Recital Recap

Rehearsal Week:

Rehearsal week was ... bad, to say the least. The first 4 days the AC at the college was 'broken,' so they said, and it was just as warm in the building as it was outside. On stage, with the lights and people, it was 10 degrees warmer, and while you are dancing, you don't exactly cool down. It was terrible terrible terrible. Thankfully, by Thursday it had cooled down a bit, and by Friday the AC seemed to be working just fine.


Saturday 1pm:

Before our big recital on Saturday, we have a Mini Recital, which includes all of the younger dancers. This show only lasts for about an hour, so the young ones don't have to sit around back stage for 3 to 4 hours waiting to go on for bows. And ever since adding the Mini Show, we've had enough tickets for the larger shows.

The Mini Show went fantastically for the younger dancers. I assist classes, and I stood behind the curtains making sure they knew what they were doing. I had been worries about them all week, but during the performance was the best time they had ever done it. I was so proud of them. Kathy, our director, mixes in a few other pieces into the mini show, to give the kids a break and to allow the families of the younger dancers to see a bit of the other show.

I was in a piece with the companies (I'm in company 1) and we did a piece from Westside Story. It wasn't our best time, that's for sure, but it was alright and all the little kids loved it (though I think we could go out and do the hokey pokey and they'd still love it).


Saturday 3pm:

The real deal. To be honest, I don't remember much of the Saturday show. My family, bestfriend, boyfriend, and family friends did come to watch, so that was nice. The ballet, which was Alice in Wonderland, went without a hitch. And the second act went well too. A few mess ups from a few dancers, but overall, it was good.


Sunday 3pm:

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. It was indeed a crazy day. The ballet went well, but I almost face planted as the Mad Hatter while running across stage for bows. Not pretty. On to act two. Westside Story is the opening number, and it went well until the end, when, as we were walking towards the front for the ending, I see my friend Courtney hobble off stage and fall behind the curtain, crying her eyes out. I had to continue focusing, and the dance finished in a few seconds. As soon as the black out hit, I ran back stage to find her crying, and adults all around, asking "Ice or Heat?" and "Where does it hurt?" I see enough to realize she hurt her knee really bad, and wouldn't be able to dance for the rest of the show. I had to go back and change though, because we were on in a few songs. Everyone is kind of frantic, hoping she was alright. Our teacher comes in, and has to make last minute adjustments to the dance, has Courtney was a main lifter in each one she was in. Thankfully we get it worked out, and things workout alright. Everyone was hurt though, that she couldn't dance. Her family had come to watch, too.

Then, during the second to last song, a girl fell during the black out, and wasn't in her place when the lights came on. She wiped her tears away, and went into the dance, though you could tell she was upset that she fell.

Then at the end, Kathy always gives out awards to those who are most improved and gifts to the seniors. This year, we also had to say goodbye to Tara, a long time student, assistant, and teacher. She's moving to Cali to pursue a career in dance. Everyone was crying, including myself, and there were so so so many hugs afterward. It was so bittersweet. I get teary eyed thinking about it.


So that concludes dance 2010-2011. It was a great year, a great recital, and there were a lot of great memories made. Now time for summer break. Well, after 3 more days of school, that is.