The process for every ballet is very different; sometimes we are told the intricacies of the story by our rehearsal directors and other times we are meant to discover it on our own. For instance, I decided to take it upon myself to research “Othello” so I started reading the original text and talking to Lar about his various choices. I found that process to be very rewarding. So often ballet’s are “silly” but they inevitably pose questions, whether about their stories or the history of the production, and searching for the answers can be quite fun. I find that too often, we don’t always have time to get all of the answers we want. We do so many ballets that some are given more time than others.

All of my experiences with more abstract works usually have been that the choreographer wants you to explore and come to your own conclusions to a certain extent. I remember my first season, working on Trey McIntyre’s “Pretty Good Year,” he told us that he had a very specific idea in mind but that he wanted us to discover it on our own. Perhaps some of our deductions lined up with his original intentions, or maybe some dancers concluded something completely different from the movement.

Of course some abstract ballets really are completely abstract and purely about the movement. In that case, they focus more on the phrasing of movement and its relation to the music. I stopped by to peek in on Benjamin’s rehearsals the other day and was having a great time seeing him toy around with different musicality. The creation process is so interesting to me!

Does that help at all? Sorry if it’s a little scatterbrained

Talking about the rehearsal/performance process is a pretty broad subject, but I’ve got some time on my hands. I’ll see if i can come up with some ways to present it!

(not that I would ever need this information…just curious )

the photos are beauitful!