» All Posts by Katita Waldo

Hot Pink Nail Polish

Katita Waldo — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:48:16 +0000

The last two weeks of my career as a ballet dancer with San Francisco Ballet are finally here. Programs 6 & 7 will be the final programs I will perform. It’s been a wonderful 22 years at SF Ballet and I’ve enjoyed every second (some more than others!). However, I’m very excited to begin the next phase of my life.

In addition to dancing, for the past three years I’ve had the pleasure of working as a ballet master – and I’ve loved every minute of it! I had the opportunity to work on The Little Mermaid recently, and found it to be an incredible experience.

As I reflect on my career and near retirement, I’m taking each day as it comes - enjoying the people around me and the work that I’m doing. I’m grateful that I feel as good as I do right now. My friends and family are coming to my last performances, and then I want to party!

I’m looking forward to taking the next few months off – something I haven’t done since I was little! The weirdest thing is knowing that I won’t have to keep in shape to come back to work, and that if I don’t take ballet class in the next few months – it’ll be fine!

On my agenda for my first week off: getting a pedicure with hot pink nail polish.

Me performing with Damian Smith in Wheeldon’s Rush (© Erik Tomasson)

From Sandpaper to Sweeney Todd

Katita Waldo — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:53:17 +0000

I’ve had a long break which has given my body a chance to rest; I wasn’t in Swan Lake and danced Sandpaper Ballet in Program 5, which was a blast. Now I’m very refreshed and eager to be working; we have started rehearsing Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Within the Golden Hour, and West Side Story Suite, all of which I’m in. I also have the added duty of being a ballet master (along with Anita Paciotti) for Within the Golden Hour and for the corps de ballet in Stravinsky Violin Concerto.

Bart Cook from the Balanchine Trust arrives today and hopefully, will be pleased with the work I’ve managed to do. I’m very proud of the dancers; they’ve gotten it together very quickly in a short amount of time. I was very nervous to go into West Side Story Suite rehearsals since I haven’t done any singing since we performed it last year. I guess the itch was scratched. However, about a week ago, I started singing to the Dixie Chicks and Sweeney Todd in the car, just to get ready. I was lazy and didn’t do any of my vocal exercises, yet the first couple of rehearsals have shown my voice improved over last year. I have no idea why that is but I’m very glad!