rehearsals and
finishing costumes and props
before Tech Week
begins on Monday.

Note: Pictures will be added at a later date.
This month has been so hectic
that there has been little time
to teach me a new trick.

Costume Department Pressures

As my last post indicated,
we have been spending many hours
at the ballet studio.

The costume department
started to get anxious last week
about having everything ready
for the board photo session
next week.

When the call went out for help,
many answered and the work
is getting done in a very
timely manner.

In the last couple of weeks,
I have been busy with several
different "detail" sewing projects:

1) Sewing sequins on a tutu-
not my favorite task
because they are very small,
round, curved, and shiny;
and, they only have one hole
to sew through them.
(They really should have
two holes, like a button.)

2) Sewing trim on various costumes.

3) Removing trim on various costumes-
yes, sometimes the trim that
was just sewn onto the costume
must be removed and redone
because the costume needs to be
re-altered for a better fit,
or the trim was sewn
onto the costume inside out,
or it was not sewn onto
the perfect spot.

3) Shopping for thread, ruffles, ribbons, etc.

and

4) Sewing on ruffles, ribbons, and more trim.

And, the work goes on, and on, and on....

Note: Attempts are being made
to take "before and after" photos
of my various sewing projects.

Hours at the Ballet Studio

When asking my teenagers
the other day
what my next topic should be,
they said,
"The hours we spend
at the ballet studio."

My last blog started out
with this topic in mind
and ended up being about
free pizza!

The original intent of the post
was to talk about the number
of hours our family spends
at the ballet studio each week
and
what we do during that time.

So, here goes.

Mondays:

Usually it is just my daughter and I
that travel to the studio.

She has two and a half hours
of classes and
I help out in the office;
this means we are there
for about four hours.

Occasionally, my son skips his
weekly Boy Scout meeting
in order to attend special
partnering classes
and/or
rehearsals.

Tuesdays:

Three of us have dance classes
and we are there for about
four to five hours,
more if there are rehearsals.

Sometimes, my son
has a morning rehearsal
(which he is able to attend
because he homeschools);
on those days,
we either spend the hours
between returning to the studio
on school errands
or
stay at the studio
and work on school work.

Wednesday:

Usually it is just my son and I
that travel to the studio.

Between the two of us,
we are there for about five hours.

Occasionally, my daughter comes
for make-up classes or rehearsals.

Thursdays:

A very busy day of the week.

Three of us have classes
and I also help in the office.

At least two nights per month,
I have to skip my classes
in order to attend meetings-
one for Girl Scout planning
(which my daughter
usually attends too)
and
one for my GFWC local club.

Total hours at the studio
are around four or so.

Fridays:

We like to say that
we have Fridays off.

However, more often than not,
this is not true.

If the Friday afternoon class
is not canceled, then
my son and often my daughter
attend the class.

Often, there is a rehearsal afterwards.

Recently, about every other Friday,
our family has traveled
about two hours away for ballet classes
from a former Soviet ballet dancer.

So, Fridays, too,
are often up to four hours
at the studio.

Saturdays:

Our whole family, my husband included,
spends about eight hours at the studio.

My son and daughter have company class
and rehearsals that last all day;
though they do have breaks,
they are rarely long enough to leave.

My husband and I run errands
for food and props and costumes
and/or
stay at the studio and work
on props and costumes.

Sundays:

Rehearsals last up to six hours,
especially the closer it gets
to performances.

Of course, the whole family
is usually there
(see Saturdays).

Week in Review:

If I counted correctly,
our family spends just under
40 hours per week
at the ballet studio.

Is that a full time job-
minus the pay and benefits?

Free Pizza

Over the past few weeks,
our family has realized that
we are spending
more and more time
at the ballet studio.

This should come as no surprise
since we are in the midst
of rehearsals
and preparations
of props and costumes
for the spring performances.

However, this is the first time that
we recall having more rehearsals
after dance and ballet classes.

So, after up to three or four hours
of classes on the weeknights,
we are at the studio
for up to another couple of hours.

The other night,
this was to our benefit,
in that we got free food.

We had left the studio
just before 9:30 pm
and thought that
the pizza place
stopped serving around
that time.

The lights were still on,
but they were starting to clean.

The manager was on the phone
with his bosses
before he was able to talk to us.

He explained that the buffet
was closed for the night,
but we already knew that
we wanted to get some
pizzas to go.

He took our order,
the kitchen staff started baking,
and I started to pay
with my debit card.

Then, the manager realized that
he had already shut the computer
down for the night.

As, I had no cash,
he offered us our pizzas
for free!

He even gave us free drinks
while we waited.

It is so nice to know that
there are still good people
in this world,
especially when one is
near exhaustion
and have two teenagers
to feed after hours
of dancing.

En Pointe

Two years ago,
at the beginning
of the fourth decade of my life,
and having taken ballet
on and off
for about a decade,
I decided that I wanted to attempt
to go en pointe by my next birthday.

Mind you, I struggle with remembering:

1) the French ballet terms;

2) the warm up lessons
after the fourth or fifth exercise;

3) any ballet combinations that
require more than two parts;

4) not letting my other activities
interfere with going to ballet class;

5) and, basic proper alignment
for ballet dancers.

However, I set the challenge for myself
and attempted to attend
more than my usual one class per week.

Also, I was encouraged by
one of my children's ballet teachers,
who is also a parent
of one of their ballet friends,
who is an extraordinary ballet costumer,
and, a great friend.

She gave me specific exercises
to strengthen my feet
and
reminded me to use my core muscles.

Just before the end of the calendar year,
one of my friends that had been taking
ballet classes said that she had gotten
permission to start en pointe
in January, just around my birthday.

So, I went out and purchased pointe shoes
at the beginning of January.

And then, just as it looked like I would be
en pointe by my birthday,
a snow storm hit
and
closed down everything
for almost a week.

So, after sewing on my pointe shoe ribbons,
which I was supposed to have waited to do
after the teacher had approved
the first pointe shoes,
I got to go en pointe at the barre
just a few days after my birthday.

I would love to say that I improved
over the next year,
but I was unable to get in my
pointe shoes on a regular basis
and remained doing barre work.

In order to improve en pointe,
this January, as part of my make-up
classes for all the classes I missed
in the fall due to other activities,
meetings, Nutcracker duties
in the costume room and props,
I decided to take the class
for students (around 11 years)
who were about to start
en pointe for the first time.

Today,
after my fourth pointe class
this year,
I went en pointe
in the middle of the floor.

It wasn't pretty,
but I did manage at least
three times
to go on full pointe.

I only wish my children
had witnessed it
because at least one
of them seems
to be a little doubtful.

Oh, well, I know I put my
fear of falling behind me.

En Pointe!

Ballet Moms vs Dance Moms

After explaining to my daughter,

when she wanted to purchase
a sparkly key chain with
"Dance Mom"
on it for me,

that I am in no way, shape, nor form
a "Dance Mom,"

I still had to have the manager of the
ballet/dance clothing store
back me up on this point.

And, this all occurred months before
the Lifetime show, "Dance Moms."

Now that the show is so popular,
even among the "Ballet Moms,"
there apparently needs to be a
"vs" list in order to distinguish
between the two types of personalities.

Normally, I am not one to generalize,
but these are just some observations-
and I do realize
that there are always exceptions.


Dance Mom vs Ballet Mom


1) Obnoxiously Loud vs Quiet and Observant

While "Quiet and Observant,"
we are willing to stand up for what is right-
we are still "Moms," after all.


2) Fighting vs Discussions

with the Dance and/or Artistic Director

Face it,
at the end of the day,
in ballet,
the Artistic Director,
being artistic
and having many years
of experience
in the ballet world,
is always right,
whether one agrees or disagrees.

One must always remember
that the ballet world
is a very small world;
burning one's bridges
is not a good thing,
especially for the dancers.


3) Fighting vs Discussions
with other "Moms"

Most of my "Mom" friends
encourage each others
dancers with both
words of advice and praise.

If things start to get too personal,
usually at least one will walk away,
if not both parties,
until heads have cooled
and until that happens,
avoidance is a useful tool.


4) Skimpy costumes vs ballet costumes

Realizing that ballet wear for class
is just a leotard and tights,
in order for teachers to see that
proper alignment is occurring,
most ballet studios require
that clothing be worn over the ballet wear
whenever outside the studio.

Another rule about ballet costumes
is that costumes remain backstage
or covered when not on stage.

Costumes are meant to enhance
the character of the dancer and the dance;
they are not to be a character itself.


5) Competitions vs Shows

Although there are a few ballet competitions,
meant to find talent,
most are closed to observers.

Most ballet companies perform
two or three
shows or stories
per year
and
most of the year
is dedicated to rehearsals.


6) Recitals vs School Shows

Although many ballet studios
have other types of dance as well,

the end of the school year
performance is considered
a "school show" and the word
"recital" is very reluctantly used.


7) New vs Traditional

Ballet has a long history and tradition.

Many in ballet are proud of this fact.

Twyla Tharp's "The Princess and the Goblin”

Our family attended this ballet
performed by Atlanta Ballet
on its second night
at the Cobb Center in Atlanta.

The original story
was written in 1872
by George MacDonald.

It is the story of a princess
who realizes that some of the children
of the kingdom have been kidnapped
by a goblin.

Her father refuses to believe her.

She takes off in search of the children
with a male friend
and on the way meets
her great-grandmother.

Her friend is later captured
and she must rescue him too.

The fighting with the goblins
looks more like a ballet dance off
with lots of funny moments.

Eventually the princess
wins the hearts of the goblins.

Some of the goblins help her
in her escape with the children
and away from the
king and queen of the goblins.

Although her male friend
tries to help lead them home,
it is her great-grandmother who helps.

Upon the return home,
everyone rejoices.

The artistry of the ballet
in telling this story
was beautiful and magical.

It was hard to believe that it
was done without interruptions.

The program mentioned that the
princess performed for 70 minutes
of the 75 minute ballet.

I highly recommend taking
the family to this ballet.

10 Years of Nutcracker

Our family just finished our
10th
Nutcracker.

It was the first Nutcracker
that no one was
in Act I.

This was a very odd feeling.

I never even got to watch Act I
from backstage
because either
I was helping with last minute
sewing projects
(mending, buttons, shoe elastics, etc)
or
helping my daughter
with her hair and make-up.

It was really the first year
that I understood
one of the other mother's advice
to trade daughters
during dressing room preparations.

My daughters hair is very thick
and this year it was shorter
because she had donated
some of the length to
Locks of Love
during the summer.

Due to the thickness,
I always braid her hair
into several small braids
in order to make the bun
look flatter.

Just before performance,
we thought that the hair was fine
until we tried putting
the headpiece on her head
and found that the bun was too high.

We tried moving the bun lower,
but it messed up the rest of her hair
and
she could not get the bun to feel secure.

After taking out the braids
and while re-brushing her hair
and trying to find the perfect spot
for the bun after several attempts,
a sudden feeling came over me
that I needed to just pull her hair
off her head and make it a wig
with a permanent bun.

There was no feeling of wanting
to hurt my daughter-
just wanting do something
that would make the whole
bun process easier.

Finally,
the perfect spot for the bun;
and,
I was able to make a great bun
without having to re-braid her hair.

So,
even if one has a good relationship
with family members,
during stressful times backstage,
have a third party help.

A couple of things
that I enjoyed this year:

1) watching my daughter help my son
put on his make-up;

and 2) my son occasionally asking me
to help make sure that
his hair, costume, and make-up
were ready for stage.

(Although he's not thrilled
with the way that I like his hair
to be on stage,
he was good about asking
if it was done to my liking.)

The best part of
10 years of Nutcracker
is that it is
a family activity.

Nutcracker- My Son's Roles

My son began performing
in Nutcracker in 2002.

The requirement for participation
was that one had to be
eight years old.

Sometimes, due to the fact
that there are few boys
in ballet, boys were allowed
to perform at seven years old.

The previous year,
my son had asked if he could perform
since he would be turning seven
during the performance weekend,
but was told that he could understudy.

So, he began as a seven year old
and turned eight
on the last day of performances.

The first year,
he was a
Small Mouse
and got to steal a prop-
the Nutcracker.

One of my favorite memories
of that year
was one of the older boys,
who was playing the Nutcracker,
took my son under his wing
and
I managed to get a picture
from behind
of the Nutcracker
with his arm around
a Small Mouse.

[As soon as the photo
is located and scanned,
it will appear in this post!]

My son played a
Party Boy
from 2003 - 2006.

The first couple of years,
he really loved it.

The next couple of years,
he liked it,
but was ready to move on
to other parts.

In 2006,
he was finally able to get
a part in the Second Act
as a (French) Mirliton
with the Junior Company dancers
and
had the role for two years.

He began partnering
with a couple of the girls
within the piece.

In 2007,
he was a little reluctant to play
Fritz,
due to being tired
of the Party Scene,
but did a great job.

Also in 2007,
he loved his role of
Nutcracker
because he got to
sword fight.

In 2008,
Ms Meg
(who has a feature
in a January post,
but I cannot figure out
how to link)
choreographed
Chinese
and
my son performed
with two girls
with rhythmic ribbons
while he carried
a dragon head that blew smoke
(that Ms Meg created).

Another highlight
of the piece was the
Chinese stage make-up
(that Ms Meg researched
and applied).

From 2008 - 2010,
my son was an
Animated Toy Soldier.

His performance in 2009
earned him a local
performance award.

In 2009,
my son was in
Spanish
with two girls.

This was the year
that I really started
helping with costumes,
especially the details
on the Spanish tops
for both the female
and the male costumes.

Another first in 2009,
my son was asked to perform
as a guest artist
in a town about thirty miles
from us
in the role of
Nutcracker Prince.

This added extra rehearsals,
extra driving,
and
an extended Nutcracker season
by a week.

Still, our family loved it
because
we made more ballet contacts,
got more ideas for Nutcracker
props and costumes,
and
enjoyed the family time together.

In 2010,
my son got his first role as a
Cavalier
(Orchid Cavalier).

He got to partner
and
have a small solo
within the piece
(meaning-
he did not have
the stage to himself,
but was the only one dancing
for a few minutes).

When watching him
in one of the final dress rehearsals,
I realized how far my son had come
in his dancing abilities
and
I had to cry
on Ms Meg's shoulder;
She remembered his first year
of class
and trying to refuse
to rehearse
because he
"knew the dance."

He was also nominated
for a local
performance award
in this role.

In 2011,
my son was
Sugar Plum Cavalier!

One of my favorite things
was hearing the compliments
about how far he had come
as a dancer
and
how professional he looked
in his dance;
especially since he plans
to become a professional
ballet dancer.

[There will be photos posted
as soon as snapshots are
found, scanned, uploaded, etc.
and permission is obtained
from the professional photographer.]

Nutcracker- A Family Tradition

One of the reasons for this blog is to help me preserve our family's ballet memories.

Now, the Nutcracker defines
our winter holiday season
(from Thanksgiving to New Years).

Our family often bases our travel plans
around rehearsals at Thanksgiving;
and then,
visiting plans for December
are based on which
side of the extended families
has been most neglected
due to ballet schedules
throughout the year.

We have not had a Christmas tree in our house since 1999.

Due to weather in 2000,
we managed to buy one
and immediately had to put it on the porch
because ice cycles had begun to form.
(That tree stayed green until February
and was still green when my husband
thought it was time to put it on the street
because it was Valentine's Day).

Due to my husband's overseas travel schedule in 2001,
we managed to get one
in time to put it in the back
of our new pick-up truck
(and used battery powered lights)
before having to travel out-of-town
for family visits.

From 2002 to the present,
we have not had a family Christmas tree
because of Nutcracker.

My children have their own miniature trees,
but at some point,
they decided not to put up
their trees every year.

My children have been able to help decorate
their grandparents' Christmas trees,
but in general,
they don't seem to miss that particular tradition.

To us,
Nutcracker
and
traveling to see relatives
makes for great family traditions.

Non-Ballet Dance Companies

While recognizing the fact
that ballet is not everyone's "cup of tea,"
personally it is very difficult to sit through
non-ballet dance company performances.

Most of the professional dance companies
are based on ballet principals
and show great athleticism.

They are great at showing
control of every muscle in the body,
often in some very, very slow movements.

Sometimes the music is interesting-
and "interesting"
does not necessarily mean
"good" or "bad,"
but sometimes just
"strange."

The biggest problem
is the repetition
of the first five minutes
of the dance
for twenty minutes.

This can be excruciating to the nerves.

And, it proves that sometimes
"less is more."

Ballet Summer Intensives- Changes in the Dancers

Ballet Summer Intensives
are
l-o-n-g hours of daily dance
and
body conditioning
(usually about six (6) hours per day,
six (6) days per week).

One of the first things one notices at the end of the first week are
"duck feet"
(semi-permanent turned out feet).

It is one of those things that ballerinas that go into
modeling or pageants
have to "untrain" the habit.

By about the second week,
there is no having to remind about
water bottles,
as they are almost a part of the
dancer's clothing.

Surprisingly,
food intake also seems to slow
during the day,
but is often ravenous
about eight o'clock at night.

The next thing noticed is
"cat naps"
in the middle of conversations
on the way home.

Of course, muscles become more defined.

And, by the end of summer,
there is definitely a
zombie-like appearance
to the dancers.

However,
it is all worth it when seeing the
enthusiasm
and
improved technique
when the dancers return
to their home dance studio.

Dance Festivals- Behind the Scenes

My last post was on what goes on "officially" at Dance Festivals.

This post is about what goes on behind the scenes among the participants and parents.

There is talk, talk, and more talk.

Dance Festivals are great for networking,
for making friends,
seeing friends not seen in a while,
spending time with your own studio dance friends,
and, let's face it,
gossiping.

And, as hard as I try not to gossip, it's just so tempting at Dance Festivals.

Let's just say that gossiping helps to explain and learn about people and why they do things.

Through Dance Festivals and Summer Intensives, one learns just how small a world the dance community really is.

And, because of this, dance gossipers try very hard not to be vicious and try very hard to be kind.

I just love my dance parent network!

Dance Festivals

What goes on at Dance Festivals?

First, it is NOT a Dance Competition.

Dance Festivals are put on by a group of dance studios in an area or region that come together once a year.

There are about four different events that happen at Dance Festivals:

1) Auditions for Ballet Summer Intensives
(More on this subject at a later date.)

2) During the festival, professional dance companies come as entertainment and to enlarge our horizons on the definition of "dance."
(There may be more on this subject at a later date.)

3) Professional dancers and dance teachers from around the country are invited to teach dance classes.

This year my children got to take some of their classes from Leslie Browne.

Note: The intention of this blog is not to name "names," nor is it to "name drop."

However, one of the reasons I fell in love with the art of ballet as a child was Mikhail Baryshnikov.

And, I loved the movie, Turning Point, with Baryshnikov and the young, up-and-coming ballerina, Leslie Browne.

So, back to the Dance Festival:

In order to defer my cost of attending as an observer, I volunteered to help.

My job was to take roll and make sure that the instructors had everything they needed.
(And, I got to help in Leslie Browne's class- twice.)

Volunteers were also so supposed to ask the instructors if observers were allowed to take pictures during class.
(Which Leslie Browne was so very nice about.)

Students took one and a half hour long classes in a variety of dance genres (ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, Hip Hop, etc.) -
on Saturday, they took three classes
and
on Sunday they took two classes.

4) Dance Showcase
of the participating dance studios'
Festival participants
(In other words, in order for a dance studio to have a dance number in the Showcase, the dancers in the number had to attend at least one class in the Festival.)

Oh, and least I forget, there definitely will be photos added to this post, as soon as my son helps me (which will be in the next few days!)

Nutcracker 101- Make-up

Let's start out by saying that this is not, by any means, an expertly written blog on stage make-up.

These are the things my little brain can remember after thirteen years of performances (this includes school performances and spring shows, as well as, Nutcracker).

As a quick side note:
Ballet dancers tend to wear less street make-up
(and often none)
than the rest of society.

The basics of ballet stage make-up includes:

1) Base that is one shade darker than one's skin color.

2) Eyeliner

a) Black or brown

b) Optional: White
(For between the upper and lower extended lines of the black or brown)

3) Blush
(pink or orangish)
(nothing with a blue tint*)

4) Lipstick with some shine to it.
(nothing with a blue tint*)

* Note: A blue tint makes one look blue and unnatural on stage because of the lights.

5) Eyeshadow
(usually the color of the eye color)

6) Make-up remover wipes
(Sensitive skin works best)

Some parts in Nutcracker have professional stage make-up, these include:

Drosselmeir,

Animated Toys,

Soldiers,

Gingerbread Children,

Mother Ginger,

and possibly,

Arabian,

Chinese,

or other character parts.

At some point, photographs will be added to better illustrate this post, because it is definitely difficult to describe everything in details.

Nutcracker Backstage Version

One of the fun things about Nutcracker is the camaraderie among the backstage helpers.

While sewing costumes, building props, moving into and out of the theatre, and working backstage during a performance, patterns begin to emerge in the way people act and react, often based on their part or their child's part in Nutcracker.

Over the years, a Nutcracker Backstage Version has emerged in our minds.

We have only discussed this version and never really written anything down, so here is my attempt at some of the ideas.

Act I: Scene 1

Backstage Costume Room less than five minutes before performance:

Costumes are being frantically sewn and pinned together at the last minute.

Young ladies with nervous giggles are being sewn into their tutus.

Pointe shoe ribbons and boys' shoe elastics are being sewn at the last minute and blood is being drawn with each stitch.

Party Men are nervously asking how to put the costume together.

And, Party Boys are being wrangled to make sure that their costumes are in order.

Act I: Scene 2

Backstage Wings:

Dancers are jumping up and down to keep warm and fight off nervousness.

Dancers are checking each others' costumes.

Little ones and some Nutcracker veterans are being yelled at by the backstage crew to leave the props alone.

And, there are lots of "shs" being sounded.

Act I: Scene 3

As Clara gets ready to go on stage, her mom is frantically making sure that every curl is in place with more hairspray.

Clara's hair ribbon is getting pinned to her head with cries from her mom of:

"Now don't cry!

I'm sorry!

Yes, I should have used a bobby pin, not a safety pin that was meant for your dress ribbon.

Stop yelling at me!

Smile, it's time for you to go on stage.

Remember to smile..."
(as Clara runs on stage just in time).

Act I: Scene 4

The director is frantically trying to get someone's attention on stage because they forgot to take off their backstage socks that they wear over the ballet shoes.

Note: Socks are worn over the ballet slippers backstage so that wax is not brought on stage, which could make the floor too slippery for the pointe shoe dancers.

Act I: Scene 5

The backstage crew is cursing under their breath because of all the Party props that have to be removed off stage before the Battle begins.

To top it all off, no matter which way they attempt to clear a path for themselves and the props, there are dancers and moms getting in their way at every turn.

Act I: Scene 6

The Snow Scene begins and beautiful dancers run on and off stage between their pieces.

All one can hear is "THUD, THUD, THUD"
(not to the music)
of the pointe shoes on stage

and

the PANTING of the dancers as they try to catch a quick breath before running back on stage.

Intermission:

Parents, family, and friends are flooding backstage to congratulate the dancers and take pictures among the chaos of trying to prepare for Act II.

The little ones are being wrangled to get their costumes off before they try to eat a snack.

Company Ballet Dancers are doing a last minute hair, make-up, and costume check.

Mothers are telling their daughters to go to "So-and-So" because it is easier to deal with another child that is not your own whiny one.

Act II: Scene I

Angel moms are obsessing over the costumes, trying to make sure they are "perfect" before their princesses go on stage.

As the angels go on stage, their moms are trying to take pictures with flashes on their cameras.

Note: Flashes should never be used at a dance performance because it can temporarily blind the dancers.

Note: Flashes going off backstage can often be seen by the audience- a very big "no, no."

Backstage crew is muttering under their breath about "newbies,"
as the angels and their moms take their time to leave the backstage wings and walk where they are not allowed in a possible "audience may see backstage zone."

Act II: Scene 2

Instead of dancers on stage, the moms and some dads in some very gaudy costumes have decided to imitate the dances that they have seen year after year to the same music that they hear year after year.

The dancers are looking very appalled backstage.

Act II: Scene 3

The backstage crew and props people have put police tape around the props as a reminder to not touch.

The Nutcracker has been wrapped in bubble wrap before being returned to Clara on stage because the backstage props crew is tired of repairing it year after year.

A few Party Girls are in tears because the Fritz took their chocolate and other candies and tried to rub it on them.

And, Fritz, well, let's just say he really is in
"Time Out"
(since spankings are no longer allowed in this day and age).

The End!

Nutcracker- My Daughter's Roles

My daughter could not wait
until she was old enough
to be in Nutcracker.

It was three years
after her brother,
(even though she is
two years younger),
that she was able to start
her Nutcracker career
at the age of eight (almost nine).

In 2005,
she was a
Small Mouse,
like her brother
had been.

Due to new choreography,
my daughter had to be told
that she could not teach
the other mice the part;
she was a little disappointed,
but she loved
that she got to steal a prop-
Clara's doll house.

In 2006,
she was a
Small Animated Doll.

She was great
at being motionless
at times
and
was very precise
and mechanical-like
in her movements.

And, she had her
adorable dimples
frozen in her smile.

In 2007,
she finally got to try-out
for Clara.

In the years leading up
to her first Nutcracker,
she would often tell
her ballet teachers
that she wanted to be Clara.

They would remind her
that she had to start
with other roles
and try-out for Clara
when she was old enough
and at the appropriate
ballet level.

However, 2007 was not
her year as Clara,
but she got to be a
Party Girl.

In 2008,
she knew that if she
did not get to be Clara,
she would soon be
too old for the part;
we were elated
when she got the role of
Clara.

Also in 2008,
my husband was finally convinced
to help build some props
(he led the family
in making the doll bed
for the Nutcracker prop,
as well as,
the life-size rolling bed
for the "living" Nutcracker)
and
he began working backstage
during performances.

In 2009,
my daughter got to play
a very mischievous
Mouse.

This time,
all the girls were older
so that they would
look bigger and human size.

Also, in 2009,
my daughter finally got
into the Second Act in the
Arabian Corp.

Most of the girls
had been looking forward
to the choreography
of the Arabian piece,
but it was changed.

My daughter did a great job
of learning and performing
the new piece.

After reviewing
my son's roles,
my daughter's roles,
and the family participation
(props, costumes, backstage)
of all that we did
for Nutcrackers in 2009,
it seems almost a blur
of activity-
but we really enjoyed that year!

In 2010,
my daughter joined Junior Company
and got the role of a
(French) Shepherdess
and danced "en pointe."

Shepherdesses costumes
were reconfigured from the previous
Mirliton costumes
by several volunteers-
It seemed we were always working,
reworking, and reworking some more
on the new Shepherdesses costumes.

During Thanksgiving holidays,
which was the week before
Tech/Dress Rehearsal Week,
I was handed a couple
of costume pictures
and a cardboard mock-up
of a Shepherdess hat.

After many hours spent
reworking the mock-up
and creating and sewing
a sample hat
out of rigid felt
during the Thanksgiving holidays,
I began Tech/Dress Rehearsal
with the goal of nine hats
to be made in a week.

The last couple of days
of Tech/Dress Rehearsal,
several volunteer moms
and dancers,
including some
of the Shepherdesses,
were sewing on the trim
and loops for bobby pins.

There were several
bleeding fingers
in this labor of love
to top off a great costume.

In fact, I was sewing
on the trim for the last hat
during the First Act
of the first performance.

Although a couple
of the girls
put on their hats
at the last minute
and they had to be readjusted
before they went back on stage,
none of them ever fell off.

In 2011,
my daughter was an
Arabian Demi-Soloist
and was in the
Rose Flower Corp.

After several years
of attempted bribes
to get my daughter
into full splits
before the next Nutcracker,
getting a role that required splits
finally encouraged her to finish
getting her splits.

And, this year it was even more fun
to watch the Waltz of the Flowers
with my daughter "en pointe"
and spinning in her skirt
with her beautiful smile.

Nutcracker- Clara Mom

While I try very hard not to be a "backstage" mom, when your children get "lead" parts, sometimes it just comes with the territory.

When my son was Fritz, he was ready to be out of the Party Scene after four years of being a Party Boy.

In other words, he was starting to need less time with me as a backstage "boy wrangler" and almost resented me making a big deal out of him being Fritz.

My daughter became Clara the next year.

Now, my daughter wanted to be Clara from the first Nutcracker performance she watched around age two.

She repeatedly told her ballet instructors this fact.

She could not wait until she was:
first, old enough to be in Nutcracker;
and then, far enough along in ballet to audition for Clara.

She enjoyed her first year in Nutcracker as a Small Mouse, just like her older brother had begun his Nutcracker career.

At the first rehearsal for Small Mice, my daughter had to be told that there was new choreography, so she had to stop trying to teach everyone the old choreography that her brother had used.

The next year she was excited to be in the Party Scene as an Animated Small Doll.

Her third year of Nutcracker, she was finally able to audition for the part of Clara.

She got the part of a Party Girl and she was happy.

The next year, she had it in her head that she would be Clara.

There was no talking her out of it.

It was difficult to prepare her for not getting the part because of her positive enthusiasm.

As a mom, I was extremely worried.

I prepared myself for a cry no matter what the outcome.

When we arrived at the ballet studio and saw the cast list, we were elated- she had the part of Clara!

I left the ballet studio as soon as possible, both to keep myself calm and to do some errands.

I called one of my best childhood friends in California.

The phone kept cutting out for almost ten minutes.

Finally, we got a good connection and I managed to tell her the good news through my tears.

The relief to finally cry was cathartic.

And then, Clara Mom was set in motion.

The reason Clara Moms act the way they do is mostly due to pressures.

The pressures include:

1) Three to four practices per week for Clara.

2) Learning and practicing the hair and make-up, which includes:

a) Putting lots of curlers in my daughter's long, thick hair; a task that takes at least an hour after a long day
.
b) Wearing curlers overnight and having a daughter who claims not enough sleep the next day because of it.

c) How much hairspray and what kind is needed before, during, and after curling in order to make the coiffure last.

3) Learning to help with the Clara quick change from party dress to nightgown in the dark.

4) Keeping Clara calm as the stress mounts the closer one gets to the performances due to:

a) Even more rehearsals

b) Special mini performances at schools, homes for the elderly, libraries, etc

c) Late night Tech Week

5) Nutcracker gifts for the cast
(While both my daughter and I love to craft our Nutcracker gifts, we chose to go a slightly easier route and bought mini Nutcrackers and my daughter hand-stamped cards and signed her name and I filled in the cast names.)

Of course, the hardest part is remembering to smile at people when your exhausted;
especially for me because am naturally a shy person and have to think about smiling anyway.

And, the best part of being a Clara Mom is helping other Clara Moms through the ordeal.

My daughter and I like to host an annual Clara and Mom Gathering where past Claras and past Clara Moms pass on their words of wisdom and memories to the current Claras and their moms.

As one of my friends reminded me when I started to get upset because I thought my daughter was being overlooked for a part, "Remember that she had the honor of being Clara."

I had the honor of being a Clara Mom.

Once a Clara Mom, always a Clara Mom.