Archive for dressing room
December 2, 2007 at 7:02 pm · Filed under SLOAN, backstage, dance, new york city ballet, dressing room, makeup, lincoln center, career transition, new media
From the archives… a backstage photo by Doug in 2005.
My face and lashes may thank me for my recent decision!
I sincerely apologize for taking my time in letting you all know about my recent transition. I’ve been trying to make this decision for many months, and once it all started happening I became so completely wrapped up in it (as I tend to do) that I couldn’t find the time to properly let you all know about it!
As of November 13th (approximately 3 weeks ago), I have taken on the role (or I guess I should say we have begun creating the role) of New Media Director for the New York City Ballet.
As many of you are already aware, I’ve been dealing with hip injuries throughout much of my career as a ballet dancer. Most recently, I have been fighting against the latest incarnation of pain my body has decided to throw at me, and have been unable to return to dancing after a year and a half of physical therapy and cortisone injections, and three prior surgeries. (Ballet is tough - it happens.)
But with the trust and freedom the company has so wonderfully given me over this time period, the amazing opportunities I have been offered to help the company in new ways, and the tremendous support many of you have shared with me, I have been able to further explore other artistic avenues within the dance field.
Through all the hard work, self-education (and fun) involved in these projects, I began to realize a new creative interest and passion for dance that didn’t require my body to be able handle the physical stress of ballet technique.
This summer I sat down with two of my (and everyone’s) guiding forces within the company, and was given all the options and encouragement a dancer and artist could hope for. The interest in my dancing abilities and potential was reiterated, after which the idea and option of a new position was raised. It was made clear that I was valued and wanted, but it was up to me to decide what I wanted to do.
It was thoughtfully stressed that I should take time in making this decision. I’ve spent the last three and a half months thinking about what I want to do, what my body will allow me to do, and where I want to go in the future.
Even though I will miss dancing more than I could ever predict at this point, I am so excited about this new opportunity. It is incredible to be able to research and think creatively about things that I am already so interested in outside of dance, bringing that passion together with my passion for dance and NYCB.
Anyhow, I’ll still be at Lincoln Center, running back and forth between the offices at the theater and WSD’s physical therapy across the street. I am still hoping to heal my hip to the point that I can dance in some capacity and be active in the future.
I will continue to post about my journeys and experiences in the dance world, from a slightly new perspective. Thanks again to our family of Winger readers for all your support (and of course my own family and friends who have helped me through this tough decision)!
Recent Posts by kristin sloan
November 22, 2007 at 2:27 am · Filed under dance, new york city ballet, gala, dressing room, JUSTIN, opening night
Yesterday, New York City Ballet moved back into the New York State Theatre to begin our season of endless Nutcrackers (48 to be exact), and after that, one of our busiest Winter Seasons (which will include many Jerome Robbins classics, Martins’ Romeo and Juliet, and a revival of the two-act Double Feature). Its always comforting for many of us dancers to set up at the Theatre again, as it acts as sort of a second home. Since we are there for practically more time then we spend at our own apartments, they try to make things comfortable by providing cots in the dressing rooms for napping purposes, as well as various lounges located around the vast reaches of the Theatre.
Winging for the Winger
Dancers in our dressing room playing nintendo to pass the time in between rehearsals
Yesterday night, we opened with the Winter Season Gala, which happened to include one of the most beautiful works that I have seen to date—Wheeldon’s Liturgy. For some reason I had missed its premiere when Jock Soto and Wendy Whelan danced the part a few years back. This time around, Whelan danced it once again, with Albert Evans supporting her. Both artists were absolutely striking. With that said, it would have been nice to witness Jock Soto premiere the ballet (I have idolized him since I was a kid training at S.A.B.). Nevertheless, the images created for the dancers in respond to the divine score (by Arvo Part) were dynamic, expansive, and multifaceted. The other pieces on the Gala program were the Rose Adagio & Garland Dance from Sleeping Beauty, a new Peter Martins ballet, an excerpt from Western Symphony, Life of a Tsar, and an interesting video preview of the film version of Opus Jazz, which some of the dancers in the company are working on creating.
Recent Posts by justin
October 30, 2007 at 8:40 pm · Filed under backstage, dance, dressing room, DAVID, american ballet theater, dressingroom, david hallberg, city center, american ballet theatre
Thanks to budding photographer Matt Murphy, some shots were caught as I cooled down after a puffy Ballo della Regina, this weekend. Due to injury, I filled in for two extra shows of this ballet, which gave me six ballets to dance in two days, matinee and evening performances. It was an unusual circumstance but one I took with a strong mind set that I could get through it. And I did, and now I’m home HURTING but well worth it…
Notice the shot under this, Matt shooting away in the back ground.
Recent Posts by david hallberg
September 29, 2007 at 2:38 pm · Filed under backstage, dance, dressing room, photography, photographer, PATRICIO, chile, ballet de santiago, patricio melo, africa
I´m very glad you enjoy The Real Backstage 1, so here is the second part. It sounds like a movie, part 1, part 2, part 3 heheheheheheheh.
Tania in her dressing room.
Lolo ready for work.
Marcela, I really like this picture, I took it in Arica during our tour there.
Pancha and Sonia.
Lidia, Sasha and Nina.
Rodrigo and Jose, this was also in Arica on tour. We shared one very small dressing room, it was very fun.
The big Chaman (Roberto), I can´t belive he was alone, there are always many people there.
Andreza, also in Arica, The girls also had very small dressing rooms on that tour, but the light was great for taking pictures.
Natalia.
Marcela, Lucero and Elizabeth.
Nina.
Recent Posts by patricio
August 27, 2007 at 3:28 am · Filed under dance, new york city ballet, dressing room, JUSTIN, story, apprentice, experience
~Heyy~
So I just wanted to post an entry in which I could just blog a bit about my first-year experience with NYCB. It turned out to be an experience jam-packed with excitement, stimulation, diligence, comradery, revelation, and growth (now I understand why they give us a whole year as apprentices—there is so much to absorb and adapt to).
Towards the end of my term as an apprentice, I was asked to write an article (that was eventually published in the Saratogian Newspaper) describing the whole experience. In the article, I focused particularly on how intense it is to get thrown into a ballet at the last minute (which happens very often at NYCB ). Thought I might share my words with you…
On My Toes
Thoughts And Encounters of a Dancer’s First Year with City Ballet
In the blink of an eye, everything can change for a dancer in the New York City Ballet. This is the most valuable perspective that I have learned—through raw experience—from my first year as an apprentice.
After weeks of endless understudying that deceivingly appeared to have no end or promise, I suddenly was catapulted into three ballets (Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Jeu De Cartes, and the Nightingale and the Rose) within three days, as a result of a few male dancers having to take time off due to injuries.
City Ballet puts on such a wide variety of ballets on a tight, back-to-back basis in one of the most demanding markets on the planet. Because of this, I began to realize that their need for understudies to willfully, systematically, and swiftly move into ballets to replace those who get injured is critical. This process is quite different compared to that of the School of American Ballet (SAB), where I, as well as 92% of the dancers that comprise City Ballet, come from.
At SAB, months of rehearsing are spent on just a few ballets for the end-of-the-year Workshop Performance. Such a performance is built brick-by-brick, step-by-step, with everything gradually and methodically staged in order to guarantee a polished performance. In City Ballet, while the same end-result is a foregone conclusion, a ballet can be rehearsed as little as a few times over a couple of days before being performed.
I was therefore rehearsed once or twice per ballet before being “thrown on,” and was expected nothing short of perfection when it came to retaining the choreography, remembering all the counts, and dancing with meticulous musicality.
In my attempt to be true to the ballet works and to come through for the Company, I quickly headed down to the video room, where dancers are able to watch past videos of ballets to assist them with learning those ballets.
After hours in the video room, more hours of constantly reviewing counts in my head, and the few rehearsals the company was able to give me on the short notice, I was able to dance the 3 ballets to City Ballet standards.
Under pressured circumstances like these, City Ballet becomes a team. Everyone involved seems to support each other when it comes to staging and producing each ballet. The ballet masters are easily accessible for last minute questions regarding the counts or the choreography. In addition, fellow dancers (especially the more senior ones, who somehow are able to perform as if they could walk on water) provide the support and guidance needed to help out the new kids on the block, like myself. I found this team-based interaction fundamental. This is what keeps City Ballet delivering on a high-octane level.
With these experiences and newly drawn understandings, I find that it is important for me, as a dancer with New York City Ballet, to always wake up each day with a blank slate of expectation. I’ve found that there are no speed limits on the road to excellence, meaning that it presents me with insurmountable opportunities. As a result, no ballet detail is too small to focus on and no performance is too big to attempt.
~Justin Peck
Recent Posts by justin
June 12, 2007 at 2:14 am · Filed under kennedy center, travel, dressing room, performances, candice thompson, CANDICE, ad hoc Ballet, Deborah Lohse
Posted by Candice Thompson
Suzanne Farrell Ballet was performing at the Kennedy Center this week, so Deborah Lohse and I decided to drive down on Sunday to see our friends perform. It was a quick day trip, but the weather was gorgeous and good times were had.
Here you see us in Georgetown on M street, in dresses that turned out to be quite similar, and in our comfy birks. Don’t worry, we put on fancy heels before we entered the opera house!
There was a beautiful sunset over the water during the second intermission. Deb decided to splurge on a box of chocolates and we each had one as we looked at JFK’s words of wisdom on the wall of the terrace.
The show ended with Slaughter on Tenth Avenue which was a great note to end on. We headed back to the dressing rooms to say hi to everyone and switch from contacts to glasses before the long drive back to NYC.
The drive back really wasn’t so bad and was completely worth it to see good friends dance; a rare opportunity when most are now spread out in companies all over the country. We played our music loud, talked about upcoming projects for ad hoc Ballet, and of course, wore our seatbelts!
Recent Posts by candice thompson
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