The Polaroid Files
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JUSTIN PECK |
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The day-to-day schedule of NYCB can be choppier then the surf at Coney Island. A day of dancing could often times be something like this: an hour rehearsal, then an hour break, then maybe a two hour rehearsal, followed by a half hour break, then another 2 hour rehearsal, followed by a performance where one might only be in the last act (being in the last act of a mixed rep program means that the dancer must sign in at 7:30 p.m. and then wait around to go on for the last act, which usually goes on at around 10 p.m.). This type of schedule amounts to a great deal of “in-between” time for the dancers. It isn’t really worth leaving the Theatre during a half-hour or an hour break in between two rehearsals. So we are frequently trying to find new ways of keeping ourselves entertained in order to make these “in-between” periods go by faster.
For a while, the men’s dressing room had a sweet setup of two X-Box video game systems that were linked. This allowed for as many as 8 of us to participate in all kinds of video game competitions and tournaments in between rehearsals. But, alas, the video game systems became worn and broke down mid-season. That meant that we had to find some other way of keeping entertained in between rehearsals and performances. A few of us took on an interesting hobby of Polaroid photography, finding that the behind-the-scenes areas at the State Theatre made a good stomping ground for bizarre Polaroid photographs. There is also something about the dated/vintage look of Polaroids that I find to be strangely appealing. Here are a few of my favorites from last season:
This is a shot of me in my Union Jack costume on the roof of the NY State Theatre. It was taken before dancing the ballet in the last act during a matinee.
This is an obscure shot taken of an Orpheus rehearsal. After the scene where Orpheus and Eurydice are wedded, a silk scrim drops down and all of the dancers (who play the creatures in the ballet) have to scurry over to the scrim and hold it down from behind it. We had to lie in this position for about 10 minutes during the ballet, without making any sudden movements or noise. Definitely an amusing sight to see from the backstage wings…
This Polaroid was taken during the NYCB Saratoga season. Many of the dancers like to take advantage of our weekends off there by going boating on Lake George. This pic is of a few of us jumping into the lake and enjoying the surprisingly warm water
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