Lily on the Road

November 10,  6:45pm

I’ve found the time to write again!  It’s been a while since my last entry, I know, and I apologize. New York was such a whirlwind tour that I barely found the time to breathe. We were there for ten days and performed seven of them, and I was in every show save one. When the tour ended and I got home, I cannot express in words how wonderful it was to see my own bed after that grueling week. The City Center stage is very small and intimate; The audience was so close, I could have told you what each person was wearing in the first five rows. It’s an old theater, but rich in history. It was New York’s first performing arts center and was home to New York City Ballet before it moved to Lincoln Center. It has survived two threats to demolish it and has become somewhat of a legendary theater for New Yorkers. That said, it’s still small and the dressing rooms could use a little sprucing up. Just my opinion!

New York City Center

We danced three programs there, including two Balanchine works: The Four Temperaments and Divertimento #15. I was lucky enough to dance in both. I have a corps de ballet spot in Divertimento, and I did the opening pas de deux in 4T’s. It was my first time performing the pas de deux and dancing it in New York was thrilling. It is important to note that there was a lot of pressure surrounding these two ballets particularly The Four Temperaments. To my knowledge we are one of only a few companies to perform it in New York City other than New York City Ballet. We were aware that we were dancing under watchful and seasoned eye, and I am proud to report that we were very well received. New York audiences have seen Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments many times. They see it done by the company that premiered it and now teaches it to the next generation of dancers. I don’t mean to imply our company didn’t have some of the best coaching around. The ballet was set by Elyse Borne, a ballet mistress who’s a part of the Balanchine Trust, Ricardo Bustamante, and of course Helgi Tomasson–who was a principal dancer under Balanchine for many years. They have all danced various roles in the ballet numerous times and offered us wonderful insight into the best ways to approach our respective roles. Lew Christensen, one of the founders of San Francisco Ballet, was one of the dancers in the 1946 premiere.

Lily Rogers and Daniel Deivison-Oliveira in Balanchine's The Four Temperaments. © Erik Tomasson

The New York closing marked the halfway point of our tour!  We had a little time at home to put together Giselle, which is going to Washington, DC in two weeks. Not to mention to keep all of the ballets we did in New York fresh for Orange County. The weeks flew by. I was happy to be home, welcomed the lighter work schedule, and I felt ready for the next city.

We flew into John Wayne Airport last night, with no problems. Our flight arrived 30 minutes early in fact. I then headed over to the hotel in a rental car, because honestly, how on earth does one get around in Southern California without a car? Really, it is the land of the strip mall and the widest and most uninviting sidewalks known to man. I don’t mean to say it isn’t beautiful here, because it is. I woke up to the most spectacular sunrise this morning, and I’m looking forward to driving over to Newport Beach later in the week. It’s just…really, really spread out, so a rental car seemed like the right choice. Three dancers chipped in to share the cost, responsibilities, and benefits of driving down here.

I woke up before my alarm this morning, partially because I was anxious to get to the theater, set up my spot in the dressing room, and prepare for class. Today is an optional day; we have an hour and fifteen minute class followed by request-only rehearsals.

After some wrong turns and a little bit of a parking fiasco, we found the theater and entered through the backstage door. Well, actually the loading dock, because we were totally lost. Everything about the theater is huge: the backstage, the stage, the dressing rooms, and the audience. It is so refreshing to feel like I have space to work. I am really looking forward to dancing on a big stage again; the stage here is about the same size as the one at the Opera House.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center

Class started about an hour after our arrival at the theater and was taught by Ricardo Bustamante. He walked into the studio in a good mood, singing something under his breath. I of course strained my ear in his direction to hear what he was singing. I heard him say, “memories, memories,” and he then announced that the last time he was in this studio he was still dancing and was rehearsing The Sleeping Beauty with Mikhail Baryshnikov. Some of the best companies perform here at The Orange County Performing Arts Center, including American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, The Kirov, Alvin Ailey and, of course, San Francisco Ballet. It really is a stunning building. It was designed by Charles Lawrence in 1986 and commissioned by the local Segerstrom family.

After class, two other dancers and I went to a nearby Whole Foods to get a few things for the week. Back at the hotel, I headed to my room with plans to relax, read, work out, and of course write. We open with Program A tomorrow night, and to be honest I haven’t felt more ready for a show in a long time. I know it’s not always safe to say that, so I will have to let you guys know how it goes tomorrow.