ANNE MARIE MELENDEZ Ballet Austin Austin, Texas USA BIO | POSTS

So this afternoon over here at Ballet Austin, we finished our Nutcracker run. I think 25 performances in all, that’s a lot of snow corps for those of us that do it every time. And let me tell you, I’ll be wearing fluffy slippers this Christmas!

Before Paul and I head off to Seattle to visit his family over the holidays, and of course watch one more Nutcracker (Paul’s younger brothers are in PNB’s production). I wanted to send off one more Nutcracker post.

Since our dressing rooms are of course segregated by gender I didn’t really get to follow any of our male dancers as they prepared for their show. But I did snap a few of Paul pre-performance along with other dancers warming up for our second show of the day.

Here’s a shot of a chunk of the group just as we’re about to start notes, led by Assoc. Director Michelle Martin, followed by a couple of Paul and some of the other dancers stretching and warming up.

One of my favorite points of view is upstage center. It’s one of those views that if you’ve never performed onstage, you’ve never seen. Here’s that point of view while Paul and his partner Allisyn review some highlights from the Snow Pas de Deux about 45 minutes before curtain.

Paul and Allisyn spend a good part of Act I in a hallway beneath the stage stretching and keeping their bodies moving. I never had the chance to catch that moment photographically because of my change from Party Scene to Snow. For this particular show after Paul finished Act I as the Snow King, he also shows up in Act II with Ashley (see Sugar Plum Paparazzi) in Arabian.

The two snow scene photos below were taken by Tony Spielberg again, and the Arabian one I took myself.

And since I seem to always forget to post photos of myself, here’s one of myself and my wonderful partner Jim in Arabian (in another photo by Tony)

And this one is for Amy:

During the overture to Act II, EVERY time… the waltz corps which is usually our apprentices (sometimes there’s a trainee or two in there, or this year a company member…) links together in a circle center stage and sways. Act II has a LOT of dancing for the waltz corps and I think the circle, centers them, calms them if they’re nervous and reminds them that they’re all in it together. I don’t know when this tradition started I’ve seen it every year I’ve been here and there’s always a second year apprentice or two to pass on the tradition the next year. For our final show today almost all the diverts joined in the pre-Act II circle. Here’s a shot of the circle last year.

Merry Christmas everyone!