Time to Dance
So today I spent the day at the new dance studio watching a rehearsal of their spring recital. Last year, the owner of the dance studio I *used* to do lights for let a whole bunch of teachers go. One of those teachers opened her own studio in the fall and this is her first year of shows.
Oddly, I know many of the people involved, because they jumped ship with this teacher. I was one of them. So on Saturday, I will light a dance studio's spring recital. This school only has about ninety kids, but it looks to be picking up steam (as more and more kids drop the other school, it looks like they are following the sane teachers to this one). All the backstage folk are the same - my spot light operators are the same two parents who have been doing this for years.
The show is "Cinderella" and the young woman playing Cinderella is a senior in high school. Her prince is a HS freshman. A lot of these dancers have never been on stage before, but they are doing quite well.
I only saw the show with the leads, as most of the kids did not have to come to this rehearsal. But one of the "leads" is this tiny blonde girl - she is a footman/coachman - but she must take six or eight classes, because I swear she was all over the stage all the time. Even for the numbers she was the only kid from the class present, she never missed a step. Her older sister is the fairy godmother - also a rather good dancer, also in quite a few numbers.
I would say there are two standouts among the cast. Cinderella and the Wicked Step Mother. The step sisters are merely okay. The mice are neither mice-like or particularly interesting to watch. The King and Queen are merely very young - with not much experience, but I am sure the Queen at least will get better - she seems to handle taking direction well. The fairy Godmother is also good. And her sister, the little blonde, who can't be more than nine and seems very bendy.
So that is my Saturday next week. And it will all be done in one day - one day to tech/rehearse, and two shows.
Oddly, I know many of the people involved, because they jumped ship with this teacher. I was one of them. So on Saturday, I will light a dance studio's spring recital. This school only has about ninety kids, but it looks to be picking up steam (as more and more kids drop the other school, it looks like they are following the sane teachers to this one). All the backstage folk are the same - my spot light operators are the same two parents who have been doing this for years.
The show is "Cinderella" and the young woman playing Cinderella is a senior in high school. Her prince is a HS freshman. A lot of these dancers have never been on stage before, but they are doing quite well.
I only saw the show with the leads, as most of the kids did not have to come to this rehearsal. But one of the "leads" is this tiny blonde girl - she is a footman/coachman - but she must take six or eight classes, because I swear she was all over the stage all the time. Even for the numbers she was the only kid from the class present, she never missed a step. Her older sister is the fairy godmother - also a rather good dancer, also in quite a few numbers.
I would say there are two standouts among the cast. Cinderella and the Wicked Step Mother. The step sisters are merely okay. The mice are neither mice-like or particularly interesting to watch. The King and Queen are merely very young - with not much experience, but I am sure the Queen at least will get better - she seems to handle taking direction well. The fairy Godmother is also good. And her sister, the little blonde, who can't be more than nine and seems very bendy.
So that is my Saturday next week. And it will all be done in one day - one day to tech/rehearse, and two shows.