Clips from ABT's New Nutcracker

I was waiting to write about ABT's Nutcracker because I had hoped to see it once again (I went opening night), but that didn't happen. Hopefully this week I'll find time to say a few things (I really liked it!) but for now, here's a video I came across on Facebook that shows some clips from the show...I like that they show so much of Marzipan. Ratmansky's Marzi is something I'd *love* to dance...

ABT at NASDAQ

This morning people from American Ballet Theater presided over the opening bell to celebrate the new Nutcracker opening this week! I'm SO excited for opening night on Thursday...

Nutcracker Memories

My roommate and I, my 1st year at Rock, with our "tree."

Sigh. As so many friends finish up Nutcracker seasons this week, I'm thinking back to all my (millions of) Nutcracker memories. Because of my stupid foot, this is the first winter in 15 years that I have danced in some version of the holiday classic. I grew up on it. It's what Christmas means to me. And it's really hard to have the season come without putting on a pair of pointe shoes...

I was very fortunate this season to still be involved in a production, even if I wasn't onstage. Since September I've been rehearsal assistant for Exit 12 Dance Company's brand new Nutcracker, which had its run this past weekend in West Hartford, CT. While it was frustrating to not get up and dance in rehearsals, I really enjoyed helping shape the choreography and clean up details. I was so thankful to still be part of the creative process in the studio, and for me it was a different but equally beneficial kind of learning process on the outside.

I went to see the finished product on Friday and was so proud to see my friends onstage :) Everyone looked beautiful and came a long way.

But at the same time, as I sat in the front row my heart was breaking. I want to dance. I want to be onstage. I want to be in Nutcracker. I miss it terribly...

While my foot still rests and gets stronger (and the pain hopefully goes away soon?) I'm trying as hard as I can to stay connected to ballet. But it's not the same when you just can't do it all day everyday, with performances this festive time of year. Here's a look back at some fun Nutcracker memories...

My first Nutcracker - as a Chinese Doll with Boston Ballet, age 7

Our cast of dolls

As a lamb in Boston's Nut. During Marzipan they had 4 of us hopping around stage.

As a pollichinelle in Boston. I was so proud: I got to be "Kissy Boy" at the end, staying onstage for an extra few seconds blowing kisses to the audience by myself :)

I was a party girl twice in Boston. This was the older year. Check out how long those curls are!

An angel in Boston. So...the audition people lost my # and didn't cast me, so last minute they made me the only thing they could: an angel with people twice my age (and height). Not a great year for a shorty under the smog.

My last year in Boston I was Tea. The parasols were fun.

After Boston I spent 2 years as a Hoop in Balanchine's Nutcracker at Pennsylvania Ballet. Nice pants.

After that came NYC: 2 years in Dances Patrelle's Nutcracker. This was snow.

A not-so-Spanish Spanish cast, Dances Patrelle.

After that? My first Nutcracker as a PROFESSIONAL. Albano Ballet in CT.

Albano Ballet bows.

And then: 2 years of my favorite. Ballerina bears at Radio City Music Hall. Ah.

And now...you can see me all too seriously watching Roman Baca's Nutcracker rehearsal, here.

Happy Nutcrackering! Happy Radio City-ing! Happy Holidays :)

Sneak Peek at ABT's New Nutcracker

Check this out from Works & Process...I can't wait to see the whole thing!
Nice to see little Catherine (my Radio City Clara one year) as ABT's Clara now!

Nutcracker in 3D

Has anyone heard of this? Looks interesting...no dancing though. How can you have Nutcracker without ballet?!

Back to the City = Back to Insanity

Day 2 in the city and I'm exhausted.

Still haven't had time to blog about the trip back, and now I'm too dead tired to write about my insane day today. Tomorrow I'm not leaving this 3rd floor walkup apartment for a good long time - to get blogging done and, mostly, to rest my arms and foot. Crutches are...not fun in this city.

More tomorrow on my first day helping with Nutcracker rehearsals, a quick visit to class, and seeing an interesting performance. Now = sleep, if the insomnia will let me...

nostalgic amusement

Yesterday in my procrastination efforts (haha) I went through some (really) old writing I had stashed away in old files on my computer, and I came across this hilarious poem (is it a poem?) that I wrote years and years ago...it's basically all amusing things that were overheard backstage at Nutcracker in Boston. Mind you I was no fabulous writer back in the day (I think I was like 11 when I did this?) and it's nothing fancy, and might not even have any meaning unless you were there...but I had to post it. It's hilarious to me...I think if you've ever been backstage in that kind of professional environment you may relate to some of these phrases...and if not, don't ask! Haha.

Curtain Call

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your half hour call, half hour!
Clara to wardrobe!
When can we rehearse?
Can I borrow some hairspray?
Quiet downstairs!

Fifteen minute call, fifteen minutes to the top of Act I.
Are my curls ok?
The vending machine broke again!
Where’s Dew Drop?
It’s so hot in here!

Ten minute call everyone, 10 minutes.
Chorus to the studio for warmup!
Anyone have some bobby pins?
Warning on fog…
Stop screaming about the cockroaches!
Not talking in the pit.

Five minute call please, onstage at five minutes!
Light 346...go!
Orchestra to the pit.
You’re going up, Paul.
Meatball, can we have footlights?
Places please!

And curtain…
GO!
---

Ok, rereading it again now, I KNOW some of this doesn't make sense. 'You're going up Paul' is funny because it's when they would raise Drosselmyer up so he could 'fly' in for Act II. Meatball was a nickname for a stagehand.

Oh there are so many memories...someday I'll write them so they actually make sense! Haha.

random amusing additions to the day's posts

Lots of posts today! Here are a few more things to add to the day...

1. Kristin has posted the group photo of the bloggers at the Cedar Lake Event. Copied the picture here...yay!


2. In a rage of googling this afternoon I came across an old article from my hometown paper on me and some other dancers in Boston's Nutcracker from my last year there. It made me laugh...check it out: Keeping a Holiday Tradition on Its Toes

3. Since there have been a lot of new readers here lately I just wanted to welcome everyone again and to ask everyone to feel free to comment! I want the blog to be more interactive than it has been, so go ahead and go through the archives or whatever. I'm gonna try to do a general post on EVERYTHING that's going on (and my goodness to I have a lot of irons in the fire...) soon.

Happy Reading :-)

updates

How is it that even when I'm done with all my work I still can't find time to blog? Haha.

Apologies for the lack of posts this week, but I did just post (after a month's absence..oops) over on The Winger, so take a look. Just a general roundup of recent events.

A friend took me to see an interesting version of Nutcracker tonight...perhaps a review will come soon, but nothing official. It was very very different, let's just leave it at that, haha.

Oh, and I took class yesterday after not having it for a week (performing is different from taking class...20 minute warm up in socks in the dressing room with Britney Spears and hyper dancers blasting in the background doesn't count). I'm a bit sore, including my Achillles which has yet to be checked out but will be when I'm home next week.

There's a quick update...happy Friday.

Nut all done!

I'm back in the city after Nutcracker weekend!

All the shows went well and were fun. It's nice to be done with it though. And to get a paycheck in my hand at the end of the performances was SO satisfying! Maybe that sounds wrong, but it's like, to have the opportunity to do what you love AND get paid on top of the experience itself is so great. I don't know. Nevermind, haha.

Anyways here are some more pictures...I have performance shots and even (blurry) videos coming soon that my family took from the audience :)

Meanwhile when getting home tonight I got to meet up with my favorite visitors!!! I've missed them so very much and I'm so happy they came for a few days (even though it's the last, busiest days of the semester!)! We're going to have some fun...


snow costumes


the NY girls


on the train on our final return from CT


my favorite out-of-towners and I in front of the tree @ LC

Nut week 2 day 2

Today's shows went really well. It was yet another long day, but it was fun. I love being onstage.

My family came to the later performance and it was good to see them. I took pictures with them while still in costume but I'll have to upload those later from their camera. Meanwhile, here are a few pictures from backstage:

Nut week 2 day 1

Today was our first day at Mohegan Sun! It's so much bigger and better than last week's theater. Especially the backstage area.

We had spacing and tech rehearsal all day, but like last week, it was a lot of sitting around waiting. Not so fun. We had a short break for lunch/dinner and we actually got to go out in the mall and casino area. It's so neat in there! Waterfalls and everything...

Later tonight we had dress rehearsal, which went pretty well. It was a long long long day though. We have 2 shows tomorrow so I'm looking forward to that!

off to Nutcracker weekend #2!

In the freezing snow I'm off to the train to Connecticut for my second (and last) weekend of Nutcracker. I'm excited to be in the BIG theater this weekend, and will update regularly from the hotel :)

Also of note is that I just spoke with the NY Times dance writer about my thesis and she gave me some GREAT insight and interesting perspectives. I'll share details next week when I have time to finish off my thesis. So glad this insane semester is almost over!

Happy snow day :)

Nut day 4

I'm back in the city after a long long long weekend of Nutcracker.

Today's performance was definitely the best of the whole weekend. I guess it all takes some getting used to before I can feel free, but it was much more enjoyable today than usual.

Here are a few pictures...more to come after next weekend's shows at Mohegan Sun! 3 shows down, 3 to go! (and about 1 more week of insanity at school!)

Nut day 3

Today's performance was much much better than the past 2 days.

Luckily we didn't have to be there at the theater until 1pm, so we slept late and went out to breakfast before heading over. Then we just had a matinee show and that was it! It went quite well...I've figured out a nice little rosin routine so I don't fall again. Performing takes some adjusting and it's only after 2 full, long days at the theater can I be totally comfortable with everything. It's always fun, but it's just a bit tense and stressful when the directors stand in the wings and correct you immediately after coming off (even when you have to go right back on in the same dance...). BUT overall it's going well. I love those few moments of peace onstage.

After the show they had this "Sugar Plum Party" where the whole cast stands onstage in all the kids and mothers in the audience make a big long line and come around to us to say hi and get the Sugar Plum's autograph. It was hard to stand there for so long after performing and being exhausted, but it was so cute to see all the kids in their little holiday dresses and stuff! It was like a little Christmas pageant. I remember all my little dresses my mom used to put me in for that kind of thing...so funny.

Tonight we got back to the studio and got dinner, and now we're just sitting relaxing. It's nice to have some time to breathe and not be cramped in a room backstage. Oh, also today was better because some of us snuck into the house to use chairs to warm up before they opened it to the audience. It felt much better to be warmed up (what a concept).

One more show for this weekend (tomorrow matinee) and then back to the city. I feel like I've been here forever! It's been worth it though! And next weekend at Mohegan will be even better, I'm sure. :)

Nut day 2

I'm writing from backstage, where I have been sitting with my heating pad listening to amusing conversation for about 3 hours now. Rehearsals can be such a waste of time...

We got up at the crack of dawn to leave the studio (where we stay) to get to the theater at 8am for a 10am show. Mind you it is quite freezing backstage, and no space to even do a plie, nevermind do barre to warm up! So hair and makeup went on fast and then we had a performance for school kids. It went pretty well...no falling, so that's a good sign after yesterday, haha. It was cold though.

After the show they said we didn't have to be back til 1pm, so we had some time to go grab lunch on campus (we're at a college theater), so a big group of us went out in the cold. It was fun and we ate lots...

Then, since getting back to my little chair and plugging in my heating pad we have been sitting here just waiting and waiting and not rehearsing. We don't really know what's going on, but it's been a good 3 hours. We're supposed to have another full dress rehearsal at 7, but besides that it's kind of pointles for us to be here all day...ohhh well. The things we do to be onstage :)

Shows tomorrow and Sunday afternoon (and next weekend). 1 down, 5 to go.

Nut day 1

Surprise - I do have internet here in CT!

Today was Nutcracker madness week 1, day 1. It was tech and dress rehearsal day, but since we ran both flowers and snow last Sunday I didn't have to do anything until the full run later tonight. SO I literally sat in the audience for 5 hours doing nothing. Actually, I gave myself barre twice because I thought I needed to be warm for rehearsal...but no.

Dress rehearsal itself later was okay...not the best. We did a shorter version because tomorrow we do an in-school show so it's abbreviated. In snow, we started with this big pinwheel thing (typical for snow scene) and I ran right on to attatch to the girl and I felt FLAT on my butt. It was great. Smack down. I was fine and got right up, but I definitely held everyone up in the pinwheel. LUCKILY the directors didn't seem to see (they stand in the wings! tense) so nobody said anything besides 'are you okay.' And I was.

The rest of the show was okay though. Just tough adjusting to lights and stuff.

First performance tomorrow morning, then more dress rehearsal all day. Yay!

off to Nutcracker weekend #1!

I'm just about packed and set to go for Nutcracker weekend number one! I'm excited to be onstage :)

Pictures to come over the weekend if I have internet connection at the studio where we stay...if not, then next week. Besides that I probably won't be able to post until Monday, so happy winter weekend everyone, haha.

snow, onstage and off!

It snowed today!

I had this big long creative blog post typed up and then my comptuer died (as it often does) so here's the boring version of my day...

When I woke up to snow I half-hoped I wouldn't have to go all the way to Hartford for our last Sunday of Nutcracker rehearsals...but I'm really glad I went! As a surprise we got to rehearse in the theater today instead of the studio. I guess they got in early to lay down the marley, so we spaced and ran through everything today so that Thursday won't be so stressful (tech and dress day).

It was fun! I really love being onstage and being in a theater and everything. And this theater is super spacious because it's not in a city, haha. So nice. Rehearsal itself went well, although my Achilles is acting up again. My body often decides to go crazy on me when I change dancing environments, such as going on to a hard stage or going into 20 degree weather. Lovely.

Besides being unable to walk after the bus ride home, the day was good. I got home to a nice email from (my favorite) New York Times dance journalist, and Dance Editor of Time Out New York, Gia Kourlas!!! She's another contributor to The Winger and Kristin put me in contact with her to get some input for my (ever-developing-excitment) thesis. Wow! This paper is turning out to be a lot bigger of a deal than I ever expected but I'm really happy about it and that people care about it. It's no longer about my grade. It's about getting the issue out there and getting the opinions flying.

Anyway, I have yet another busy week ahead. Tomorrow after morning class I'm lecturing at that high school I mentioned last week. That should be amusing, to say the least. Tuesday and Wednesday will be mostly spent at my internship since Thursday, when I would normally be there, I'll be at the theater all day long in Connecticut. I'm spending from Thursday-Sunday staying over there and really can't wait to perform! The only part I'm not looking forward to is putting on pink tights. I've been kind of rebelling against them and wearing black tights since I "graduated" from BAE in June and have been in no rush to get them back on. But I guess Waltz of the Flowers would be slightly unattractive with little black legs sticking out of a pink costume, haha.

I'll keep posting through the busy week but come Thursday I probably won't have internet access...so wish me luck for Nutcracker year 13!

back in the city

Every time I get my first glimpse of New York City's skyline when returning from a trip, either to rehearsal in CT or home to Boston, I get the same excitement and chill I first got when I moved to the city.

Except tonight, the chill was from a cold coming on :(

Yes, it's that time of year, and I'm getting a cold from being rundown. Can't imagine why. But I'm trying hard to fight it so I can make it through the rest of the semester alive.

Besides a sore throat and headache, my Thanksgiving break was nice. Visiting friends and family was good, and having some time away from my cramped apartment full of work was refreshing. I also got time for my body to rest before the final push of Nutcracker month.

[pretending to eat all the pie on Thanksgiving. yum]

[one of my dogs, Lucy, who is so cutely posing with the huge xmas tree we just put up]

[we -- well, my mom -- always decorate for christmas soon after thanksgiving for parties and such, and because the house is crazy we go ALL OUT. This would be just part of the massive Nutcracker collection that lines the entire counter]

Went back to rehearsal today...only one more Sunday left til we're onstage! I really can't wait. Mohegan Sun seats 10,000 people! That's almost more than all the theaters I've ever danced in put together -- and I've been in some big places.

Besides that I have some other things to look forward to. The big internship I interviewed for last week left me a message before break offering me the position for the spring. I have my big article due this week. I'm finishing up my last issue (before I graduate) of our school paper The Monitor. I'm being interviewed for this new dance website balletconnections.com and may possibly get another writing gig from that.

As always, a ton of stuff is going on. I thrive on opportunity, but let's hope this cold doesn't keep me down.