By Lily Rogers member of the corps de ballet October 2, 2008
Day 4- Sept. 17- 9:25pm
We premiered Program B tonight and I am happy to report another packed house. The program was comprised of three ballets: Helgi Tomasson’s On a Theme of Paganini, Mark Morris’ Joyride, and Yuri Possokhov’s Fusion. All three are less than a year old: Helgi’s ballet premiered during our regular season and the others were unveiled at the end of the season during the New Works Festival. They were such a success in San Francisco that we are taking them on tour not only to Chicago but to New York, Costa Mesa, and Washington, DC.
I danced in On a Theme of Paganini tonight. It’s not particularly physically demanding or stressful, but it’s a challenge to make sure my partner and I are together with the two other couples. There are six short couples, three tall couples, and five principals. The ballet is done in four movements: an opening section, a pas de trois, a transcendent duet, and a finale. The lights are bright and the movement is supposed to be executed sharply and clearly. It really has the feeling of a Balanchine ballet. If one dancer is late or out of line, the entire effect of the ballet can be lost. I think we were together tonight but sometimes it’s hard to tell because there are so many things to think about. Imperfection is bound to happen but the dancers just hope you don’t notice!
After the show I was a little hungry and set out to find a quick bite. I was only able to find a small grocery store with an even smaller deli, selling not-so-appetizing salads and sandwiches. I was a little disappointed. Actually, I’m sitting in my hotel room looking at my little salad and am realizing I’m really disappointed. When on tour, I often run into this food-finding dilemma.
Common misconception: Tour is not vacation. Tour is hard work with long hours, lots of rehearsals and shows, sometimes hectic schedules, and towards the end…cranky dancers. So, the last thing I want to do after a show is search for a cafe that’s open late.
Of course, tour isn’t all bad. Performing on a new stage is an experience unlike any other. We are well taken care of, and the Company does its best to organize everyone and maintain balance. There is an extremely comprehensive staff that makes sure we get on the right plane, go to the right hotel, have everything we need at the theater, and all the while trying to make everyone happy. They do their best to respond to our complaints and requests but for obvious reasons this can be difficult.
Tonight went off without a hitch and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s Gala.
Day 5- Sept 18th- 11:45pm
I woke up early today. Not sure why. I was wide awake a good hour before my wake-up call was due to arrive so I took the opportunity to work out before class. I headed up to the 42nd floor to the fitness center to swim some laps. The view from the pool is stunning but the pool itself is disappointingly small. That allowed me to swim at least eighty laps, which misleadingly made me feel like a total pro. I usually swim half that at my gym’s pool.
Happy to have woken up early, I headed to class, which was taught by Principal Dancer Katita Waldo, who has been teaching the Company more and more over the past two seasons. She gives a really back-to-basics class, with simple combinations focusing on turn out (external hip rotation). Her mantra, “Release your hips, release your hips, release you hips. Then… the rotation will follow.”
I had a light rehearsal day so I decided to grab Brett Bauer, my partner for Within the Golden Hour, and rehearse on our own. We were both dancing in Helgi Tomasson’s Prism— the last piece of Gala— so we worked right after class. There is a small studio behind the stage so we borrowed a CD and went through the ballet. He performed the role last season and is a little more familiar with it than I am so I feel pretty secure dancing with him. He is also over six feet tall (the tallest guy in the company) and super strong. We worked for about 30 minutes because we both had to rush upstairs to prepare for the dress rehearsal.
The Gala tonight went extremely well; everybody was amazing. It was a relatively short program performed for an intimate crowd. There were only six ballets on the bill: four pas de deux works, a short piece for five men, and the finale from Prism. Though I didn’t have a huge role tonight, I was happy to be a part of the show. I finished earlier than usual which meant I had time to meet up with a friend for a bite of dinner and a drink. We headed to Hubbard Street, to the Rocket Grill. It’s a trendy restaurant and bar, with a creative menu and sometimes celeb clientele. In fact, we were seated next to the comedian Ryan Styles from Whose Line is it Anyway? It really benefits to know a local here!
I’m super tired and have a long day of rehearsals tomorrow so I’m going to bed. Goodnight!
Day 6: Sept 19th 5:30pm
We had class back at the Joffrey studios today, and then had to rush over to the theater for rehearsals. Today was really the only day of rehearsals for the second cast of dancers that perform new roles in the next three shows. It was crunch time, and this morning I felt the pressure.
My first rehearsal was On a Theme of Paganini and at the last minute they decided to put my cover (understudy) in. This was good news for both of us. I had a chance to request my costume for my next rehearsal, and she got a stage run and ended up getting a show later in the week. After Paganini we went straight into a thirty minute rehearsal of Double Evil, which meant we would only have time to run the ballet once with less than five minutes for notes at the end. All I could do was cross my fingers, hope for the best and try to remember every note, correction, step etc…….ahhhh!
The run through went well. There were a couple hiccups that Ruben and I sorted out afterwards.
After a short break we ran Within the Golden Hour, and I had what seemed like my first rehearsal in a very long time for my other part. It’s a challenge keeping the roles separate because I am doing completely different choreography to the exact same music. The counts are different, the entrances are different, and the worst part is sometimes the steps are similar but have different spacing or I have to face the opposite direction. The rehearsal was a little bit rocky, but the pas de deux that Brett and I do together went very well, and I’m happy that my stamina for the part is improving. I have to dance my original part tonight, so I need to make sure that I go over it before the show. I have to switch gears, again.
I have an appointment with our chiropractor Lenny Stein in a few minutes, so I have to run. Whenever the company travels we take one of our practitioners with us which is the best thing ever. Lenny is amazing, he has been seeing the dancers forever, and everyone will tell you he has the magic touch. We are very lucky to have him in the theater with us.
Day 7: Sept. 20th: 8:30am
Okay, Saturday has finally arrived. There are two shows today, and I am performing my two featured roles of the tour in the matinee, and I perform in another show tonight. I am really hoping they go well and that I have the stamina to get through all three ballets today.
I am dancing Double Evil, a role reprisal for me, and will also be making my debut in Within the Golden Hour. Both roles require a lot of dancing and have difficult partnering. At this point there is no more time for rehearsal, it’s now or never. Ricardo Bustamante is teaching class today, and I couldn’t be happier about it–he gives a great warm-up class and most of the time I find he really gets me on my leg and opens my hips (which means I feel more confident in my balances, pirouettes, and flexibility). If you’re not familiar with what a ballet class is like, think of how you feel after taking an awesome yoga class.
Wish me luck–ironically dancers say merde, to wish others luck before performances. We will pass each other in the hallways or backstage and exchange this vulgarity, “I know you’ll have a great show. Merde!”, followed by a polite smile and a nod. I found a little information on when and where the word was first used by dancers. Some say that audience members used to yell “Merde!” during a show that had live animals onstage, to warn the dancers that there was a slippery spot. I am sure how much truth there is to this. Though I can say with confidence, it is very similar to and has the same converse meaning as, “Break a leg!”.
10:45pm
The shows went well, I am pretty happy. It wasn’t perfect; there were a few moments that were less than stellar. I can’t help but play them over and over in my mind, and think about how to make them better. We are taking both ballets on tour to New York, and hopefully I will have an opportunity to perform them there and redeem myself.
As far as my stamina goes, I got through the matinee running pretty much on adrenaline, but could feel a headache coming on later this evening. I realized I was dehydrated, and really needed water and electrolytes if I was going to dance well in the evening show. I tried to re-hydrate as best I could, but still ended the evening with a pretty bad headache. What makes it worse is the fact that I have the day off tomorrow and was planning on enjoying some of the nightlife the city has to offer. Instead I will have to enjoy the view from my hotel room.
Day 8: Sept. 21: 9:25
Our tour to Chicago came to a close today. I’m now on the plane heading back to San Francisco. One city down, three more cities (and six more plane flights) to go. A few dancers took an earlier flight today, but the majority of the Company is on this flight. Minus the six dancers who went to New York for the Fall for Dance Festival, at City Center. They will come back to the city next weekend after two shows of Jerome Robbins’ In the Night.
On our way back to San Francisco!
I had a great time in Chicago, and though I really only had about a day and a half to explore the city, I was still able to see a good friend, enjoy some of the sights, and perform in a new place for a fresh audience. I had the show off today, and was able to walk down The Magnificent Mile. It runs near the theater on Michigan Avenue. There are tons of shops, and even more tourists. It’s almost too crowded for me, but it was a nice day and I was happy to see a little more of the city.
I’m glad to be heading home. It’s going to be great to get back to the city and sleep in my own bed tonight. Ahhh……
Chicago Tour Diary, Part II
member of the corps de ballet
October 2, 2008
Day 4- Sept. 17- 9:25pm
We premiered Program B tonight and I am happy to report another packed house. The program was comprised of three ballets: Helgi Tomasson’s On a Theme of Paganini, Mark Morris’ Joyride, and Yuri Possokhov’s Fusion. All three are less than a year old: Helgi’s ballet premiered during our regular season and the others were unveiled at the end of the season during the New Works Festival. They were such a success in San Francisco that we are taking them on tour not only to Chicago but to New York, Costa Mesa, and Washington, DC.
I danced in On a Theme of Paganini tonight. It’s not particularly physically demanding or stressful, but it’s a challenge to make sure my partner and I are together with the two other couples. There are six short couples, three tall couples, and five principals. The ballet is done in four movements: an opening section, a pas de trois, a transcendent duet, and a finale. The lights are bright and the movement is supposed to be executed sharply and clearly. It really has the feeling of a Balanchine ballet. If one dancer is late or out of line, the entire effect of the ballet can be lost. I think we were together tonight but sometimes it’s hard to tell because there are so many things to think about. Imperfection is bound to happen but the dancers just hope you don’t notice!
After the show I was a little hungry and set out to find a quick bite. I was only able to find a small grocery store with an even smaller deli, selling not-so-appetizing salads and sandwiches. I was a little disappointed. Actually, I’m sitting in my hotel room looking at my little salad and am realizing I’m really disappointed. When on tour, I often run into this food-finding dilemma.
Common misconception: Tour is not vacation. Tour is hard work with long hours, lots of rehearsals and shows, sometimes hectic schedules, and towards the end…cranky dancers. So, the last thing I want to do after a show is search for a cafe that’s open late.
Of course, tour isn’t all bad. Performing on a new stage is an experience unlike any other. We are well taken care of, and the Company does its best to organize everyone and maintain balance. There is an extremely comprehensive staff that makes sure we get on the right plane, go to the right hotel, have everything we need at the theater, and all the while trying to make everyone happy. They do their best to respond to our complaints and requests but for obvious reasons this can be difficult.
Tonight went off without a hitch and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s Gala.
Day 5- Sept 18th- 11:45pm
I woke up early today. Not sure why. I was wide awake a good hour before my wake-up call was due to arrive so I took the opportunity to work out before class. I headed up to the 42nd floor to the fitness center to swim some laps. The view from the pool is stunning but the pool itself is disappointingly small. That allowed me to swim at least eighty laps, which misleadingly made me feel like a total pro. I usually swim half that at my gym’s pool.
Happy to have woken up early, I headed to class, which was taught by Principal Dancer Katita Waldo, who has been teaching the Company more and more over the past two seasons. She gives a really back-to-basics class, with simple combinations focusing on turn out (external hip rotation). Her mantra, “Release your hips, release your hips, release you hips. Then… the rotation will follow.”
I had a light rehearsal day so I decided to grab Brett Bauer, my partner for Within the Golden Hour, and rehearse on our own. We were both dancing in Helgi Tomasson’s Prism— the last piece of Gala— so we worked right after class. There is a small studio behind the stage so we borrowed a CD and went through the ballet. He performed the role last season and is a little more familiar with it than I am so I feel pretty secure dancing with him. He is also over six feet tall (the tallest guy in the company) and super strong. We worked for about 30 minutes because we both had to rush upstairs to prepare for the dress rehearsal.
The Gala tonight went extremely well; everybody was amazing. It was a relatively short program performed for an intimate crowd. There were only six ballets on the bill: four pas de deux works, a short piece for five men, and the finale from Prism. Though I didn’t have a huge role tonight, I was happy to be a part of the show. I finished earlier than usual which meant I had time to meet up with a friend for a bite of dinner and a drink. We headed to Hubbard Street, to the Rocket Grill. It’s a trendy restaurant and bar, with a creative menu and sometimes celeb clientele. In fact, we were seated next to the comedian Ryan Styles from Whose Line is it Anyway? It really benefits to know a local here!
I’m super tired and have a long day of rehearsals tomorrow so I’m going to bed. Goodnight!
Day 6: Sept 19th 5:30pm
We had class back at the Joffrey studios today, and then had to rush over to the theater for rehearsals. Today was really the only day of rehearsals for the second cast of dancers that perform new roles in the next three shows. It was crunch time, and this morning I felt the pressure.
My first rehearsal was On a Theme of Paganini and at the last minute they decided to put my cover (understudy) in. This was good news for both of us. I had a chance to request my costume for my next rehearsal, and she got a stage run and ended up getting a show later in the week. After Paganini we went straight into a thirty minute rehearsal of Double Evil, which meant we would only have time to run the ballet once with less than five minutes for notes at the end. All I could do was cross my fingers, hope for the best and try to remember every note, correction, step etc…….ahhhh!
The run through went well. There were a couple hiccups that Ruben and I sorted out afterwards.
After a short break we ran Within the Golden Hour, and I had what seemed like my first rehearsal in a very long time for my other part. It’s a challenge keeping the roles separate because I am doing completely different choreography to the exact same music. The counts are different, the entrances are different, and the worst part is sometimes the steps are similar but have different spacing or I have to face the opposite direction. The rehearsal was a little bit rocky, but the pas de deux that Brett and I do together went very well, and I’m happy that my stamina for the part is improving. I have to dance my original part tonight, so I need to make sure that I go over it before the show. I have to switch gears, again.
I have an appointment with our chiropractor Lenny Stein in a few minutes, so I have to run. Whenever the company travels we take one of our practitioners with us which is the best thing ever. Lenny is amazing, he has been seeing the dancers forever, and everyone will tell you he has the magic touch. We are very lucky to have him in the theater with us.
Day 7: Sept. 20th: 8:30am
Okay, Saturday has finally arrived. There are two shows today, and I am performing my two featured roles of the tour in the matinee, and I perform in another show tonight. I am really hoping they go well and that I have the stamina to get through all three ballets today.
I am dancing Double Evil, a role reprisal for me, and will also be making my debut in Within the Golden Hour. Both roles require a lot of dancing and have difficult partnering. At this point there is no more time for rehearsal, it’s now or never. Ricardo Bustamante is teaching class today, and I couldn’t be happier about it–he gives a great warm-up class and most of the time I find he really gets me on my leg and opens my hips (which means I feel more confident in my balances, pirouettes, and flexibility). If you’re not familiar with what a ballet class is like, think of how you feel after taking an awesome yoga class.
Wish me luck–ironically dancers say merde, to wish others luck before performances. We will pass each other in the hallways or backstage and exchange this vulgarity, “I know you’ll have a great show. Merde!”, followed by a polite smile and a nod. I found a little information on when and where the word was first used by dancers. Some say that audience members used to yell “Merde!” during a show that had live animals onstage, to warn the dancers that there was a slippery spot. I am sure how much truth there is to this. Though I can say with confidence, it is very similar to and has the same converse meaning as, “Break a leg!”.
10:45pm
The shows went well, I am pretty happy. It wasn’t perfect; there were a few moments that were less than stellar. I can’t help but play them over and over in my mind, and think about how to make them better. We are taking both ballets on tour to New York, and hopefully I will have an opportunity to perform them there and redeem myself.
As far as my stamina goes, I got through the matinee running pretty much on adrenaline, but could feel a headache coming on later this evening. I realized I was dehydrated, and really needed water and electrolytes if I was going to dance well in the evening show. I tried to re-hydrate as best I could, but still ended the evening with a pretty bad headache. What makes it worse is the fact that I have the day off tomorrow and was planning on enjoying some of the nightlife the city has to offer. Instead I will have to enjoy the view from my hotel room.
Day 8: Sept. 21: 9:25
Our tour to Chicago came to a close today. I’m now on the plane heading back to San Francisco. One city down, three more cities (and six more plane flights) to go. A few dancers took an earlier flight today, but the majority of the Company is on this flight. Minus the six dancers who went to New York for the Fall for Dance Festival, at City Center. They will come back to the city next weekend after two shows of Jerome Robbins’ In the Night.
On our way back to San Francisco!
I had a great time in Chicago, and though I really only had about a day and a half to explore the city, I was still able to see a good friend, enjoy some of the sights, and perform in a new place for a fresh audience. I had the show off today, and was able to walk down The Magnificent Mile. It runs near the theater on Michigan Avenue. There are tons of shops, and even more tourists. It’s almost too crowded for me, but it was a nice day and I was happy to see a little more of the city.
I’m glad to be heading home. It’s going to be great to get back to the city and sleep in my own bed tonight. Ahhh……