The Nutcracker!!!!

After ten weeks of rehearsal, the big day finally arrived; opening night of Ballet West's 'The Nutcracker'. 

Although we were all tired from a long week of tech rehearsals, company class helped everyone to focus upon what would shortly follow, as the excitement built up. After class, the dressing room was a flurry of activity; we had two hours to sort our hair, makeup, and costume, which for me involved battling hair curlers for half an hour in a fairly futile attempt to produce the tight, springy ringlets of a party child. Anyone who knows me will know that I'm not usually one for makeup- on a rare occasion I will wear lipstick or nail polish, but that's about it- so contour, highlighter and a palette with twelve different shades of eyeshadow all seemed a baffling mystery to me!!! Luckily with the help from a kind second-year I managed to get the makeup sorted (the contour still needs work though- I didn't have any bronzer (is that the right word?!?!) so resorted to using dark eyeshadow as contour..... Initially I looked as if I had been down a coal mine, with dark, patchy eyeshadow smeared absentmindedly across my cheekbones!!!!), and it was time for costume. I had a long white dress, with a pretty dark blue hem and bow, with a matching blue bow in my hair. 

No sooner was I in costume, then Rhys, the tech manager, swept through the dressing room, calling "Act One beginners to the stage! Act One beginners please!" Those words sent a shiver of delight down my spine- the kind of joy that a five year old must feel on Christmas morning, at the whisper of "Santa's been!!!" 

We quickly assembled backstage, and the overture began.

I had begun to feel somewhat nervous, but I imagined what Miss Kaye would've said if she had been there; I imagined her, standing behind me; I imagined the comforting warmth of her hug, and reminded myself that whatever I do, she is proud of me and wants me to succeed. 

Stepping onstage, after three and a half years since my last proper performance, felt like being transported, in a whirlwind of fantasies and dreams; I was safe there, I could express myself- and most importantly, I could inspire.

As I danced, a myriad of names swirled through my mind; the names of people who I wished could be there to see me dance, the people who have always supported me, and those who, in spirit, have never left my side. I knew the choreography well enough so that I didn't have to think about the steps; I simply focused on the joy of dance, knowing that perhaps somewhere in the audience, there would be a young child who would decide that night, that her dream was to dance the role of a party child in The Nutcracker.

All too soon, the party scene ended, and we were back in the dressing room- it felt somewhat like waking up from a dream, yet with the knowledge that the next day, we would be transported back to the magical world where, with music, lights and costume, anything is possible!!

I've posted a few photos on my Facebook page; https://m.facebook.com/Sophies-Dancing-Dream-493742164035647/?ref=bookmarks more photos to follow shortly

A Corps de Ballet of Swans

After what seemed like a very long term, I was incredibly relieved to get home for Christmas- not least after a 12 hour journey on several trains!!!

The best part of the holidays was, as I had expected, going back to my dance school, Rochelle. Despite being exhausted from my long journey, the day after arriving home, I was back in the studio. My beloved teacher Miss Kaye looked as if a thousand Christmasses had come at once when I walked in- and Olivia, one of the children who I used to teach, ran straight to me, and flung her tiny five year old self into a silent hug that clearly said 'thank goodness you're back!! I was starting to worry you'd forgotten me!!" Being back at Rochelle was an incredibly inspiring reminder of what I am aiming to achieve- Miss Kaye tells me that I inspire the children, but what they probably don't realise is that they are all, in their own unique way, an amazing inspiration to me too. Miss Kaye asked me to teach a Primary class- they certainly enjoyed learning repertoire from Ballet West's Nutcracker!! And a grade 1 class. I asked the grade 1 children what ballets they had seen, and what would they like to learn? Their answer was unanimous- they loved Swan Lake. Which was a relief to me, as I know a variety of corps de ballet and soloist roles in Swan Lake. I decided to teach them the corps de ballet Swans' entrance, which I learnt at the London Coliseum a year ago. Although their steps weren't perfect, they were all determined to do their best. I realised, in that moment, that I may never be in the corps de ballet of a professional company. But I had my own corps de ballet, of nine young dancers, who were not only eager to please me, but they were eager to learn. I had something to achieve, and for once, I achieved it; every single child was smiling as they left the studio after class. Some even waited behind, to ask me more about Swan Lake, about Ballet West, about performing on stage. 

As I gain more experience in teaching, I realise that my destiny lies in passing on the gift of inspiration through dance- not, as I once aspired, in a company, but instead as a teacher. Nothing can describe the sense of liberation of discovering my gift. 

Even just for an hour, on a cold, wintery Saturday afternoon, I can make a difference to the lives of the children who come to me, placing their trust in me- even just for an hour, in a church hall, overlooked by those walking past, we can create magic- we can all be Swans on the Royal Opera House stage.