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!

Seasons of Ballet Details- Fall

As the last post was done in about five minutes before a Nutcracker Evaluation Meeting, and my children think that more details about my feelings are needed for the last blog, here goes...

"Fall
New Classes"

While fall is great when the temperatures finally start dropping, calling August part of the fall season is not fun in my book.

August should remain as part of the summer!

Unfortunately, in my state, the schools have decided that the school year starts at the beginning of August.

This means that activities start in August, though most will start at least a week or so after the schools reopen.

What this means to me:

1) No recovery time from summer activities.

2) It is way too hot (100 degree weather)
to be thinking- Fall.

3) Trying to adjust to a new schedule.

4) Updating the calendar of activities
(which never really gets completely done).

"Fall
Nutcracker Season"

While this is one of my favorite times of the year, thinking about Nutcracker and the list of things associated with it is not always fun.

The list includes:

a) The contemplation of what parts my children would like this year verses what parts they will actually get.

b) Thinking of crafty gifts to make based on the parts of my children.

Don't get me wrong, crafts are one of my favorite things to do.

It's the planning and getting the supplies early, knowing that, in the end, one will be staying up for several late nights during the last few weeks of rehearsal making gifts.

c) Costumes-

Alterations and more alterations

Helping to make new ones

Revamping old ones

Trying to teach someone to take over a group of costumes that one is tired of seeing and dealing with year after year-
"MICE"

My favorite part doesn't come until almost the end- details on the costumes.

[Pictures will be posted at a later date of some of my Nutcracker costume details.]

d) Props-

Repairing

Building new ones

[Pictures to be posted at a later date of some of the props our family has made]

Discussions with my husband on improvements and the cheapest way to make something that will last for years and need little repair.
(FUN!)

A list of ways to keep hands and other body parts off of props when not in use on stage.

Hm, I wonder if mouse traps would work...

Buzzers are too loud.

A small jolt of electricity?

Seriously, props are made for a specific purpose.

Please don't handle props unless it's during the rehearsal for the prop or one is on stage performing with the prop.

By the way, exceptions will be made for handling props for pictures, if prior permission has been obtained from one of the following "proper authorities"-

Artistic Director
School Director
Props Coordinator
Backstage Manager

d) Are we actually ready for another Nutcracker Season of weekly weekend rehearsals for four (4) months, last minute performing opportunities, and all of the backstage projects?

After saying all this, it may be difficult to believe that Nutcracker Season is one of my favorite times of the year!