Yesterday was our first recital rehearsal.
Well, you only have two if you dance on both nights.
They split the dances between Friday and Saturday night and try their best to keep you on the same day if you’re in multiple. The only pieces that dance both nights are the advanced classes.
I was grateful to practice, but was a little bummed knowing I won’t get to truly know how fast these quick changes are until I’m doing them. And they’re immensely detailed.
I’m really hoping it doesn’t throw me off mentally and make me forget anything. Especially being surrounded by so many people I know. Gotta keep myself centered.
I got there around 5:30. My babies didn’t rehearse until 6:00, so I had some time. The other teacher I assist had a class before ours that had 17 dancers (all 3&4 year olds) so I followed her with them and helped her out. Ours was right after, but we have another teacher and assistant with the class as well so that helped out.
They are so freakin’ cute, I can’t stand it.
It’s so fun to watch their faces light up on stage. You can see how proud they are of themselves and how good it makes them feel. I hope everyone can feel that way in life.
We walk them out to their parents afterwards, and two of my littles had my hand the whole time. One of them let go, but only to hug onto my leg. Cue melted heart. I love them so much, and there really is loads of potential in their class, as M. E. pointed out, which is really excited to get to watch.
We got to see a few of the younger level’s ballet pieces, which are always really fun. Some of them get so into it and you can see it all over them that they are so proud of what they’re doing. I hope they never lose that. I hope they never stop working hard on something they’re proud of. It really makes a difference in how it comes across to the audience, in the best way. And honestly, it inspires me to let go of the fears of opinions and just dance the best I am able and be proud of myself for what I’ve accomplished, not what I lack in comparison to anyone else.
We had our Ballet V’s first. We walked through and marked it really quickly first, then ran it through twice. I had jet glued my shoes that died during Swan Lake rehearsal in hopes it would help them be usable during recital, but I was mistaken. Maybe I didn’t glue them correctly or something, but it was a rough run through. It’s frustrating because I know I can do the steps, and I know I can do them better than I am, but my shoes are so dead it’s a struggle. Thankfully the dance is short and I can suck it up enough to get it done. I just hope I don’t hear comments about it.
My boss had gotten back to the office later than expected. First thing she did was grab my costume and take it to her house to alter. Twenty minutes later, she returned with a perfectly altered costume. To say I was impressed would be a vast understatement. You couldn’t even tell a seam was there unless you knew before hand. It made all the difference in the world, I was so beyond grateful.
We quick changed into our Jazz V’s, with more time than we’ll have. By far the hardest part was trying to get different tights on while being so immensely sweaty. It was stressful. Mixed with so many people in the dressing room and so many voices, I had to hold my breathe a few times to keep steady. But it was fine. I knew we’d get done in plenty of time, but I wanted to see how long it would take me to do to help prepare for Friday. We waited until the ballet was done preparing, then went on stage when she called for Jazz. We went through and blocked the entire thing once, then waited offstage for the cue. That’s when she realized her other Jazz class was supposed to be on, not us, and we got chewed for not knowing the order. But really, how were we supposed to know? Each dance had a certain amount of time to work, and with the time we took to get changed, when we came down we thought for sure they had already ran the other one, since we were able to see both runthroughs and some of the blocking for the ballet. Plus, she called for the Jazz, and no one else was backstage. How were we to know?
Whatever. We moved forward and waited on the wings, using the time to go over stuff we needed to work on. We ran it twice, and got corrections. I was a little frustrated when we were corrected verbally for the entire auditorium to hear when she was shouting as she was walking from the light booth to us. I was called out by name for being off on timing, which literally never happens, and so I asked in what part. when she told me I was late at the end and she was freaking out when I wasn’t where I needed to be for my cue, I asked her how she wanted us to count it because it was never fully clear and I don’t think we had ever done it correctly. We went over it, and she gave more corrections, but none were direct, they were general. I tried to figure out if she was talking to me or not in one specific one, and laughed when my friend sent me a snapchat from the audience of the exact moment referenced and realized it was me. But it didn’t look bad, just not what she wanted I guess? So now I’m trying to figure out how to fix it because it’s really indirect.
I asked if I looked down too much because I realized my eyes were down a lot. She said that it wasn’t too much, as long as it made sense for the movement. Since I was following my hand, it worked. We tried to figure out how to fix the ending to make it on the correct timing, when I vaguely remembered her telling me the first time we ran it to only do the move once the second time (I know that means absolutely nothing to you, but whatever) to get the correct timing. There was confusion of doing it once on both sides, and now I’m confused on what fits the music, though yesterday I heard the music change on the second run through where I thought I was supposed to be farther. If I only did it once on both sides, I’m afraid I’d end up early. But what if I’m still late?
The good thing was that everyone followed, and we all stayed in timing, and we have plenty of extra music to where it didn’t really matter when push came to shove. If you didn’t know, you didn’t know. It was frustrating feeling frustrated (hah) over a dance that makes me feel good. Almost like the fun of it was taken out due to conflicting technicalities. Whatever. I just really want to have one recital dance I’m proud of, and this was the most promising.
I stayed to watch the Advanced Tap, even though we were running way late and I needed to get home. I have a lot of friends in that dance and knew I wouldn’t get to see it this weekend. While they were waiting to go on, I was talking to my friend Annika who was telling me what she thought of our Jazz piece. It really meant a lot to me to hear, especially after such a rough run. I know she doesn’t tell me things just to make me feel better, which is the best kind of friend to be honestly. I was grateful.
Their Tap piece was so cute I wouldn’t stand it. I literally had my hands on my face and was giggling. It’s so great, the type of tapping that is what makes the style of dance so great. And they looked like they were having so much fun, which made it even better. I was really proud of the younger girls as they killed it just as much as the older girls. Made me really wish I could have kept up with tap.
We have rehearsal again tonight, where I only have my advanced ballet. So that’s nice. We’ll see how I do en pointe, and hopefully I don’t screw up royally at the difference. Or just screw up at all. We have to do it the two different ways since one night we have all the guys and the other we only have one. I’m most nervous for the super fast pique turn circle (fast to me) and the soutenue develope’s that are sprinkled in there for me. Hopefully I don’t freak out and just nail it.
My neck hurts from painting the shoes, and today it’s spread to a different part of the neck, though the part that hurt yesterday is better. I’m a hot mess, man.
Here are a few pictures from yesterday. I didn’t get any in Jazz, which is really unfortunate since I won’t have time to get any tomorrow. Oh well, I guess.
The first is the little class I’m now helping with. The pink tutus are my babies. Obviously us older ones are my friends and I. Group picture compliments of Andie 😊
I did get a Polaroid of Annika and I in our Ballet costume
Please excuse my pathetic fifth and look at our pretty costumes 😂
Also, I’m giant 😂 I forget I’m so tall since I’m the short one at work, until I see a picture with my friends. Haha! Oh well. I can reach cabinets they can’t. Hehehe
Another Night at the Barre 