By Charlene Cohen member of the corps de ballet of San Francisco Ballet November 16, 2009
I am soaking up the last day of our three-day weekend; it was a much needed vacation after a packed rehearsal schedule last week. We pulled Nutcracker out of the closet and dusted it off; though, I must admit there were hardly any cobwebs on that ballet. We remembered Snow, Flowers, and Mirlitons in record time. Now, our duty is to pass our knowledgeto the new dancers, and work on the ballet technically.
In addition to Nutcracker, we have begun refreshing Yuri Possokhov’sDiving Into The Lilacs. The fun thing about bringing back Yuri’s ballet is that while we are remembering the steps, he is in the studio tweaking them. There is a satisfaction in constantly working on the ballets with him, finding solutions, or finding a better understanding of the motivation behind his steps. He always demonstrates what he wants clearly, but I must admit some of his movements can be hard to transfer to our bodies. It’s obvious why he was a celebrated principal here.
We also have a new face around the studios: choreographer Renato Zanella. He comes into the studio with a clear vision. He explained the storyline or thought behind his new work, and he already had a clear design for the set, lighting, and costumes. The movement is truly a language in his piece; every step seems to be saying something, or telling a story. It’s a ballet I look forward to seeing on the stage!
Well, I would say more, but I am off to enjoy these last few hours of my Sunday before we’re back to work in the studios on Monday morning!
Update from the studio…
member of the corps de ballet of San Francisco Ballet
November 16, 2009
I am soaking up the last day of our three-day weekend; it was a much needed vacation after a packed rehearsal schedule last week. We pulled Nutcracker out of the closet and dusted it off; though, I must admit there were hardly any cobwebs on that ballet. We remembered Snow, Flowers, and Mirlitons in record time. Now, our duty is to pass our knowledge to the new dancers, and work on the ballet technically.
In addition to Nutcracker, we have begun refreshing Yuri Possokhov’s Diving Into The Lilacs. The fun thing about bringing back Yuri’s ballet is that while we are remembering the steps, he is in the studio tweaking them. There is a satisfaction in constantly working on the ballets with him, finding solutions, or finding a better understanding of the motivation behind his steps. He always demonstrates what he wants clearly, but I must admit some of his movements can be hard to transfer to our bodies. It’s obvious why he was a celebrated principal here.
Charlene Cohen, Dores Andre, and Clara Blanco in Possokhov's Diving into the Lilacs, last year (© Erik Tomasson)
We also have a new face around the studios: choreographer Renato Zanella. He comes into the studio with a clear vision. He explained the storyline or thought behind his new work, and he already had a clear design for the set, lighting, and costumes. The movement is truly a language in his piece; every step seems to be saying something, or telling a story. It’s a ballet I look forward to seeing on the stage!
Well, I would say more, but I am off to enjoy these last few hours of my Sunday before we’re back to work in the studios on Monday morning!