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