The holiday season is a time of year full of many traditions for many different people, and a tradition that I have carried out for years is a Christmas Eve spent at the theater.  This year was no exception, and I was once again amazed at the thoughtful gifts and holiday cheer that was spread throughout the entire day.  While seeing Nutcracker may be a Holiday tradition for some of you, I thought I would share some of our holiday traditions that happen backstage!

Somehow through the grind of two shows a day we all find time to still enjoy the holiday spirit to the fullest.  I was lucky to have a day off right before Christmas Eve, which allowed me to get all of those last minute gift preparations finished.

This year I made homemade body scrub and cookies:

The morning of Christmas Eve started on a good note from the very beginning when I opened up my dressing room door to find so many thoughtful, amazing gifts at my spot!

We continued the holiday spirit in my dressing room with Christmas music as we all got ready for 9 am class and for the first show at 11 am.

The festivities continued throughout the day with a potluck and secret santa gift exchange in between the first and second shows. We dancers also pull out some tricks during the performances on this special day, but you’ll have to come see those for yourself!

As a dancer I’ve always cherished the close community that quickly and easily grows within the theater walls. There are countless intimate moments onstage as well as offstage that I will always remember, and this year’s Christmas Eve will certainly fall into that category.

Last year I approached SFB with the idea of getting the company involved in the walk.  It had been done before, but to my knowledge it had never been initiated by a dancer.  I didn’t want people to just hand me money in the name of the cause (although that is a very important part of fundraising), I wanted people to truly get involved.  I wanted the community to see that SFB is a company that sees the problems the world is facing, and wants to be an active part in helping to overcome them.  I wanted people to understand that our work as a company offstage can be as revolutionary as the important work we do onstage.  I was thrilled to quickly learn that many people in the company were just as excited as I was about joining the AIDS Walk.  I was simply a girl who came in with an idea, but the San Francisco Ballet Team did all the hard work.  Our HR team was quick to take over the many areas that I had no idea how to handle; I’m so grateful for all of the generosity that they showed.  In the end the San Francisco Ballet Team was a complete success in the AIDS Walk of 2010, and many people in the company got involved: dancers and non-dancers alike.

One of the most important dancers to join the SFB Team last year was Garen Scribner.  I’m happy to report that he is leading the way to this year’s AIDS Walk in many ways – so far he has already raised $1,800! Not only is he leading the way in fund raising, but he and our HR Coordinator Kate Schroeder are working hard to organize everything for this year’s team.

Now that you have heard a little background it is time to get to work!  We want to raise as much awareness as possible, so please take a moment and visit the AIDS Walk SF website by clicking here.

Once you are signed up it’s time to start fund raising!  Even a simple post on Facebook about your fund raising goals can make a difference.  Every dollar counts!

The physical walk itself will talk place on July 17th.  I hope to see you all there!

I’m Madison Keesler, a corps de ballet dancer with SF Ballet, and your newest blogger here!

When I was 14 years old I attended my very first summer program with San Francisco Ballet School, and ever since then I knew that one day I would dance with this beautiful company.  At 16, I came to the San Francisco Ballet School for the year-round program and had many wonderful experiences.  It was the first time I stepped onto the opera house stage with the company in both Nutcracker and Giselle.  I performed the leading role for the school in John Neumeier’s Yondering for the 75^th anniversary gala, and I received wonderful training throughout the year that helped shape me during my final days in school.

At the end of my year with the San Francisco Ballet School I chose to join John Neumeier’s Hamburg Ballet in Germany.  I spent one year there and am forever grateful for everything they gave me.  John, his ballets, his staff, and his dancers have forever shaped who I am as an artist.

Now here I am, writing to you before the start of my second season with San Francisco Ballet! I officially joined in July 2009 and had an incredible first season with the company.

I flew to San Francisco the day after Hamburg ballet had its final performance.  I allowed myself to rest for one day in order to recover from the jet lag, and I had my first day as a company member with SFB the next morning. It was a very easy transition because for my first two weeks with SFB it felt as though I had never left Hamburg – John Neumier, Kevin Haigen, Leslie McBeth, Niurka Moredo, and Lloyd Riggins were all in San Francisco to set The Little Mermaid.  It was terrific because it felt as though everyone from Hamburg came with me!  I had also done many performances of  The Little Mermaid with Hamburg Ballet so I felt very comfortable with the ballet as well.  I really couldn’t have asked for a better transition.

I could go on forever about my experiences during my first year with SFB but I’m sure you all do not want to read a novel so I will do my best to sum things up.

My first year was filled with some marvelous moments and I am so grateful for all of them.  From the “off-season” rehearsals, to the tour in China, as well as the entire season– even up until the very last day!  There are countless moments that I will never forget.  I’m getting extremely excited for my second season to start on July 5^th and I plan to write much more this following year so keep an eye out for more blog entries!

Madison Keesler is a Corps de Ballet Member with SFB