Out of the mouth of babes

It’s been a long week of regular classes and Coppelia rehearsals so that by the time Saturday rehearsals came around a lot of the dancers were more than a little tired and getting careless, me included.

The start of the third act is when the Duke appears and walks across the stage acknowledging the bows from the towns people. Music starts and no Duke, little hand tugs on my sleeve “Aren’t you the Duke” she asks “I am” I reply then turn back to watch the activity on the stage. Moment later another tug on my sleeve from the same little hand “Aren’t you supposed to be on stage?” It then hits me I am not paying any attention and am late which forces a restart of ACT III.

After the act finished a very embarrassed me walked over the owner of that little hand and thanked her for reminding me of my cue and apologized for ignoring her prompt.

Analogies

We all use analogies to describe something to someone especially when it’s a little abstract and it’s no difference in a dance class and can be “little” female centric and times.

In the past I’ve been told to use my bun to help me find my center, or imagine that I want to keep my long earrings from touching my shoulders as a means of keeping my head erect. My all time favorite came the other night in a modern class when the instructor was trying to help a bunch of beginning students get the proper feel for collapsing from the upper shoulders during a movement across the floor, she said to imagine our boobs getting heavy and pulling us downward. Really didn’t have anything relate to that but I pretended as best I could.

Fun and Games

Costumes for Coppelia are starting to arrive so I got fitted for both the Duke as well Mazurka and Czardas last weekend. There is something about putting me in green costumes. Last Nutcracker had me in a light green coat and pants and I got a little kidding about looking like a leprechaun, welp the Duke’s costume is green, deep emerald green jacket, knickers and a top hat and to my disappointment no cape. Sigh.

The Mazurka and Czardas costuming is nothing more than a vest and tights. The costume mistress had a gleam in her eye when she told me that the part of the costume included tights that matched the color of the vest thinking it might embarrass me a little. With a straight face I replied back that I guess I will need to buy a dance belt suitable for stage. Don’t think she realized that I have been on stage before in tights in the past. Now the other guy in the Mazurka might have a problem with wearing tights, would like to see his face when he gets fitted and informed.

Classes and rehearsals

Last few months have been crazy busy. Copelia rehersals started up early January and while I didn’t get Dr Copelius as I had hoped for I was given the opportunity to learn the part for acts I and II until the pro starts in April. Which means basically I get to learn the character and be there for the rest of the cast to react to during rehearsals without the pressure of performing the part, that actually worked out well for me. I do have some small parts in the show doing the Mazurka & Czardas in the first act and the Nobel man in the third act for the wedding scene. The ladies in my class are having a ball with this giving me curtsies in the hallways whenever we go past each other or if they get into class before I do.

Besides rehearsals the studio as added another adult ballet class and one for beginning modern, so those combined my previous classes and the Pas De Deux have given me a full week which I hope will help me prepare for the summer workshop in Richmond this August. Already chatting with some of the others attending the workshop through a Facebook group and they seems as friendly and silly as my regular classmates.

Long past due update

It’s been over a year since I’ve update this blog, pretty much as there hasn’t been a lot worth writing about. Did another local SI at Denver Ballet Theater which was fun as I got a learn some character work as Sancho Panza from Don Quixote the only other event to come out of the SI was a broken right toe doing échappé with the ladies in pointe class.

And then another Nutcracker, I tried for Mouse King but it didn’t happen and the part went to a local pro, so I ended up doing the parent dance again and ended up with the same partner as the previous year which made it a snap to remember and Melissa and I ended up helping a lot of the other parent dancers learn the choreography.

Shortly after Nutcracker I decided to leave one of the two studios I had been taking classes from as they started treating the adult students as just adults taking a ballet class rather than serious students that want to actually learn and receive corrections to help us continue to improve, which turned out to be a good move as DBT added a third evening ballet class for adults as well as a modern class which to my utter surprise I am enjoying this time around and believe it is improving my body awareness and may actually improve my ballet technique.

Sadly, I didn’t get a part in Copellia for the spring production for DBT. But recently was asked to fill in for Dr Copellius until the pro doing the part can start in April. I’m not an understudy which is what my classmates keep saying because I am only learning the choreography that involves interacting with the other dancers but I’m learning something new which is great.

So it’s on with classes and look forward to the Sun King Dance camp in Richmond this coming August.