From the months of January to the beginning of May, we dancers here at San Francisco Ballet disappear, so to speak. Our friends stop calling, our roommates forget what we look like, and we build caves of hibernation in the Opera House. Usually if I meet anyone new in November or December I tell them that they won’t hear from me until May.
Our busy schedule is not only due to the amount of work that we put on stage for each season, but the high level of performing it requires. Dont take it the wrong way, we love performing and the work that we do. It’s just funny when you realize that the only time you spend at home is sleeping, and that you haven’t spent time with anyone who is not a dancer, in months. This is why our week off in January is incredibly important: it’s our last big break before the end of the season. So this past January, I petitioned my group of friends to take a trip to Hawaii with me and visit my family who lives on the Big Island; I thought it would be a great way to relax. We managed to get a pretty big group together, mostly dancers but a few non-dancers as well, eight people in total. It was a fantastic trip.
My family has lived on the island for about 14 years now and have settled in quite a bit. Our house is up the side of the mountain in the middle of nowhere, just west of a little town called Paauilo. We spent a few nights there and then three days camping on Makalawena Beach, a gorgeous nature reserve on the west side of the island. We lucked out and it was a full moon while we were camping. It was literally so bright you almost saw color, there was no need for a fire and it almost made it hard to sleep. The whole experience was just the recharge we needed to feel prepped and ready. Hitting my stride in the middle of the season now, I find myself drifting back to that trip pretty frequently, and I wanted to share those moments with you all. Click here to see more photos from our trip.
Principal Dancer Frances Chung amidst sparklers
Makalawena Beach
Soloist Elana Altman camping
One Comment
thank you Quinn! I loved hearing about your magical Hawaiian retreat to nature and immersing into the aloha pace.
Your photos are stunning, and I’m grateful to witness them :oD