Just Like Rebekah

Nutcracker 2010

 This year was among my favorites for Nutcrackers. I was in four of the five casts and performed over 20 shows. I was cast as snow and flower corps, pink lamb again, and the maid in party scene. Also, I got moved down a flight of stairs (woohoo only four flights) to dressing room 45. Enjoy the few pictures.

  

During the run, I got an email from Beatriz. She said she had found my blog through trying to find out more about the Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker and wanted to meet me. She was such an encouragement and I'm glad to have met her.

 
 

Cinderella

Photo by: Kim Kenney

The first weekend of Cinderella is over and it went quite well. A few weeks ago, I was cast as a nymph in the show. After a few rehearsals, opening night was here and we were out there in all our glittery splendor. But enough about my minor part here's a little about this year's production.

The Cinderella story was originally written and published by the Grimm brothers in 1634 and revised by Charles Perrault in 1697. In 1945, Prokofiev composed the score for a ballet version of the story (wikipedia). Previously, Atlanta Ballet has performed the Ben Stevenson version of the ballet, borrowing costumes and sets from the Houston Ballet (the above picture is from this production). This year, Artistic Director, John McFall has re-staged the whole ballet with sets and costumes from the Washington Ballet. It's a charming and magical production for all ages.

Here are a few pics from backstage.

 

Lauren as the lead bee. I was learning this part but turned out to be too tall (imagine that!) to do it.

 
  Me and Laura waiting for permission to go downstairs.  

We're at the Cobb Energy Centre until the 14th. Come see it if you can!

Nutcracker 2009-Pt. 5

Well, Nutcracker is finally over. It's kinda sad but if it went on forever it wouldn't be special. And with over 20 shows, sometimes you need a break. With this being my last post for Nutcracker this year, I'll feature the lamb role. (Below photo from here)

 Lamb was my favorite part this year. It was fun to make up silly things for the little improv part in the middle of the dance and a new experience to dance in a costume that fully covered me from head to toe--literally. Lamb also stretches your artistry in that you have to act like an animal, and dance like a human without using facial expressions.

This was the first role that I had to spray my shoes. Before dress rehearsal, Lauren (another lamb) and I headed out to the wind tunnel near the stage door with a can of black spray paint and our shoes. After spraying out in the cold, we brought our shoes in to dry.

 
During the middle of Snow scene I head downstairs to stage left to get dressed. First, I put on the legs to my under unitard. Then, I put on my shoes. The hands to the unitard are like mittens so that's why I wait to put them on later. After my shoes are on, I put the rest of the unitard on and then put on the big, fluffy, pink, lamb suit.

 After getting snapped into the lamb suit, I head over to the head peice table on stage right to get my head. The head was the hardest part to get used to. You have very limited vision, so you definitely have to "feel" the other person to be on the music. Also, it kind of inhibits your breathing so it can get a bit stuffy, especially when most of the dance is jumping.

 During intermission, the other lamb and I decide what we're going to do for our little acting part. Then, Act II starts. We wait during the two variations then towards the end of Spanish, I start to put my head on. After Chinese, we're on. Then we wait for finale and then bows. And that's a snippet of being a lamb. This is a picture of me with the Baby Lamb for our cast.

On Tuesday, my family came to watch. The liked it a lot. Carolyn, also came and took care of Alice during the show. She had a great time as well. That's it for Nutcracker this year, only 9 more months until we start rehearsals for it again. Hope you enjoyed sharing the magic with me.

Nutcracker 2009-Pt. 4

 

So far the shows have been going well. No major mishaps or anything. Yesterday, we had another Kids in Step show. I wasn't doing anything in it but my mom had to work backstage so I went with her. I went upstairs to take a nap. About 30 minutes before the show started, Mommy came upstairs and said "Rebekah, come downstairs, they need you to do infantry." It turned out that 3 of the infantry members didn't show up. So I stepped in along with another pre-pro who was with her mom. I learned the part before the show began and then did it on stage. It actually wasn't that bad.

Nutcracker 2009-Pt. 3

My pre-performance routine.

Go in the stage door...

Sign in...

Climb the stairs...

All the way to the 5th floor...

Down the hall to...

Organize my stuff...

Warm up, then get ready for the show...

 
 
 
  
 

Nutcracker 2009-Pt. 2

 

Well, The Nutcracker has opened in Atlanta. So far it's gone pretty well. Our first show was Friday morning for Kids in Step. I got to do Lamb for that one. Before the show, I took class with the company to warm up. That was pretty cool but also kind of intimidating. Overall, the show went well; we weren't together on one part but afterwards we got a good job from the ballet mistress. In between shows, I went to class then came back for the evening. At the beginning of the show, they introduced our new Executive Director, Arthur Jacobus. They also had Mr. Barnett there with people who had been in some of the first Nutcrackers of Atlanta Ballet. I was only a Dream Fairy for that show but it was just cool to be on stage at the Fox with the Atlanta Ballet on opening night. More Nutcracker to come!

Nutcracker 2009 Promo video

Here are some very short excerpts from our Nutcracker. We open in 2 days! Click the box with the red x(I can't get the pic to show up) on the right to buy tickets.

Nutcracker 2009-Pt. 1

Every year, I look forward to Nutcracker. It is my favorite time of the year and for me, it would not be Christmas without Nutcracker. For me, alot of firsts are associated with this magical ballet; the first time I was exposed to ballet, the first time I understood true artistry, my first pas de deux, the first time I guested. This year, is my first performing Nutcracker with a professional company. I'm blessed to be a part of the 50th anniversary cast of Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker and here is my side of a really cool adventure.

 
In September, I was excited to find my name on a list calling me to a height line up with the Company. This meant that I was being considered for company casting such as Flowers and Snow. A group of us pre-pros headed to studio 5 on the third floor at the assigned time. First, the ballet mistress, Dale Shieldslined the Company members in height order. Then she lined the pre-pros in height order. Then we all got in one big line stretching from one end of the studio to the other. I was fifth from the short end, with four Company members shorter than me (Nadia, Alessa, Peng, and Yoomi). A few days later, the cast list came out for Waltz of the Flowers--and I was an understudy! So, I started going to the rehearsals. This year, John McFall re-choreographed Flowers and it was fun to see his thought processes. After a few weeks of learning it on the sides, Ms. Dale asked me to step in during rehearsal. That was so nerve-wracking; I was happy to be asked to do the part but I was also nervous about messing up and learning the spacing and everything--I'm sure I was way too tense to look very much like a Flower. But I didn't do too badly. After being thrown in, I was much more confident that I knew the part. I am also an understudy for Snow.

A few weeks later, I was also cast as a Dream Fairy (a very minor, no-pressure role in the opening of Act II). After Magic Flute was over, Nutcracker rehearsals began in full swing. As I checked the Company board one day, I was delighted to find my name under a rehearsal called for lambs. Two pink lambs along with one baby lamb dance with the shepherdess during the Marzipan divertissement. Only two other pre-pros were cast as lambs, the rest were Fellowship students. Another cool thing about being a lamb is that I got a pair of pointe shoes for being cast in the part. The downside of being a lamb is that your whole body is covered--including your head. This past week was the first time we practiced with the lamb heads on. It's a little challenging because you can't see anything but straight ahead but at least you don't have to keep a pleasant face while you are gasping for air.

 

This week, we go into the theatre for dress and tech rehearsals. The show opens on Friday the 11th and runs until the 27th at the Fox Theatre. I'll keep posting with more pictures and tidbits as we progress. Hope your Nutcracker season is going well. Leave me a comment and let me know how it's going.

Photos by Charlie McCullers

Finally, a real post....

Well, I'm back...did you guess where I was? I was at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Intensive Summer Program. It was a good experience. I stayed with my Aunt Mary and Laura stayed with me too. Aunt Mary took us a lot of cool places (such as the incline up Mt. Washington, her friend's garden, fireworks at the waterfront and a relative's house). 

The intensive at PBT was challenging and I definitely gained new experiences. One of my favorite parts was that I got to set a piece of my own choreography on my peers. I chose to do a peice to music from Pirates of the Caribbean. It was cool to experience being on the other side of a work of art.

One of the things that God has been teaching me this summer is that God has each of us on a different path and we just need to trust Him. He doesn't teach everyone at the same time or the same things.

Hope everyone is having a great summer. Drop me a comment on how it's going. I have a lot to catch up on so keep looking for posts all this week.

-Rebekah

Dancing in the Garden

On our day off, we went to a beautiful day lily garden. And we danced around in it. Here's what we came up with.

 

 

More pics of the actual flowers coming later.