What a week this has been! There is so much to write about that I could fill pages with stuff.
I must begin by introducing you to all the new people living in our self styled mansion. Yasha from Khazacstan and Sean from Scotland have been here for a while now. Yasha has been hired as a soloist, is a great dancer and an all round top bloke. Sean is here on a two month trial contract. He has been working on cruise ships for the last year so is a bit out of touch with the ballet world, but hopes to make a home here. And this morning we had Layla, Yasha's girlfriend, arrive. She has come from Israel adding a whole new dimension to our very diverse group.
This week we had the climax of all our work for Siberia to Moscow, premiering the ballet last Thursday. As far as I can tell the the shows when well. At least I didn't have any major dramas with my small role as Officer. Kept the lines straight, didn't step on the ladies' dresses, mimed endlessly through the second act; all good stuff. I nearly got chucked into the first act Cossacks dance again when Igor gave his leg a light twist, but he was fine and was able to do the show. (Whew!)
The premiere was actually quite a bit deal with a whole bunch of dance critics and brass coming to Tbilisi and watching the performances. We had a couple of small functions and I ended up speaking (simply because I spoke fluent English) with people from England, France and Denmark! They all said that they had enjoyed the performances and their time in Tbilisi. Hopefully they will repeat those remarks in their respective publications.
The last show was on Sunday, and we were all glad to be free of the ballet for a while. (At least I was!) Just for the occasion I learnt to say, "Today I am happy because last performance," in Georgian. It's quite an effort, but least it gave me something to practice while waiting for the second act.
Oliver is quite good with people and loves parties so we ended up hosting a small get together at the mansion. It was quite a good night with good food (Oliver made some awesome pizzas), a bit of improvised dancing by everyone and all round good times.
There are of course photos. (I'm going to need another hard drive to hold them all soon) You can view them on the side bar of the blog or via this link.
That's all for this week. (Romeo and Juliet with sword fights next week!)
Rodney C.
DreamChaser
Monday, 26 October 2009
Monday, 19 October 2009
Rehearsals
Another busy week of work done here. Nothing too remarkable to write on this week so this will be short.
The premiere of Siberia to Moscow is on Thursday so we have been doing constant full runs of the ballet on stage and in costume. I'm only cast as an Officer in the second act which involves little more than being a piece of live scenery. It's a good show, but when you've had to stand and watch it on stage for days on end the novelty wears off.
I am second cast for the Cossack roles in the first act, and this week I've had to it twice, as two different people. The first time was actually quite scary. Will was doing the run on stage on Tuesday and while doing a jump with a couple of other boys, he had a minor dislocation in his shoulder. Fortunately it just went slightly out and then straight back in, but it was enough to give him a very sore arm for two days. So the next day I got the lucky job of doing his spot in what was our first full run on stage with costumes. AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!! Stress factor was high the next morning because he does quite a bit, and remembering all the changes would be a challenge. They did give me a bit of a rehearsal before we went on stage and I was able to nail down the essentials, but there was a whole heap of acting and blocking stuff that I was just going to have to ad lib.
I went out on stage and gave it the best I could. It all passed in a big blur of music and costumes, but I got through it without any major gaffs. I was pleasantly pleased with myself. I'd justified that I was worth my pay check.
The next day I was also put into Cossack, but this time in Zhenia's role. This time it was easy because he does next to nothing. All I to do was find out who his partners where and the rest was easy.
Oliver and I when for a little walk the other night. It was meant to be a little walk, but we ended up climbing to the top of the mountain that has the television tower on it. Mountain being the key word there. I got some awesome pictures out of it and you can view them here.
Talk to you next week,
Rodney Cuthbertson
DreamChaser
The premiere of Siberia to Moscow is on Thursday so we have been doing constant full runs of the ballet on stage and in costume. I'm only cast as an Officer in the second act which involves little more than being a piece of live scenery. It's a good show, but when you've had to stand and watch it on stage for days on end the novelty wears off.
I am second cast for the Cossack roles in the first act, and this week I've had to it twice, as two different people. The first time was actually quite scary. Will was doing the run on stage on Tuesday and while doing a jump with a couple of other boys, he had a minor dislocation in his shoulder. Fortunately it just went slightly out and then straight back in, but it was enough to give him a very sore arm for two days. So the next day I got the lucky job of doing his spot in what was our first full run on stage with costumes. AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!! Stress factor was high the next morning because he does quite a bit, and remembering all the changes would be a challenge. They did give me a bit of a rehearsal before we went on stage and I was able to nail down the essentials, but there was a whole heap of acting and blocking stuff that I was just going to have to ad lib.
I went out on stage and gave it the best I could. It all passed in a big blur of music and costumes, but I got through it without any major gaffs. I was pleasantly pleased with myself. I'd justified that I was worth my pay check.
The next day I was also put into Cossack, but this time in Zhenia's role. This time it was easy because he does next to nothing. All I to do was find out who his partners where and the rest was easy.
Oliver and I when for a little walk the other night. It was meant to be a little walk, but we ended up climbing to the top of the mountain that has the television tower on it. Mountain being the key word there. I got some awesome pictures out of it and you can view them here.
Talk to you next week,
Rodney Cuthbertson
DreamChaser
Monday, 12 October 2009
Performance Fun
The highlight of this week has to be the performance of Don Quixote. Like Giselle, it was just a one off performance, but what a performance!
It still scares me tiny amount of preparation we get for a show. The way I'm used to working is that we rehearse a show intensely for weeks and then take it on tour. Here, they have a repertoire that they just call on, give the dances a few rehearsals to brush them up and away we go. No dress rehearsal, just one full run with the orchestra the day before performance. This is fine for the company as they have done the show many times. It just left me in the dark for a few in-between bits where till the day before performance I had no idea what I was doing or where I was supposed to be! Fortunately, it was just simple stage craft and all I really had to do was just follow the herd.
I didn't see my costume until the night of the performance. (I'm an average size so I fit into their costumes without any problems usually.) This white Spanish looking thing was strange enough, but was paired with the most ridiculous looking hat ever! The things I do for my art!
The shoes I ended up with were a bit too small for my broad feet. Uncomfortable, but bearable for one show. I did my first little Spanish dance and then went to the side and watched the grand pas de deux (which was exceptional.) I then went off stage briefly before coming on for the finale. Imagine my horror when I looked down and saw that both of my shoes had come undone! I managed to get one done up, but had to leave the other. I did the last dance terrified that something awful was going to happen. But fate was just poking fun at me that night. I managed to hold it together, didn't screw the choreography or lose my shoe.
Oliver wasn't so lucky. He had a small walk on part in the first act as a comic servant. One of the other dancers lost his hat on stage and Oliver being smart made a grab for it. But his feet weren't able to keep up with him and he did the biggest face plant! The joys of live theatre!
I found a video of the Georgian State Ballet performing Don Quixote on the web and it is the same production that I performed in last Wednesday. Lali was also performing Kitri llast Wednesday so it will give you a pretty good idea of what the show looks like. Here is the link if you are reading this via email. Hope you enjoy it.
See you next week.
DreamChaser
Rodney Cuthbertson
It still scares me tiny amount of preparation we get for a show. The way I'm used to working is that we rehearse a show intensely for weeks and then take it on tour. Here, they have a repertoire that they just call on, give the dances a few rehearsals to brush them up and away we go. No dress rehearsal, just one full run with the orchestra the day before performance. This is fine for the company as they have done the show many times. It just left me in the dark for a few in-between bits where till the day before performance I had no idea what I was doing or where I was supposed to be! Fortunately, it was just simple stage craft and all I really had to do was just follow the herd.
I didn't see my costume until the night of the performance. (I'm an average size so I fit into their costumes without any problems usually.) This white Spanish looking thing was strange enough, but was paired with the most ridiculous looking hat ever! The things I do for my art!
The shoes I ended up with were a bit too small for my broad feet. Uncomfortable, but bearable for one show. I did my first little Spanish dance and then went to the side and watched the grand pas de deux (which was exceptional.) I then went off stage briefly before coming on for the finale. Imagine my horror when I looked down and saw that both of my shoes had come undone! I managed to get one done up, but had to leave the other. I did the last dance terrified that something awful was going to happen. But fate was just poking fun at me that night. I managed to hold it together, didn't screw the choreography or lose my shoe.
Oliver wasn't so lucky. He had a small walk on part in the first act as a comic servant. One of the other dancers lost his hat on stage and Oliver being smart made a grab for it. But his feet weren't able to keep up with him and he did the biggest face plant! The joys of live theatre!
I found a video of the Georgian State Ballet performing Don Quixote on the web and it is the same production that I performed in last Wednesday. Lali was also performing Kitri llast Wednesday so it will give you a pretty good idea of what the show looks like. Here is the link if you are reading this via email. Hope you enjoy it.
See you next week.
DreamChaser
Rodney Cuthbertson
Monday, 5 October 2009
Comings and Goings
With all the writing on my under-performing leg last week, I never mentioned that we had an American dancer join us last week. This morning, he left to return to America. He's a good dancer (very American in style) but he was just too short for the company. He came from New York on a similar deal to me; do company class and see what Nina thinks. I don't think that the company realised just how short he was because it was obvious to every one that his height would limit him to soloist roles without any partnering. He is a member of a company in Portland, but wanted to do some auditioning so he is going to back to good prospects. I don't think that he was very keen on living in Tbilisi either. This place is pretty orthodox and conservative which was a bit of a shock to a guy who has lived in New York for most of his life.
Today there should be a guy arriving from Kazakhstan. Apparently he is quite good, and I'm guessing that he will be more adept to living in Tbilisi than the American.There is also probably another boy coming from Egypt soon. So we will have the countries of Australia, England, Kazakhstan, and Egypt represented in Georgian ballet company! Who would have thought! It'll make next year's proposed tour to Israel interesting.
Work has been busy this weeek. I think I'm going need a computer to keep track of all the stuff I'm learning. We have a single performance of Don Quixote on Wednesday which as far as I know I'm cast in. That one is mainly Spanish style character dancing. Rehearsals for Siberia to Moscow have been going full blast. I got chucked into replace a boy on Saturday which was interesting. I had been watching the rehearsals so I sort of knew what he did, but was still was relying on traffic signals from the girls a bit. On Sunday we did an intense six hour run of the ballet. I was still replacing the boy which included doing a mime scene that I had never seen before! Just a bit of pressure! In to that full mixture we've also been doing some rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet. By the time we got out of work yesterday my brain felt like cold porridge dripping out my ears.
My leg is slowly getting better. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for me. I'm still avoiding jumping and pirouettes, but hope to be able to start gradually loading it back in this week. Your continued prayers would be much appreciated.
Thanks for reading
DeamChaser
Today there should be a guy arriving from Kazakhstan. Apparently he is quite good, and I'm guessing that he will be more adept to living in Tbilisi than the American.There is also probably another boy coming from Egypt soon. So we will have the countries of Australia, England, Kazakhstan, and Egypt represented in Georgian ballet company! Who would have thought! It'll make next year's proposed tour to Israel interesting.
Work has been busy this weeek. I think I'm going need a computer to keep track of all the stuff I'm learning. We have a single performance of Don Quixote on Wednesday which as far as I know I'm cast in. That one is mainly Spanish style character dancing. Rehearsals for Siberia to Moscow have been going full blast. I got chucked into replace a boy on Saturday which was interesting. I had been watching the rehearsals so I sort of knew what he did, but was still was relying on traffic signals from the girls a bit. On Sunday we did an intense six hour run of the ballet. I was still replacing the boy which included doing a mime scene that I had never seen before! Just a bit of pressure! In to that full mixture we've also been doing some rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet. By the time we got out of work yesterday my brain felt like cold porridge dripping out my ears.
My leg is slowly getting better. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for me. I'm still avoiding jumping and pirouettes, but hope to be able to start gradually loading it back in this week. Your continued prayers would be much appreciated.
Thanks for reading
DeamChaser
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