Showing posts with label Spring Performance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spring Performance. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

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).

Saturday, March 31, 2012

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.





Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Seasons of Ballet Details- Spring

"Spring
Spring Performance"

Spring is my favorite season.

Warm weather- not freezing
nor high humidity hot.

As mentioned at the end of the last post, dressing like a princess in a tiara at the Spring Fairy Tale Ballet Performance is a highlight of my year.

Unfortunately, as soon as the Spring Performance is over, there is less than two months until
"Spring
School Performances"

When one has two teenagers that take about six classes a week, then that equals about six to eight costumes.

Our ballet school tries to keep costume cost down by borrowing from the ballet company (for a small fee), finding basic costumes that can be worn to classes, or even having the students use their own wardrobe.

However, coordinating and making sure that the teacher has picked out a costume, especially if it needs to be ordered, purchasing the costume and costume pieces, and making any necessary alterations is often stressful.

Our local ballet and dance clothing stores help make the experience as positive as possible within their power.

Of course, no matter how many lists one makes and questions one asks of the students, a visit to the ballet store will occur a minimum of once a week and daily for the week and a half before performances.

And the number one thing that is purchased at the last minute-
Dance Shoes-
usually due to at least one of the three M's:
Magical foot growth within two months time
Mysterious holes or wear in the shoes
Misplaced footwear (usually on the day before or the day of performance).

Despite all of the stress of multiple costume changes and coordinating portrait times with rehearsal schedules, the best part of School Performances is watching the improvement of the dancers from year to year.


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Seasons of Ballet Details- Winter

"Winter
Summer Intensive Auditions"

Winter should be for hibernation.

For every hour spent on Nutcracker, one should have one hour of sleep in hibernation mode.

However, now that there is one teenager on the career track for ballet, Summer Intensives have become very important.

This past winter break was spent driving back and forth to another city to take daily ballet classes in order to perfect techniques for try-outs for Summer Intensives.

January is spent making sure that ballet pose pictures and head shots are done, forms filled out, choosing a location and time frame, and then auditioning.

And, all of this on top of
"Winter
Spring Performance Season"

It's my understanding that ballet companies must have at least two paid performances per year in order to keep their tax exempt status.

So, every January begins the preparations for a Spring Performance at the beginning of April.

Auditions and new dances to learn.

Costumes and props to make.

However, unlike Nutcracker where there are over a hundred participants on stage from age seven to seasoned adults, there are just company members from age eleven to adults.

My favorite part about Spring Performance is that our company has Fairy Tale based ballets.

It's so much fun to sit in the audience dressed like a princess, including a tiara, with all of the little princesses and princes in awe of the ballet dancers.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Seasons of Ballet

Fall
New Classes
Nutcracker Season

Winter
Summer Intensive Auditions
Spring Performance Season

Spring
Spring Performances
School Performances

Summer
Summer Intensives


Where did my vacation time go?