As mentioned before, I’m performing in the Stevenage EYB production of The Sleeping Beauty at the Gordon Craig Theatre 15-17th October. We had our first rehearsals this weekend, 2-8pm yesterday and 12-6pm today, pretty intense hours, but things are finally underway! Since the audition in June and casting day in July, it seemed like such a long wait, but it’s finally begun… I was a mix of excited/nervous yesterday as I really didn’t know what to expect schedule wise, but now after two days I have to say it’s actually less exhausting than I expected! I’m not saying it’s easy at all, but the sessions vary from 45 minutes to 1hr 30, and I was pretty much expecting them all to be 1hr+ with fewer breaks than we’re getting. Not that I’m complaining – or saying it’s a walk in the park!
We’re split into three groups for a warm up class at the beginning of each rehearsal after a meeting with parents. Class lasts for roughly 45 minutes, with a relatively long barre before moving into the centre for pirouettes, adage and allegro. It’s been so long since I had 45 minute classes it’s amazing how fast it goes!
Yesterday we then went straight in with an hour session en pointe learning the dance for Act 3. I’ve been cast as a Guest, there’s about 20 of us, the majority en pointe (including myself) and some on flat, who are basically the corps de ballet, so we’ll be on stage during all three acts for a lot of the time and hopefully have quite a bit to do.
After a costume fitting for the prologue we had another hour or so carrying on, and then at the end of the day we all come together in the main hall and perform the sections that have been learnt in the order of the ballet so that we get used to the sequence of everything and at the same time get to see what everyone else has done as well. Obviously in between all that we had a few breaks as well, varying from 1 hour to 15 minutes.
Today was similar, starting with class as normal and then recapped what we did yesterday before adding on. I have to say by the end of the first hour spent en pointe my feet are struggling a bit! I’ve been en pointe for about 3 years now, but I’m only used to spending half an hour a week doing syllabus exercises, the majority of which are at the barre which isn’t a whole lot of use now! I’m fairly confident my feet are going to get a lot stronger very quickly doing this! However, I’m yet to get a blister which is an amazing achievement, it’s just the throbbing pain on the tips of my big toes I’m dealing with.
Today we learnt the whole prologue as well which is almost the whole cast on stage together at the Christening.
So that’s the first weekend over! We don’t have another rehearsal until the 25th and then we’re straight in with Friday 4-8:30, Saturday 2-8:00, Sunday 12-6:00… wish my toes luck please. And my brain, for attempting to remember all the choreography during the 3 week break!! I can’t wait to go back already 🙂
Dreams That Glitter xo 