November 2012
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Nov 24, 2012 10:03 AM
Anna Maples
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To quote the memorable Thomas Paine, "These are the times that try men's souls."
We are definitely not headed towards the American Revolution again, nor are we at risk of being beheaded for treason. However, no one can deny that Nutcracker is swiftly approaching. Tech week has begun, and "Nutcracker Gone Wild" is swiftly being pieced together.
No time is tougher at the studio than mass rehearsals. The Act II Opening and Finale rehearsals this past Saturday began the part of Nutcracker that I have barely escaped unscathed for the last four years of my dance life. Not many things put more stress on us all than being crammed into Studio 4 alongside every person appearing on Act II. Each year, three quarters re-learn the steps while the other quarter sees them for the first time.
Although a large chunk of the dancers always know the choreography ahead of time, many things never quite come together well until the last minute. This year, however, I think we are more than capable of working as a unit to make the process easier on everyone. When everyone shows up for each rehearsal, things work much more smoothly.
To help out in these few remaining days, everyone needs to show up. Also, as usual, sell some tickets! They will not buy themselves! Teachers, friends, and relatives are great places to start, but also get your parents to ask around. I can assure you that seats will be availible for them!
Ballet Term of the Week:
Cavalier
The male partner of the ballarina
Thanks for reading!
Anna Maples
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October 2012
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Oct 7, 2012 3:26 PM
Anna Maples
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As of Sunday, October 7, there are 19 days left until the premire of Huntsville Ballet's Unplugged. We dancers can easily become concerned that we are unprepared for a show. While it seems as if we have only been rehearsing for a few weeks, I look at things this way: There is no way Mr. Otto would let us onstage looking like idiots!
All kidding aside, it is past time to crack down and focus during rehearsal and class. Every moment in the studio is an opportunity to gather information and form habits that will help when the curtains go up. We need to concentrate on simple things like placing our arms correctly or memorizing spacing during rehearsal. Any corrections we make in advance will just make production week go slightly smoother.
As a sidenote, Avery Kennedy and I really appreciate the generous donations we have collected for the upcoming used leotard and warm-up sale. Several students of Huntsville Ballet take their old dancewear to the studio to get rid of, so shouldn't those potentially discarded items be used for the greater good of the school? I sure think so. I am also looking forward to dirt cheap, new leotards.
19 days... It sounds like a bad country song, but today it represents a very real countdown to proving ourselves to the people of Huntsville once again. According to the Wings Awards judges, we haven't looked too shabby this past year. (Congratulations to the various solo and ensemble nominees!) However, our work never stops. Keep dancing Huntsville Ballet!
Ballet Term of the Week:
Battement Frappe
Struck; An  exercise in which the dancer forcefully extends the working leg from a cou-de-pied position to the front, side or back. This exercise strengthens thetoes and insteps and develops the power of elevation. It is the basis of the allegro step, the jeté.
Thanks for reading!
Anna Maples |
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September 2012
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Sep 4, 2012 6:06 PM
Anna Maples
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It has been exactly 10 days since 2012 Nutcracker auditions took place, and tension is rising. My sister comes home from dance every night with a disappointed expression on her face, waiting for what she thinks is a gage of how well she is doing at dance. Her individual abilities, however, do not solely determine her personal casting placement.
We, the Huntsville Ballet Company, must function as one unit, and work together to produce the best show possible. Each person cast in The Nutcracker, or any show, is an ingredient in the recipe that Mr. Otto thinks will make the best product. In the end, we, as dancers, are cast where we are best suited to help the whole.
So please don't take the parts you are given personally. Not everyone can be happy all the time with casting, but everyone can play their given part to the best of their ability. Doing you part well without complaints can be the best way to get the part you most desire next year! Plus, every ounce of cooperation given by the dancers makes Mr. Otto's and Ms. Butler's job just a little easier. Who likes a teacher in a bad mood?
I know that looking on the bright side of disappointment can be difficult, but what matters in the end is not the parts I got. What is truly important is the way we learn to work for a team and not an individual. As the time ticks until the unknown date on which casting will be posted, please keep these thoughts in mind. Disappointment hurts, but not forever.
Ballet Term of the Week:
Barre
The horizontal wooden bar fastened to the walls of the ballet classroom or rehearsal hall which the dancer holds for support. Every ballet class begins with exercises at the barre.
Thanks for reading!
Anna Maples |
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April 2012
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Apr 21, 2012 3:20 PM
Anna Maples
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The end of Swan Lake and More is a massive weight off my shoulders, and I can't imagine how the weekend could have gone better. During Swan Lake bows, each of my fellow swans received a rose from Mr. Otto, Ms. Butler, and Ms. Barfield, a reward more than deserved by each and every one of us. So much hard work never goes to waste on us. If I may say so myself, we need the momentary break.
SImply finishing spring show does not mean the end of performance season for Huntsville Ballet. Just this Thursday night, excerpts from Stage Door Canteen were performed at the Virginia Hammill Sims Award ceremony, and this coming Saturday, we will perform the entire ballet at Panoply. Plus, both Swan Lake and Stage Door will, according to rumor, be a part of School Sketches this year. The show I am most pumped up about, despite the hard work to be had between now and then, is the Company Choreography In-Studio Performance.
Last year, I choreographed a simple modern dance to the song "She's Gone" by Daryl Hall and John Oates. This year I want to do something much more true to myself. The song will remain as much of a secret as possible for the time being, but I assure you that the average Alabamian hasn't heard it before. Many of the company girls my age will be choreographing a piece as well. Anyone familiar with the group will know to expect a great variety in the mix.
So readers I bid you adieu on a great note. This season has ended on a superb note for those of us at Huntsville Ballet. I hope those of you not participating can show up to support us at 4:30 this Saturday for Panoply on the Valley Jubilee stage or at the in-studio performance in May .
Ballet Term of the Week:
Choreography
A term used to describe the actual steps, groupings, and patterns of a ballet or dance composition
Thanks for reading!
Anna Maples
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Apr 3, 2012 6:06 PM
Anna Maples
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Whoa! Spring show is less than two weeks away. I realized this eminent fact walking into Swan Lake rehearsal yesterday at the same time as everyone else in the cast. Every face easily gave away the fact with a disbelieving stare and eventual accepting shrug. Huntsville Ballet Company does not procrastinate, but the mad dash is about to begin.
I have been nervous about these final two weeks for some time now. The return of Keith Cross to choreograph what are sure to be two astounding pieces is both exiting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Relief washes over me from the personal break from rehearsal, but a lack of time spent on Swan Lake makes me nervous. I know that Mr. Otto would never let us perform something that is not up to his standards.
Final adjustments in costuming and music pitch are being made this week. This is also the time when the dancers take stock to make sure all of their belongings are gathered for VBC production week (If you are unsure of what to pack I posted a performance packing list around Nutcracker this past year). But, as always, a late-night Wal-Mart run the night before performance is just as effective.
As everything comes together in these last couple days of preparation, we need to focus on technique and try to relax. For ballets we have already learned, the choreography is surely engraved in our skulls by now. Personally, I am trying to stay sane this week and save the stressing out for the next. So let's put all our worries aside and perform to the best of our ability. Swan Lake and More could be our greatest hit yet!
Ballet Term of the Week:
Supporting Leg
A term used by dancers and teachers to describe the leg that supports the body while the other leg (the working leg) is free to execute a given movement
Thanks for reading!
Anna Maples |
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March 2012
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Mar 14, 2012 10:37 PM
Anna Maples
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Spending over 25 hours a week with a large group of teenage girls is not usually easy. Somehow, though, my group of friends and fellow dancers seem to avoid the common stereotypical conflicts that arise among teenagers,
I have a theory that when people become friends of their own accord, not forced to constantly be together at school or work, bonds are stronger and last longer. At school, we are forced to conform to the easiest accessible group. Dance, however, provides us all with the opportunity to meet people with very different school lives from our own.
We are definitely a rowdy bunch. All of our inside jokes could not be counted on each pointe shoe we have ever used. Expect us in class to be doubled over in laughter half of the time, maybe on the floor in fits of giggles. We never do so out of disrespect, but so many things are simply too funny to resist.
Drama should never interfere with daily life, but for a teen in any day and age the curse is unavoidable. High school drama will forever haunt the minds of all teenagers, no matter where they are. My friends at HBC help me through the struggles of everyday life as a third party, and I try to return their favors as often as possible.
There are few friends I have made in my life that have made such a positive impact on me. Everyone needs a first line of support, and that is exactly what my dance friends have provided me. Come good or bad, I would never trade them for the world!
Ballet Term of the Week:
en Croix [ahn krwah]
The shape of a cross; An exercise is to be executed to the fourth position front, to the second position and to the fourth position back, or vice versa; For example: battements tendus en croix.
Thanks for reading!
Anna Maples
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February 2012
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Feb 20, 2012 11:18 AM
Anna Maples
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I reluctantly admit to my personal addiction to the Lifetime reality show Dance Moms. If you are unfamiliar, Dance Moms is an hour-long show on Tuesdays at 8pm focused on the Abby Lee Dance Company and, more specifically, their catty moms. My largest regret about watching this show is a deep dislike and quiet boycott of "reality" television, but this show is simply too intriguing to resist.
The Abby Lee Dance Company is luckily very different from the Huntsville Ballet Company, mainly because competition dance is the center of all the drama. In my humble opinion, competition dance defeats the original purpose of our movement and encourages behavior seen on this show.
These moms are truly crazy. Screechy arguments, secret conversations, and bribing of Abby Lee Miller, the director, strongly season the show to add excessive disagreements. The parents are largely encouraged to take a large role in the success of their children in their dance "careers," and the amount of involvement put in by the parent largely determines their child's placement on the pyramid, a weekly announced hierarchy of the company members with one dancer on top.
Whatever wild thought or wild night inspired Abby Lee to invent this pressure device will hopefully never find another teacher, but sadly many directors have likely been influenced by this show and have implemented the ridiculous practice in their studios. If so, then the world of dance has likely sped up its slow descent into a slightly athletic version of Toddlers and Tiaras.
I will not deny that these (for the most part) very sweet little girls have awesome dance potential and will probably find great work in a Broadway show or as Rockettes. What I would like to say is that this woman does not know how to treat children. We live in age where only the best can succeed, but we do not live in revolutionary France where all citizens are ranked in order based, quite frankly, on who our parents are and how great they are at brow-nosing the boss.
The point I am trying to make with this rant is that I am so grateful to have access to a school where dance and family are separated, and we are encouraged to work together as one large family instead of constantly in competition with each other along with every other competition group on earth. I wish to send a huge thank you to Mr. Phillip Otto for creating such a supportive and open environment to learn the art form of ballet!
Ballet Term of the Week:
Battement-beating; a beating action of the extended or bent leg
Battements include tendus, degages, and frappes; all of which contribute to the basic few steps ballet is based on.
Thank you for reading!
Anna Maples |
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January 2012
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Jan 24, 2012 5:36 PM
Anna Maples
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There is no way to escape the fact that preparing for Swan Lake will be the most difficult undertaking we have attempted as a company. The ballet, though a beautiful one, is exceedingly difficult; but I believe that the challenge will bring us together as a refreshed Huntsville Ballet Company. If perfect attendance is important during rehearsals for The Nutcracker, then missing a day or two of rehearsal may be critical during the next few months. An always reliable voice, Mrs. Rachel said during rehearsal one day that Swan Lake is very hard, but at the end of the run we will be able to tell a great difference from our first few attempts.
I am personally looking forward to reprising our roles in Stage Door Canteen to space out more difficult rehearsals and provide a break during the performance week. Mr. Otto's choreography is so upbeat and fun to perform, plus I get to wear pants! Rumors have been circulating that Mr. Otto is preparing another piece to serve in the "and more" portion of the upcoming spring performance, but I am not aware of any specific details yet. I can only hope that I am a part of this new venture.
In the meantime, we are working hard toward a far-off goal that may soon be in our reach: doing Swan Lake as much justice as possible. If I may say so, the Snow scene from The Nutcracker went much smoother this year than in the past. This gives me hope for our formation-keeping ability's potential to pass the test lying in our path. Please wish our company luck! We certainly need your well wishes!
Ballet Term of the Week:
Pique- pricked, pricking; executed by directly stepping on pointe with the foot raised slightly in the air
Thank you for reading!
Anna Maples |
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Jan 10, 2012 8:48 PM
Anna Maples
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A new year can mean new beginnings, especially in the world of dance. Having a long recovery break after Nutcracker can be both an advantage and a setback. While some people are prone to pulling themselves back into a routine, most of us take lots of time to climb up to par. I was not able to start dancing on the first day back, so I already feel behind. This week it is my goal to get back in my pointe shoes during at least two classes to start preparing for Swan Lake and More this coming April. My feet already ache: I have not worn pointe shoes in a month.
During the latest summer intensive many of the company dancers, including myself, learned excerpts from Swan Lake from Dede Barfield. Just the short introduction to the ballet has given us a taste of what we need to accomplish in the months ahead. This ballet is sure to be some of the most challenging choreography we have encountered, and we will hopefully perform to the absolute best of our ability. Our company works best under pressure, in my opinion, and this Spring Show is guaranteed to offer plenty.
Speaking of Swan Lake, I find it funny how many people are starting to be confused about the classical ballet versus the 2010 horror movie Black Swan. Though the subject matter in these completely opposite stories is way off, I will not be surprised to hear of people wondering where main points in the psychological thriller tie in with the ballet. I am sad to say that they do not relate in any way besides one word in the title and background music.
Ballet Term of the Week:
Port de bras - "carriage of the arms"
Ballet movement is made up of many lines, and port de bras is the basic guideline for making proper and attractive arm movements.
Thanks for reading, and good luck in Swan Lake and More casting!
Anna Maples |
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November 2011
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Nov 29, 2011 5:14 PM
Anna Maples
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To take my mind off the stress of The Nutcracker (We perform in less than than two weeks!), I decided to put together The Ultimate Nutcracker Packing List. Of course, not everything I mention will be necessary for everyone; younger children and men will not need to pack near as much makeup! If you want to be prepared for whatever may come your way during production week and performance weekend, please read on!
Clothes:
- Leotards (Black for warm-up and rehearsal and nude, if needed with costume)
- Tights (Pink for most parts, others use black or nude)
- Extra Tights (Tights will tear, be prepared.)
- Warm-ups (Sweatpants, sweatshirts, scarves, socks, t-shirts...)
- Trunks (Pink or black depending on your part)
Ballet Specific:
- Pointe Shoes (Pink or dyed black, if your part requires)
- Pointe Shoe Pads
- Toe Tape
- Flat shoes (If your part requires them or for warm-up)
- Character Shoes (If your part requires)
Hair:
- Ponytail Holders
- Hair Nets (Bring extras in case they rip)
- Bobby Pins
- Hairspray
- Hair Gel
Makeup:
- Foundation
- Moisturizer (Helps your foundation last longer)
- Powder
- Blush
- Neutral Eyeshadows
- Eyeliner
- Mascara
- False Eyelashes (Not required)
- Eyelash Glue
- Red Lipstick
- Coral Lipstick (Snowflakes)
- Lip Balm (Your lips will thank you!)
Toiletries:
- Q-tips
- Cotton Balls
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Makeup Remover (Wipes are very convenient)
- Baby Powder/Foot Powder
- Deodorant
- Moisturizer
Extras:
- Company Earrings (Clear rhinestone studs, not needed for younger dancers)
- Nutcracker Gifts (A thoughtful way to thank your fellow dancers, but not a requirement!)
- Safety Pins
- Water Bottles
- Magazines/books, games, a deck of cards (If you need to pass time)
- Blanket/Snuggie (Temperature backstage is unpredictable)
- Snacks (Please do not eat in costume!)
While you are getting prepared for Nutcracker this week and next week, be sure you are mentally and physically prepared as well. Be sure to get plenty of sleep, eat well, and drink lots of water. These choices will ensure a less stressful and more confident performance!
Ballet Term of the Week:
Corps de ballet- The dancers in a ballet who do not appear as soloists
I personally would argue that dancing in a corps de ballet is one of the hardest things to do well. Everyone must rely on everyone else to contribute their part as well as possible, while doing their personal best to try to make every line straight and keep perfect timing with the rest of the corps dancers.
Thank you for reading!
Anna Maples |
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